The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    So does anyone have experience with these?Colorado Case Company used to make these for Calton and Hoffee cases, but they went out of business. Hoffee let me know that they found a new supplier of essentially the same design, so I ordered one. It arrives today, so I'll be putting up some pics and giving my impressions, but I wondered if any others had their own experiences with them?

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  3. #2

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    Jonathan,I have the Colorado covers for Calton (Marchione semi) and Hoffee (Marchione 15" archtop). Here are my experiences/observations I dig the pockets and backpack straps I sometimes run into bizarre and contradictory 'rules' from airline personnel. ("You can't carry on a hard case","You can ONLY carry on a hard case"). The cover can be a helpful disguise in these situations... The few times a 'flight case' has really saved the day for me have not come from airline impact mishaps, but ground travel around a tour, where the guitar gets stuck somewhere in extreme temperature. The added insulation of the Colorado is certainly helpful. The major downside is playing small, cramped stages with no backstage or room to lay the case down flat. It's a pain to have the cover flopping around each time you take the guitar out/in of the vertical case, and an equal pain to remove cover entirely and replace it at end of night. Safe travels and best wishes for your music! PK Welcome to PaulKogut.com

  4. #3

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  5. #4

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    I've got two Hoffee cases (one for a 16" Gibson, and one for a 17" Gibson - though they're both the same exterior dimensions), and I usually travel with two guitars, so I usually have to check one of them. Occasionally I can get somebody in my party to carry the other on, but ironically I find that carrying both on tends to result in freakouts from the gate agents or flights staff (resulting in them being checked-though to the final destination, and not even gate-checked, just as often as it actually works).

    I was planning to use this case cover with the one I check, partially to avoid more of the dings and scrapes it's already gotten from 50+ flights, partially to add one measure of additional protection against the case coming open.

    Anyway, the case cover arrived. It's a bit snugger than I might have liked, though I think it might relax and stretch slightly over time. But of course, it's better than something floppy that could get caught in machinery.

    Here are some photos:
    Flight Case Covers-img_7186-jpgFlight Case Covers-img_7187-jpgFlight Case Covers-img_7190-jpg

    It was $250. I'm happy with it.

    That said, looking at the Caseadillo cases, I would've happily spent an extra $25 for neoprene padding.
    The pocket on mine is gusseted so it seems like it could hold more than the Caseadillo - then again, I can't think of what I'd put in there since whatever's in there would take the brunt of impact while it goes through baggage - so I'd still probably dig the Casedillo more anyway.

    I may get a Casedillo for the other case. They look great!

    But to be honest, the last several flights, I've actually just taken a semi-rigid gig bag as my carry on, and checked the other guitar in a Hoffee, and it's worked out great. (Of course, I've got Gold on Delta, and I've only tried it on non-stop flights that aren't on little commuter planes - I wouldn't push my luck about it fitting a small connecting flight).

  6. #5

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    I think a $250 cover deserves a cover of its own! I can see someone having a fit if the $250 cover that protects the case that protects the satin guitar cover that protects the git were damaged. Maybe some case maker can invent "Russian nesting" cases for traveling musicians :-)

  7. #6

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    $250 for a cover?

  8. #7

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    You know, now that I think about it that way, $250 is too much to pay merely for a cover for a flight case.

    That said, I don't regret my purchase, as there's a little bit more to my particular situation....

    A good flight case is not necessarily invincible, but rather something that may need repair over time, and that with proper maintenance and upkeep, will last for years and years. The feet, for example, tend to go missing over time and have to be replaced. Eventually a latch my get bashed and need to be replaced, etc....

    So, to that end, after it's 60th-some-odd flight as checked baggage, I noticed that the headstock-end latch had taken an impact, and was starting to jiggle. Jeff at Hoffee said that he'd be happy to repair it and he would even send me a pre-paid shipping label just as soon as I could give him the dimensions of the box I would be shipping it in. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough turn-around time to get the case back to me in time for a three-week Europe trip (I leave in two days, so time was a factor).

    So I was in a jam.... there wasn't enough to time to repair it, and I worried about the worst case of the latch failing.
    In my case, a case cover is pretty simple insurance.

    But I also think these things are a bit more than a simple cover. They provide additional thermal insulation to protect against a guitar getting left out on the tarmac in the sun during a delay. The provide abrasion protection to keep the wear and tear on the case down. The provide additional anti-tampering protection by providing yet another barrier to opening the case.

    Lastly, I'm on schedule to fly 75k+ miles with that guitar case as checked baggage, and that case takes a lot of abuse. Given the regular schedule on which I'm subjecting the case to wear, I think $250 is a worthwhile cost to add the additional protection to prolong the working life of the case.

    If you fly a couple times a year, it's probably not worth it.

    After this three-week Europe trip, I'm still flying the guitar every weekend in November.
    Once December rolls around, I'll be sending the case to Jeff for repairs (free of charge).
    Coincidentally, I'll be sending the guitar to Leroy Aiello to replace the binding around the body.

  9. #8

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    Well i think a decent flight case isn't really invulnerable, but instead something that may require fix after some time, and that with legitimate support and upkeep, will keep going for quite a long time and years. The feet, for instance, will in general disappear after some time and must be supplanted. In the long run a hook may get slammed and should be supplanted.

  10. #9

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    So far the case cover as been through my 20 days touring in Europe, and 3 more fly out trips (2 of which had long layovers through snowy Minneapolis), and it has definitely retarded the wear and tear on the case, kept any of the feet from going missing, and my ES-150 has continued to be in perfect shape after each flight as checked baggage.

    I've noticed that without the cover the feet and hard edges to catch and bang around on things, and the case cover helps with that substantially. It's much easier getting the case in and out of cars with the cover keep things smooth.

    So, a Hoffee carbon fiber flight case is clearly expensive, and adding a case cover to it is even more expensive, but for anybody who's a working professional who has to check a relatively valuable guitar, I think it's entirely worthwhile. No question.

  11. #10

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    A $10 stretch cover like the ones used for luggage or surfboards will do swell. Why hasn't someone made them for guitar cases?

  12. #11

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    I guess the market for these slip-on covers is simply not attractive enough. I had asked the friendly people at "Studio Slips" case covers in Petaluma/California and they would make a cover for me if I provided the measurements, for about the same price as Jonathan paid for his. I own 2 of their Clamshell amp covers and these are just great.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by gitman
    I guess the market for these slip-on covers is simply not attractive enough. I had asked the friendly people at "Studio Slips" case covers in Petaluma/California and they would make a cover for me if I provided the measurements, for about the same price as Jonathan paid for his. I own 2 of their Clamshell amp covers and these are just great.
    I asked them a while back, and they said they wouldn't do curves. But I adore their amp covers, and have a couple myself.