Flight cases for guitar seem too expensive and more than what they’re worth. Today, I’m going to show you exactly why buying a flight case is a valuable investment.
I’ll start by giving you the 5 most important reasons you should own a flight case, and then I’ll show you something special…
I had the opportunity to make a flight case with Calton Cases down in Texas. In this episode, you’ll get an exclusive look at how high-quality flight cases are made. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this!
To close out our show, I’ll feature Fireside Collective, a progressive bluegrass band that needs to be on your radar. With their new album “Elements,” Fireside Collective has definitely caught my attention.
As always, you can catch Acoustic Tuesday at 10 am every Tuesday in these four places:
- Acoustic Life YouTube channel
- We Play Every Day Facebook Community
- Get show notes emailed directly to your inbox.
- Listen to audio-only below or in iTunes
Show Notes
Calton Cases
Website: https://www.calton-cases.com/
Fireside Collective
http://www.firesidecollectiveband.com/ – Check out Fireside Collective online
https://amzn.to/35UK9dC – Buy Fireside Collective albums
https://youtu.be/hLgcGKQ_xMc – Listen to “Just One Step” by Fireside Collective
https://youtu.be/8Ew3Qnfyxm8 – “Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me” by Fireside Collective
https://youtu.be/7bTf3rpKQZ0 – “Devil’s on the Hillside” by Fireside Collective
Excellent list of reasons to spring for a flight case but you left off a major reason: Having one or more gigs go bad because you no longer have a playable instrument when you arrive. And maybe there isn’t a good substitute – or any substitute- available in time for your performance. Ir recording session. Ouch. Now that expensive flight case really looks like a bargain.
Well, my first thought when I saw the topic was the good ole United Breaks Guitars video. Classic – unfortunately. I’ve always doubted that I would ever check a guitar in with an airline, but your episode on these cases could change my mind. I have traveled before and just called up some local shops and asked if I could rent a guitar for a few days to play while I’m in town. Unfortunately, I don’t have the problem of needing my specific guitars to play shows around the world… but I can dream, right?
Fireside Collective – Banjo player – WOW!
Pretty nice flatpicking by that guitarist too! Need to hear more of these guys.
You keep many guitars out on display. Why are you keeping the HD35 away in the case?
I just received last week my most recent Calton case for my 15 yr old Koa Martin OM 42. Everything that Tony said about them is 100% spot on. I wouldn’t trust my most special instruments to any other flight case. I’ve owned two other Caltons, they were both made in Canada by the original founder’s company in the mid 90s. They were pricey even then but worth every dime. These American-made .cases are even better with Improvements in weight and hardware protection. There are hard rubber bumpers to protect against everyday scratches on all the touch points as well. Even though I rarely fly with guitars any more, the other safety benefits Tony outlined Still justify the purchase for me. Heat and cold are guitar killers. I do road trip with guitars and find it comforting to know my guitar isn’t going to cook in the car if I leave it for 15 minutes. Thanks Tony for a great promo review and for your terrific online presence.
Love those cases,love those artist that you showed us.love your show.congratulations to you and your wife,for your baby on the way.see you at #145. Thank you 😊👍💡🎸🎤🤘🎼
Here’s one for you Tony. Although this is not a guitar tragedy story, its still pretty interesting. Back in the early eighties, I was flying back from Colorado to the East coast with my 1973 D-28 (standard case) and didn’t want to send it through baggage for fear of damage. I carried it on board and the flight attendant said i couldn’t put it in the overhead bin but she said she would secure it in THE BATHROOM during take off and landing!!! During the actual flight, I was lucky enough to have it securely buckled in the seat right next to me safe and sound. How’s that for service!!!
Love the show,
Dr. Mike Lanzilotta
The pictures of guitar cases being abused by airlines makes me nostalgic for the handful of times I flew with my guitar back in the early 1970s. In those days the cabin crew had a small closet that would accommodate a guitar and with a smile and polite request as I boarded my guitar would fly in pressurized comfort in the cabin closet. Imagine that happening these days. Even a First Class passenger on British Airways wouldn’t receive that treatment today!
I can personally attest to the vulnerability of a basic wooden case. I once accidentally left my guitar case on the ground behind my trusty pickup truck and to my dismay, I drove right over it. This was in roughly 1980 and I was an avid bluegrass jammer those days. I was in a hurry to join a jam in progress. There may have been alcohol and another contraband substance, now legal in Colorado, involved. Let me tell you the case did not stand up to that treatment. My heart sunk when I got out and saw the crushed case and found the headstock of my beloved Martin D-28 cracked diagonally in half! I found a shop across the mountains in
Denver to repair it. Can’t remember what it cost but it was a bundle on a carpenter’s wages. I had never heard of flight cases back then.
BTW. I still have that Martin and the headstock graft still looks incredible. Difficult to notice if you aren’t looking for it. I am so grateful that a long forgotten craftsman was able to rescue me from my alcohol induced stupidity! Sound like the basis for a guitar gratitude video..
So when Calton posts “welcome to the family Tony”, does that mean you are a paid spokesman, and this was a half hour commercial?
Watched all three Fireside Collective videos and Man! are they fantastic, especially the banjo player. Gotta have more of these guys. Great show Tony as always. I think the flight cases are, at best, far in my future, if at all. I don’t do much traveling these days but your point is well taken in regards to protecting my guitars on a daily basis. At $12,000 to $16,000, though, these cases are out of my price range. If I ever get rich and famous, I’ll consider it then.
Dude, you’ve got one too many zeros, otherwise no one would be buying Calton guitar cases.
#you might be a guitar geek if…. You recently joined TAC and decide you need to binge watch previous episodes of Acoustic Tuesdays (beginning with Episode#1) to see just how much you have been missing for the past 230 weeks… Great program guys! Very entertaining, educational and just flat out fun. I’ve only made up to episode 23 so far after watching multiple random older episodes. Sir Noah Heckmann Jr and Sir Levi “The Man with the Technical Plan” Kujala certainly brought quite a bit to the show.
Oops… that should have been “the past 130 Weeks” and not 230.
I have a $200.00 Guitar. I don’t think I need one.
I loved the case study ( Hah!) on flight cases. I had never thought about how much easier it would be to maintain the humidity for.my guitars in flight cases. I live in Arizona where this is a big deal. I’ve just purchased my first Taylor guitar and I will be be looking into a flight case from Calton. Thanks Tony love the show.
Was there no show for week of June 2?