Fiberglass flight case?

W. Van Horn · Post by **W. Van Horn** » 23 May 2013 1:30 pm

Is anyone making a fiberglass flight case for Psg? Or any lightweight flight case?

Malcolm McMaster · Post by **Malcolm McMaster** » 23 May 2013 11:56 pm

Scot Dixon cases made in UK are lightweight and strong, believe they are available in U.S., also they are wheeled.If you are anywhere near Dallas you can see mine at the MSA factory for the next four weeks while they are refurbishing my guitar.

W. Van Horn · Post by **W. Van Horn** » 28 May 2013 8:56 am

Thank you, Malcom. I've read good things about the Scott Dixon cases on the forum. Their website is defunct at the moment.
Anyone else have ideas?
I hear that someone in Nasvhille was making fiberglass PSG cases...anyone know who?

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 28 May 2013 9:46 am

While a lightweight flight case is a desirable asset, I advise that your first and foremost criteria be a case that best protects your instrument. If it's lightweight and still provides superior protection, fine.

Don't let expense or weight compromise protection for your expensive (and maybe) irreplaceable instrument. Keep in mind, the purpose of the case is protection. Even if it gets beat up, it needs to maintain protection.

Here's a very good case manufacturer. They aren't cheap, but they build very durable protection. They've built cases for two of my PSG's and an amp. I highly recommend them.

http://www.kealcases.com/

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 28 May 2013 10:54 am

I agree that a case needs to be durable, but light weight is extremely important for those of us who fly to gigs. Any time you check something that's more than 50 lbs, you risk losing all of your profit margin.

I'd like to see a carbon fiber case, I know that Carter had an experimental one out. I use a SKB small trap case with custom high density foam. It can carry my s10 Desert Rose or D10 Franklin (as long as I put two of the legs in another case).

In my experience, the major thing you want to look at is minimization of damage due to shock/vibration, rather than the toughness of the exterior case.

Malcolm McMaster · Post by **Malcolm McMaster** » 28 May 2013 12:01 pm

As Dan said, you could use the SKB drum trap case (this is one Sierra used, wheeleeze) and line it to suit with foam.Believe Gator Cases do a similar case.There is a thread where Paddy Long talks about the SKB.

W. Van Horn · Post by **W. Van Horn** » 28 May 2013 5:59 pm

Yes, protecting the instrument is the most important thing regarding a case, but as Dan said I need to keep things under 50 lbs for fly dates. My steel is fairly light weight but in a 20 + lbs flight case I'd be paying a lot to fly w it. Y'all have had good results with the skb case? I'll try to find that thread. Thanks!

Malcolm McMaster · Post by **Malcolm McMaster** » 28 May 2013 9:53 pm

The SKB case you need is. SKB H3611 drum trap case.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 29 May 2013 10:20 am

It's important to have very dense foam for the SKB case conversion (actually it's important for all steel cases). You might have to look around to get a supply.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 29 May 2013 10:27 am

Jan Jonsson had some great pictures of the job he did on this case in his Facebook page. Here's one.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 29 May 2013 7:08 pm

Here ya go Will ... this is the configuration I am using for my Zum D10's ...along with lightweight airline legs I can get everything in the case at 22.5kgs which is a gnats whisker under 50lb/23kg.
I also leave the D2F cover on the guitar in the case for added protection. Incidentally I have just flown up to Norfolk Island for a week with my gear, and back - not a scratch on anything !! (nor any excess fees) - off to Aussie in a few weeks as well with the same setup.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 29 May 2013 7:23 pm

Carbon fiber would be great but is probably prohibitively expensive. That's the reason why MSA stopped building Millenium (c. fiber) guitars: too costly to get the material and the supplier would only sell with huge (and expensive) minimum order requirements.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 30 May 2013 9:14 pm

i wondered why they stopped...so how many millenium probably got built? you'd think that would create a rareness factor.

Malcolm McMaster · Post by **Malcolm McMaster** » 30 May 2013 9:32 pm

Chris, don't know how many built, but mine is an early one and is currently with the guys at MSA being rebuilt to M3 standard.

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 31 May 2013 10:28 am

Dan Tyack wrote:...In my experience, the major thing you want to look at is minimization of damage due to shock/vibration, rather than the toughness of the exterior case.

Right, Dan! That's the main reason I don't trust foam, even high density foam. The durability of the case is to minimize denting or intrusion caused by impact. That's the first line of protection. Once that problem is addressed, shock and vibration due to that impact is the next problem.

In my previous post I'd mentioned that Keal Cases had built ATA-rated cases for me. One of the cases was for a 1983 Sierra S14 universal (8p/7k). That guitar weighs about 75 pounds and the case was designed without foam. Only a black crushed-velvet lining. Instead, anvils were built into the case and it's lid. These anvils lined up with the endplates of the guitar. The Sierra's endplates (which are very thick) were tightly cradled between the anvils once the lid is closed on the case. Hence, the guitar was suspended inside the case. Shock vibrations, caused by impacts traveled through one side of the case, through the endplates and transferred to the other side of the case. Leaving the guitar unscathed.

The case weighs about 20 pounds and made the total luggage weight approximately 95 pounds. Not cheap to fly. I used to slip an "Andrew Jackson" to the Sky Caps (remember them) when I had to fly the Sierra. The total weight was the reason I had casters and extra handles put on the case. That made the ramp agents for the airlines happy.

Eventually, I sold the guitar to a gentleman in Tokyo and the case became the perfect shipping 'crate'. I simply covered the exterior in cardboard to keep the case from getting scratched during shipment. The guitar arrived to it's new owner without damage.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

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