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Post subject: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:52 am
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Roadie
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HI guys,
I've been thinking of buying a case for my gorgeous new American Special Stratocaster, I'm not giging, but I will not carry such a beautiful guitar in gig bag that comes with it. No way.
And the summer is comming and it's usually hot as hell, and AC in my apartment would be on all the time, now I don't want to expose my guitar to temp changes every day.
So I liked this ABS Fender case and it's quite affordable.
Any experience, how snug it is for a Strat etc...


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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 7:54 am
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It is a Fender case made for a strat. What would be your guess? :roll:


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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 8:33 am
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I got one with my Am Std strat, it's very good.

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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 8:52 am
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de Melo wrote:
I got one with my Am Std strat, it's very good.


Thanks!
Cheers


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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:20 am
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I think they're absolute junk.

Cue "Twilight Zone" theme song and picture this......

A Stratocaster in a tweed G&G case tumbling end over end from an open U-Haul trailer moving at some 55 mph. When the dust settles the horrified owner is shocked to discover that while the case is somewhat scuffed and disheveled, the guitar inside is totally unscathed.

(an actual incident I witnessed)

Try that with a plastic case.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:58 am
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I disagree on that... G&G TWEED cases are very good and the most beautiful ones, I myself felt disappointed when I bought my strat and saw that it came with the ABS case, which ain't as cool as TWEED ones, but the real fender ABS case is no ordinary plastic, it does resist a lot of abuse.

Image

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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:41 am
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Ever see an ABS case that was thirty years old? Or even twenty?

Likely you won't because despite its space-age origin, plastic ages and ultimately develops stress fractures -- most prominently at the corners and where holes have been drilled to facilitate the installation of hardware. It's the nature of the material composition and with that, there is no dispute.

But enjoy your ABS case......while it lasts.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 12:20 pm
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I've been looking at ABS and pro series, almost the same price, I like the look of pro series better than abs, but ABS looks better on the inside.
In the pics since I didn't had the time to go to the store and take a better look.
So it's among these

Image

And

Image

I think pro series is a bit thinner and that's what I need, I really don't need a case that can take a lot of punishment, mostly for storage at home and some short trips in my Volvo.
If you guys have some pics of Strats in both of these cases I would appreciate it.
Thanks for opinions so far.
Cheers


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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 12:28 pm
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Quote:
Ever see an ABS case that was thirty years old? Or even twenty?


Actually I did and it was rare model at the time, little bumper Back-to-Black trim conditioner and it always looked new.


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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 12:58 pm
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WaymoreProta wrote:
I've been looking at ABS and pro series, almost the same price, I like the look of pro series better than abs, but ABS looks better on the inside.
In the pics since I didn't had the time to go to the store and take a better look.
So it's among these

Image

And

Image

I think pro series is a bit thinner and that's what I need, I really don't need a case that can take a lot of punishment, mostly for storage at home and some short trips in my Volvo.
If you guys have some pics of Strats in both of these cases I would appreciate it.
Thanks for opinions so far.
Cheers


I think the Pro Series cases are junk - I had a 2013 American Standard Strat that came in one of them, and the Strat flopped around in pretty badly. The part that cradles the neck is too wide and too shallow, allowing the guitar to slip out of that space. It has 2 tiny accessory compartments - they are barely big enough to hold the trem arm. I was using a leather strap with that Strat that fortunately was very supple so I could fold it up to fit in one of the compartments, but my other leather strap (not a padded one, just a suede $25 Levy's strap) couldn't be folded to fit. If you're going to get a tolex or tweed case, pop for the G&G instead. Otherwise just get the molded plastic case.

I've not had the red-handled version; the last molded Fender case I had was the SKB-style that De Melo posted, and it was much sturdier/nicer than previous molded cases. I think SKB sells them (with the SKB logo instead of the Fender logo) for $140-$150. Which is probably why Fender switched from SKB to whomever is making the red-handled model (I think these are made by Roadrunner) - it costs less. Fender stopped using the SKBs (I imagine they ran out of them) in the summer of 2013; from then through 2014 you could wind up with the Pro Series black tolex case, the red-handled molded case, or even the least expensive black tolex G&G case with an American Standard. But American Standards were mostly in the Pro Series cases until 2015; now they are in the red-handled molded case. American Deluxes migrated from the SKB to the red-handled case in the summer of 2013.

Also - with all due respect to Arjay - the G&G cases that come with Fenders (like a Clapton) are not anywhere as sturdy as the 50s-70s cases. The accessory cases (and the ones that come with the American Vintage models) are nicer/sturdier, and the CS ones are really nice. I suspect that you could get a higher-level case from G&G for the same price that the Fender-branded ones go for.


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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 1:17 pm
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Quote:
and the Strat flopped around in pretty badly. The part that cradles the neck is too wide and too shallow, allowing the guitar to slip out of that space


That's what I thought when I saw pics of Strats in em looked like there's a lot of empty space around the body of the guitar. That's why I asked how snug the ABS is around the guitar.
Thanks for quick reply.


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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 1:39 pm
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Image Form fitting.


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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 2:38 pm
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My Fender ABS case has broken where the lid stays stop it opening fully (someone tripped over it) and the catch by the handle pulled through the plastic so half of it is now missing. Because of the missing catch it gapes when you pick it up by the handle. I admit it is 20 years old but certainly hasn't seen a hard life.

I don't really see the point though. Even in top condition it wouldn't provide confident protection in an aircraft hold, or in the back of a Transit if a 4x12 made a bid for freedom. So what is the point?

Worse, if you transport your guitar in a car, the case can damage your car significantly.

I have actually become quite a fan of heavily padded gig bags when using a car for transport. Otherwise, get a proper flight case.

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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:25 pm
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The ABS case certainly provides a significantly higher level of protection than a gig bag but basically it's a product with a service life of about ten years. If you seldom keep an instrument longer than that, the ABS case is probably fine. But once the polymers in the substrate begin to degrade, the material becomes brittle and subject to stress cracks and warping.

As for the Pro Series cases, there's a very good reason why they cost but a fraction of a G&G case. And that reason does not favor the consumer.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: ABS case for AmSpcl
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:27 am
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My two-penneth: You get what you pay for! Having said that, if you're not bothered about a Fender logo (and I'm not) there are cheaper better cases out there.

Having had an ABS (Fender) case badly damaged by UPS recently, if you're going to give it serious wear & tear, I wouldn't recommend one. I've managed to repair it to a usable standard, but it was a close run thing!

Cheers - Peter.


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