Making a home-made guitar case...help? diagrams? measurements? suggested woods? what to use for padding? help?

Question

Making a home-made guitar case...help? diagrams? measurements? suggested woods? what to use for padding? help?

Answer 1

I would not try to make one that is shaped like the guitar. Just make a square one. THe padding that you put in it can be cut to the shape of the guitar. I would use ash or oak for the wood and make sure that you glue the joints as well as s***w them together.

Answer 2

Well, first off, you have to decide what kind of case you want.

A 'rectangle' would be the simplest approach, hehehe.

As to diagrams and measurements.. I'd use the guitar itself.

For padding I'd use soft styrofoam... you can find it at any hobby/craft store, and stores like Wal-Mart or Target, often have some in either a craft department, or you can use the foam they have for mattress toppers, etc.  How thick you make the foam, will of course, affect the dimension of the case.  I'd look at a flat layer of foam to go between the case and the guitar, and a layer that can be cut out, to go around the guitar.  You may need an extra layer or two, of flat, to help fill in the space behind the neck  (you didnt say if this was an electric, or rhythym, etc).  A layer of soft cloth could be installed over the foam, if you want to really dress it up.

Next.. how sturdy do you want the case?  3/4 inch plywood will hold up pretty well to most abuse... and you can find it in cabinet grade species, for example, birch is fairly easy to find.  For a lighter weight case, you can go with 1/2 inch, or even 1/4 inch plywood.  I woudlnt go any less than that though, as it could easily get punctured.

You can find some of the hardware at most local stores... handles, etc... but for a good list of available hardware, I'd recommend Rockler - This link is to 'box hardware', which gives a quick overview, but they have quite a bit more -

http://www.rockler.com/CategoryView.cfm?...

They also carry a variety of plywoods, solids and veneers.

Next question... what do you want the outside of the case to look like?  Do you want a stained woodgrain, painted, or cloth-covered exterior?

Youve left a lot of details out of your question, hehehe.

If I were building this case, I'd make it approximately 4 inches larger, all the way around the guitar, and I'd use at least a 7layer 3/4 inch plywood.  I prefer woodgrains myself, so I'd go with a nice veneer...since I am a woodworker, I'd do the veneering myself, but you can find several types already on ply.  I'd fill the case with a good foam, several layers, and even have a storage area for extra strings, pics, strap, maybe even a spot for some sheetmusic, or books, etc.  It would be possible to even include space for a folding guitar stand, if needed.

Mattress toppers will be the most expensive versions of foam padding you can buy, like this one at 1.5 inches thick -

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d...

If you add up the prices on everything you want, you will most likely discover it will cost you MORE to build a case, than it would to purchase a stock, hardshell case.  The question is if you want a truly unique case.  If you're hoping to do it for less than the cost of a typical hardshell... don't get your hopes up.  3/4 inch plywood will run you at LEAST $25 sheet, and if you go for a good veneered ply, it will cost closer to $50.  The padding as you can see will run about the same... and then youve got the hardware... hinges, corner plates, hasp/locks...I'd expect to spend at least twice as much on a custom case as a stock hardshell.  But it would be a fun project, hehehe.

Now, if you want to go with a custom fitted shape .... you're going to spend even more, because of the complexity of making the case conform to the desired shape.

All of this, of course, assumes you have the required tools to make such a case.

Feel free to email me, if you want to get into details on this project.

Have Fun