What should I look for when buying a hard case for my 41" dreadnought acoustic guitar?

Question

I need to be able to travel too and from school (usually via bus or train).

Also, I may be traveling abroad to England for the Spring Semester and will need to bring it on a plane. What case would withstand an airplane flight? What measures should I take to ensure my guitar doesn't get damaged during the flight?

Answer 1

I have just returned from a holiday in Canada. I took a Little Martin with me. It had to be checked into the hold, so I bought a case from SKB cases, and it did the job perfectly. No damage to guitar or case, AND the case has a lifetime warranty. tTry their website on www.skb.com, and I think you probably want the SKB-18.

See what you think. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

There's only one case that's absolutely, positively guaranteed to keep your guitar intact if you're forced to check it as luggage, and that's the Calton case (see link below).  It's not cheap, but nothing else even comes close.  It's the case traveling professional acoustic guitarists all use if they're forced to fly.

You should loosen the strings a bit and make sure the guitar is snug in the case.  Pack clothing - socks work well - especially around the head (underneath and on top) to keep it from moving.

Most important of all - beg, plead, cajole, but do whatever you can do to get the guitar into the cabin with you instead of being checked as luggage, even gate checked (which is a little better than being checked at the ticket counter).