The Light-weight Steel Guitar Case
Posted: 13 Oct 2007 9:58 am
For those with bad or aging backs, this may be of some help.
I looked for a solution to the 90-plus pound guitar-in-case that I was carrying around to about 75 gigs per year plus practices. Splitting the unit into a number of parcels would help, so I built a Styrofoam case (2-inch SM) for the body of the guitar (MSA D12) and placed the legs, pedal bar, etc into a vinyl pouch. (Each leg has it own protective vinyl sleeve.)
The original case was about 25 pounds while the Styrofoam is about 7 pounds, a savings of 18 pounds. Now, the body-in-case weighs about 45 pounds or about half of what it originally did. One of the necks on the guitar had been previously removed for a lightening of about 7 pounds. So, an original MSA Classic D12 in the Styrofoam case would be a little over 50 pounds.
The Styrofoam case is upholstered both inside and out. This adds strength to the unit. The Styrofoam ledges, around the inner edges of the case for raising the guitar from resting on the bridge and machine heads, also add reinforcing strength. A 1-inch wooden handle runs the length of the case, making for easy manouvering of the guitar into and from a vehicle. The handle is secured with four 2-inch uphostery straps, with pinch buckles, that encircle the case.
Given the amount of use for the case, it has stood up very well over the past three years or so. The outer uphostery has required
a little regluing and that's it.
Originally, I made the case as an experiment to see how it would stand up to such an assignment. Now, I must conclude that it is more than an experiment; it is just part of my regular equipment. Good-bye 18 pounds!
I looked for a solution to the 90-plus pound guitar-in-case that I was carrying around to about 75 gigs per year plus practices. Splitting the unit into a number of parcels would help, so I built a Styrofoam case (2-inch SM) for the body of the guitar (MSA D12) and placed the legs, pedal bar, etc into a vinyl pouch. (Each leg has it own protective vinyl sleeve.)
The original case was about 25 pounds while the Styrofoam is about 7 pounds, a savings of 18 pounds. Now, the body-in-case weighs about 45 pounds or about half of what it originally did. One of the necks on the guitar had been previously removed for a lightening of about 7 pounds. So, an original MSA Classic D12 in the Styrofoam case would be a little over 50 pounds.
The Styrofoam case is upholstered both inside and out. This adds strength to the unit. The Styrofoam ledges, around the inner edges of the case for raising the guitar from resting on the bridge and machine heads, also add reinforcing strength. A 1-inch wooden handle runs the length of the case, making for easy manouvering of the guitar into and from a vehicle. The handle is secured with four 2-inch uphostery straps, with pinch buckles, that encircle the case.
Given the amount of use for the case, it has stood up very well over the past three years or so. The outer uphostery has required
a little regluing and that's it.
Originally, I made the case as an experiment to see how it would stand up to such an assignment. Now, I must conclude that it is more than an experiment; it is just part of my regular equipment. Good-bye 18 pounds!