Good SG softcase?

punchesjudy · August 2023

So yeah, just a question really.

I’d like to be able to take my SG on some travels to meet with friends and stuff but the official Gibson hardcase weighs an absolute ton and I’d rather not lug that around for hours on end. Train journeys since I don’t drive otherwise I’d just use the proper case.

Are there any good soft cases that won’t result in the headstock being separated from the rest of the neck.

Mono? Or would I be better off just getting a lighter hardcase like a hiscox or something. Or of course just take my Fenders cos they won’t collapse in a shite gigbag..

Cheers.

stickyfiddle · August 2023

Mono or Hiscox.

I don’t think I’d trust anything else that didn’t cost a fortune.

timmypix · August 2023

The posh Gibson soft case is really good, I have to say - thick padding, not too heavy, good neck support. Granted, not the cheapest, but it could be a starting point.

willo · August 2023

I have mine in a Mono case, the one with the neck support. It's a good fit but there's not actually much spare space in the main compartment, so I sometimes end up taking the strap off. The zip doesn't go all the way around - you have to load the guitar through the top. I don't think its causing any problems for the SG, and I've been using it for over 6 months without issue.

ICBM · August 2023

Mono or Fusion.

ScreamingDave · August 2023

Slight aside, here, but in all the years I’ve been playing Gibsons (since about 1983). I’ve never had a headstock break, and I’ve never known anyone else who has, and yet people talk as if the headstock on an SG or Les Paul will magically become detached if you don’t keep an eye on it. I get that they’re more prone to damage than, say, a Fender headstock, but surely they’re not that fragile, are they?

what I’m saying is, but whatever gig bag you like and just be a bit careful. Don’t leave it in the luggage rack for some oaf to drop their case on it.

ICBM · August 2023

ScreamingDave said:

Slight aside, here, but in all the years I’ve been playing Gibsons (since about 1983). I’ve never had a headstock break, and I’ve never known anyone else who has, and yet people talk as if the headstock on an SG or Les Paul will magically become detached if you don’t keep an eye on it. I get that they’re more prone to damage than, say, a Fender headstock, but surely they’re not that fragile, are they?

what I’m saying is, but whatever gig bag you like and just be a bit careful. Don’t leave it in the luggage rack for some oaf to drop their case on it.

They do vary widely in strength depending on the exact piece of wood they used for the neck and the shaping in the critical area just behind the nut, but although most are probably more robust than they're given credit for, some are so fragile they will literally snap under their own inertia and the string tension, even inside a hard case, if they suffer a sharp impact.

Go to any guitar shop which does any significant volume of repairs and you will almost always find at least one Gibson headstock repair in progress - they're not just more common than any other brand, they're more common than *all other brands put together*, regardless of the quality of the guitar.

Some gig bags don't protect the headstock very well, and others - including the ones (made by Levy's I think) which Gibson used in the 1990s - actively put stress on it by being straighter than the shape of the neck, and closing tightly. Les Paul Studios used to be the most commonly broken, because they were sold with these.

PAL · August 2023

I wouldn't put a Gibson in a soft gig bag due to the Gibson angle although Gibson do make a gig bag with a neck
support. The best light weight case is the one that Carlton make but they are very expensive !
Other good gig bags are expensive.
I would buy something like a T type guitar as they are are more robust and could cost less than a good gig bag !

punchesjudy · August 2023

Seems Mono may be the way.

I’ll check out that Gibson deluxe case too.

@ScreamingDave My mates 90s LP Studio headstock snapped just sitting on the stand whilst he was watching tv. I’m sure that’s an outlier and possibly even had a crack he hadn’t noticed but it’s still pretty funny. As for the case yeah. I’d be careful whatever case it goes in whilst travelling but accidents can happen.

@PAL Ha yeah I’ve got some fenders that I’m sure could survive a hell of a lot of abuse compared to my Gibsons. I just shove them in any gigbag then don’t worry about them.

Jonathangus · August 2023

+1 for Mono. A few extra quid for a decent bag is still cheaper than a headstock repair (and the subsequent devaluing of the guitar).

BillDL · August 2023

While I was looking at this hardfoam case from Gear4Music:

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Electric-Guitar-Foam-Case-by-Gear4music/C86

I noticed that one of the reviewers said: "Bought G4M own brand of foam guitar case for SG an guess what - it is a perfect fit.. Guitar is snug & safe..much more robust & strong that imagined". I am not sure that this review was for that specific case or not though, or for a genuine Gibson SG, because sometimes reviews end up against different products, but it might be worth comparing measurements.

TTBZ · August 2023

Boss have a case that they picture with an SG in their images, so I'd hope it's fit for purpose!

https://www.boss.info/us/products/cb-eg20/

If you go for this one let me know how it is as I've been looking at it myself (if I ever get gigging again)!

ScreamingDave · August 2023

punchesjudy said:

@ScreamingDave My mates 90s LP Studio headstock snapped just sitting on the stand whilst he was watching tv. I’m sure that’s an outlier and possibly even had a crack he hadn’t noticed but it’s still pretty funny. As for the case yeah. I’d be careful whatever case it goes in whilst travelling but accidents can happen.

