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IMO the powers that be at Fender are turning it into a cheap infereor company. My american standard P-Bass came with hard case. My Gibson Grabber came w hard case as well my Epaphone masterebuilt. I eaven have hard cases for my Squire strat and jazz bass, I had to buy these. But the point is gig bags just dont cut it. Fender get with the Program, Hard cases for your Guitars/Basses.

[img][img]http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp271/paulgb/guitarcases006.jpg[/img]the black logo case with magenta lining, keep a korean tele deluxe HH (was built with a single coil splitter nice guit deserves a good home)[/img]

I always take the cost of a case into consideration when seeking out a guitar--some of mine came with a case--some without, but I bought a case for each one.

I prefer hard shell cases.

But I don't necessarily buy a case made by the same company that made the guitar--so they may lose out on an extra sale--if they bump up the price a bit & include the case--they'll probably get more of my money. Although I did buy a Fender case for my Mustang way back when (maybe being in Canada had something to do with it.) I bought a used fender case. It was the only one in the store that fit the Mustang. (The Mustang was new.)

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

What do you think a case cost Fender to make I bet it is not even $10 a case when you think of the tens of thousands they are turning out. I knew some people would be happy with just a gig bag but as WWkissfan stated it is not sufficient enough protection for your guitar. Hey when I take a guitar out most of the time it is in a gigbag but when I get back it goes in the case,and till I went to the Charvel site and saw that it came with a gigbag thats when I checked the other Fender guitars to see what came with a gigbag and dont give me the case is going to drive the price up like I said Charvel which was tiny compared to Fender gave there guitars in a case before Fender took over and now they cant afford to Bullsh!t they were told to and if you spend $1,300 on a Richie Blacmore guitar they give you a gigbag. Go check out a lot of smaller companies then Fender how come you can buy a $500 guitar from them and get a case. And for those happy with a gigbag would you rather not have the option of leaving the store with a case or gigbag rather being told no case for you.I dont know about you but I look at it like they are saying this guitar is not good enough for a case yet we know that is not it at all it is just being cheap and if they are not hearing complaints they will keep doing it.Jazzmaster$1,200-Classic players series$1,100-Thinline$950 these are not low end guitars. Man I hate to be ranting but I did not know all this till the other day and it burns my $@!. Believe me the markup is ridicules on guitars and I cant believe it when people want to sympathise with a company that pulled in 500 million in sales while much much smaller companies can offer more for less. I guess that is why Fender and Gibson dont have the guitar world by the ba!!s anymore. At least Fender always gave you quality and the best at a fair price. Them cork sniffing thieves at Gibson always tried to pull the eyes out of your head.

I don't know which would hurt more, a scratch to the guitar, or a scratch to the case.

The way I figure it, if you want a Fender 'whatever' that bad, in the the vast majority of players' eyes, the instrument not coming with a case will not be a deal breaker. And of course, if you really must have that Fender hardshell case, Fender gets to bang you extra for it this way. Me? I've always felt that all a gig bag is, is a dust cover with straps and a handle. I always wheel and deal with the shop and always do get an excellent hardshell case. Granted, it might not be a Fender but it is just as good and I don't have to pay all that extra money for the privilege of giving Fender free advertising because my case now reads, Fender. YMMV.

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You dig?

Ouch!! Beautiful that, but I'll take this one further.

The case Fender had G&G do for the Gilmour is superior to the standard MIA case, which is pretty much was they put a CS guitar I had built about 4 years ago in.

I have owned 2 PRS's in my life and that company has cases built which Fender has yet to rise to. I have commented about this before. In fit, finish and hardware, they are absolutedly superb. They have a soft plush form fitted interior, padded interior cover, a spacious and strong accessories compartment, and the case closes solid as a rock. They share the same exterior dimensions but a tad thicker than the Fenders.

I once called G&G about that and was told by the rep I spoke to that they build the PRS cases and could build the same type for me fit to a Strat for about $200.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Why do people keep thinking that if there guitar did not come with a case it would cost so much more. First off I would not expect a G&G case to come with a mid priced guitar and also forget these custom cases I am npw seeing that are works of art themselves. I am just talking a decent case nothing fancy just something to protect your ax .Am I delusional or when did plastic become so expensive,believe me it cost under $10 to produce a case. Back in the day everything came in a case and the company is worth way more today then back then.

Just so the record is correct Fenders case line is subcontracted to other companys ,fender doesnt make cases or gig bags ,but they sell them with their logo on them, yes you normally would pay more for the Fender branding on a product that you would find elsewhere without it.
I was very fortunate to go to Fender University and got a outstanding deal on them , a benifit called the wish list.

I'm in the "don't need it" camp. I've got a few, so I'd just a soon pay less for the guitar. I never take more than two guitars to the gig anyway.

I always pass on a gig bag if it comes with a guitar I'm buying. That knocks $40 off the price which I apply to a hard case upgrade.

All my guitars have hard cases, even the cheap ones. I like the extra protection and the neck support a hard shell case provides.

John