Gator Cases Molded Flight Case For Acoustic Dreadnought Guitars With TSA Approved Locking Latches, (GTSA-GTRDREAD)

We bought this case for a custom-made bass, essentially a P/J instrument with a neck from a Roadstar 2. Not only am I a custom instrument maker, but I have extensive history in instrument case design, having built custom woodwind cases for clarinets and saxophones, and having been commissioned to build a custom waterproof carbon fiber and titanium case for an Amati viola worth over a million dollars, so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to protecting instruments.I assumed I'd be making extensive modifications to protect our custom bass, but in fact, so much of this case is responsibly designed that I only had to make one custom pad. And that's a pad that I'd recommend ANYONE make who is serious about protecting their electric bass in this, or any case. The only exception might be if the body of your instrument already touches the case at both strap buttons so that the body can't move either direction in the body cavity. Even then, a custom pad to ensure that the strap buttons would not take all the load if the guitar were to shift toward the head or tail would be wise. If the pad can also be shaped to ensure that the body can't shift side to side, all the better.With the pad customized to the bottom curve of the instrument, the body can't shift in any direction, and the majority of the neck is also protected against shock, case-fall, etc. The tuning head sits suspened in open space in the case, so that no part of it touches anything, even in an impact. This is ideal.We also checked that the height of the body relative to the neck means that no undue shear load will be put on the neck-body joint in the case of a flat fall in either direction, or the equivalent impact.So, with the fleece upholstered grey pad you see in the photos, our cherry burst cherry bass is beyond snug.Highly recommend this caseHighly recommend an end pad to take up all remaining available motion for your instrument!

There aren't a lot of hard cases available for a Guild Polara. It looks kinda like a Gibson SG it's not exactly the same shape and dimensions. This case was "close" to fitting perfect, but the left horn was slightly too long and the strap button on the base of the neck protruded too far.Fortunately it's very easy to modify. Bend a clothes hanger into a hook and slip it between the foam and side of the case to grab and pull up the felt lining. Carefully peel back the felt to expose the foam underneath. Remove foam using a sharp knife/hot wire/etc. When you're happy with the fit, carefully spray some contact cement/spray adhesive onto the foam and press the lining back into place. Quick, easy, perfect fit, no movement.In case you're curious, under the felt is white styrofoam. So if your guitar is really close to fitting you can just force it in and it'll take the shape pretty well. Mine wasn't close enough, so I had to modify it... but it was totally worth it. The case itself is amazing.Pros:- The shell is super rigid, it's difficult to even make it flex when pushing down on the side.- The plastic latches are great, they self align so you don't need to screw around with them to get them to close- The carry handle is big and comfortable- It's very well balanced when the guitar is inside, so it's easy to carry.- Not terribly heavy, especially for the amount of protectionAlso, it's worth noting that when the felt was peeled back, I was there was a thinner area of foam with a void in it. They had reinforced it with a piece of plywood on the outside and some extra soft foam on the inside. Arguably, it would be better for them to toss the foam and use a perfect casting instead, but it still shows they have a good level of quality control and care about protecting your guitar.Cons:- One of the latches is floppy, so it doesn't stay in the up position when opened. It has to be moved out of the way when closing the case, which is a little annoying.

I wanted to be sure to review this for those out there with the same guitar as me, looking for a durable travel case. I got a great deal on this guitar, but the one caveat was that it didn't come with the hard shell case it was supposed to come with. I figured I could just contact Guild or a dealer and replace it - turned out not to be that easy, they are consistently out of stock in the Guild webstore. The other option is to purchase the case from TKL (I believe the correct case ID is 8955) but that costs $220 from what I can find online, which is $70 more than if I got the Guild version, which again, is always out of stock. I decided I'd need a more rugged case than the stock one anyway for touring purposes, something TSA approved, so I figured screw it, I'll save money and just buy one that is TSA approved from a 3rd party. I do love traditional, vintage styled cases, they're beautiful, but they're not really made for the road, so this is a far better choice for musicians that get out of their home. If you want something pretty, just buy the TKL one, this one is way more utilitarian.Since it's difficult to find a lot of info about Guild electrics online, they're not nearly as popular as Gibsons or Fenders, I wanted to contribute to those out there dealing with the same search and I wanted to confirm for them: For the Newark St. Collection Starfire IV / V, this case is a perfect, snug fit. It holds the body perfectly in place, the lid has enough space to close without the bigsby compromising that, the neck has great support, and the headstock has plenty of space around it to float. The craftsmanship feels great. The latches are a great design and I feel like this will hold up to future jerk bag handlers, including the nosey ones that must pry their way into a guitar case, I feel like this lock and latch system will be too much of a hassle for them and they'll move on. Fellow Guild players, this one's good.