He must have a poltergeist

CavemanGrogg · August 2023

ScreamingDave said:

Slight aside, here, but in all the years I’ve been playing Gibsons (since about 1983). I’ve never had a headstock break, and I’ve never known anyone else who has, and yet people talk as if the headstock on an SG or Les Paul will magically become detached if you don’t keep an eye on it. I get that they’re more prone to damage than, say, a Fender headstock, but surely they’re not that fragile, are they?

what I’m saying is, but whatever gig bag you like and just be a bit careful. Don’t leave it in the luggage rack for some oaf to drop their case on it.

Same, and I'm really not a gentle person with the guitars that I actually play, and neither are any of the people I know who play guitar.

fretfinder · August 2023

If you can find a used Hiscox SG case it’ll be about a third of the cost of a new Mono and probably provide better protection.

theatreanchor · August 2023

Unlike the unwieldy Fender cases, my SG hardcase is light! White and fluffy on the inside too. I don't think I'd use a soft case for my SG, but I do like Mono (though the sleeve isn't any good for the Gibson headstock!)

ScreamingDave · August 2023

My ‘65 Junior lives in a very ordinary rectangular TGI SG hard case and it’s surprisingly light. Having said that, the SG weighs three tenths of nothing, so that might obscure that point.

The guitar is still in one piece, though, so it can’t be doing a bad job.

(EDIT: Honest truth, though, most of the time the case protects the guitar against the rigours of being stored under the bed! I do take it to gigs and rehearsals as well, though, and I’ve never felt the guitar to be vulnerable)

jellybelly · August 2023

Being a 'fender man' with only a couple of Gibson's in my past, I think it would be very brave to store a set neck mahogany guitar in anything but a hard case.

But I've been told I'm quite risk averse on a number of occasions...

chrisj1602 · August 2023

Thomann do some premium padded cases that look great, probably copied at the Mono type, but cheaper.

ICBM · August 2023

jellybelly said:

Being a 'fender man' with only a couple of Gibson's in my past, I think it would be very brave to store a set neck mahogany guitar in anything but a hard case.

What might surprise you is that unless it’s going into a vehicle with a lot of other cases - or on a flight - where crushing or bending is the main risk, then a Mono might actually protect it *better* than a hard case, exactly because it’s not hard… so if the case falls over there isn’t the sharp shock risk.

This does definitely only apply to gig bags with adequate neck support to keep the headstock away from the back of it though.

willo · August 2023

theatreanchor said:

Unlike the unwieldy Fender cases, my SG hardcase is light! White and fluffy on the inside too. I don't think I'd use a soft case for my SG, but I do like Mono (though the sleeve isn't any good for the Gibson headstock!)

What's your thinking on the sleeve - just that it wouldn't stop the headstock hitting the floor first?

ElectricXII · August 2023

I gig a couple of Gibsons (and a Tele), and they all go to gigs in Mono cases. The hardshell Gibson cases stay at home, and will only be used in the unlikely event that I sell the guitars. As @ICBM says, the Mono cases are probably more protective than the wooden cases in most situations, and they are a damned sight more practical to carry.

theatreanchor · August 2023

willo said:

theatreanchor said:

Unlike the unwieldy Fender cases, my SG hardcase is light! White and fluffy on the inside too. I don't think I'd use a soft case for my SG, but I do like Mono (though the sleeve isn't any good for the Gibson headstock!)

What's your thinking on the sleeve - just that it wouldn't stop the headstock hitting the floor first?

Mono say it’s not suitable for Gibson headstocks - it’s perfect for Teles / strats etc. Their full gig bag is fine for SGs but I couldn’t afford it at the time.

willo · August 2023

theatreanchor said:

willo said:

theatreanchor said:

Unlike the unwieldy Fender cases, my SG hardcase is light! White and fluffy on the inside too. I don't think I'd use a soft case for my SG, but I do like Mono (though the sleeve isn't any good for the Gibson headstock!)

What's your thinking on the sleeve - just that it wouldn't stop the headstock hitting the floor first?

Mono say it’s not suitable for Gibson headstocks - it’s perfect for Teles / strats etc. Their full gig bag is fine for SGs but I couldn’t afford it at the time.

Ah. That's good to know. I don't remember seeing it on the listing when I bought the sleeve, so wish I'd known it beforehand! Oh well. Good to know now.

Dumodal · August 2023

Before going with the big-name brands like Mono, please consider this one, for the price it punches way above and it is beautifully made, I use it every time I have a rehearsal.

Just for the anecdote one day I stupidly dropped it while carrying other stuff and went down the stairs, I felt my soul dropping and I thought because a Gibson was inside that that was it, When I opened not a single scratch, what a relief.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_safecase_80_e_guitar_bag.htm

punchesjudy · August 2023

I didn’t expect this to get so many replies ha.

A few good options so cheers everyone. Mono seems to be highly regarded as I expected.

The Thomann and Boss soft cases are interesting though. I’ll spend whatever free time I have staring at pics of nearly identical cases until I just throw some money at one of them at random and hope it’s good.

Roundwound · August 2023

Through your money at a mono. Then it’s not at random and and you know it’s good enough.

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