Fender Strat = HS case, but stays out in a guitar stand most of the time.
Takamine 6 string acoustic = HS case.
Yamaha 12 string acoustic = HS case.
Ibanez A-body style mandolin = old school soft case (w/ duct tape!).
Cheap P.O.S. pawn shop Samick 4 string bass = gig bag.

I don't own a single gig bag, nor do I own a soft shell. Hard shell or better or I don't buy it.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

depends on:
to go to band rehearsals or guitar lessons i prefer gig bags.
would i'm a touring musician i would prefer hs cases.

cheers

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It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting - paulo coelho

I kept my strat in an inexpensive generic gigbag for years with no problems, but it was bothering me how much I had to baby it carrying it around, placing it carefully into the car, worrying about severe temperature swings, keeping morons away from it. I bought the Gator ATA hardshell case and I like it.

I have a Blacktop Jaguar that I got used, and then bought the Fender G+G case for it. The case is worth almost half what I paid for the guitar.

I don't plan on buying any more gig bags as I really don't have the temperament to keep myself from worrying so much with them.

Jackson and the acoustic have HSC, the tele doesn't. I'll eventually buy a HSC for the tele but for now she usually stays on the stand.

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"Music is what feelings sound like"

Use both hard cases and gig bags. I like gig bags for around town. Well padded Fender bags of course! They are above average quality.

I find that soft cases and gig bags are basically just up to the task of keeping guitars from dusk,a little moisture and minor dings and scratches.I absolutely never take any of my guitars outside the house unless they're in a hardshell case.I use gig bags and such simply for storage and light protection at home and would never rely on one for protection outside the house.I have seen some high-end custom hand-tooled leather cases for close to $1,000 and even more for exotics with alligator and ostrich leather trim and even those wouldn't offer any protection from some morbidly obese drunk from plopping down and sitting on it.

All in all gig-bag is a misnomer as I would never use one of those at a gig especially,where there are quite literally thousands of perils.I wonder what genius came up with that non-discriptive name.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.