Opinions on Lightweight Polyfoam Case?

Big-Al

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When I got my D-140, it came in a lightweight polyfoam case. It's basically a rigid expanded polystyrene shell lined in some sort of a crushed velvet material and wrapped in a zippered nylon jacket. It's really lightweight and it seems like it would be very protective from bumps and bruises (maybe not crushing) and it might not damage anything else (like my car) if I bumped into it.

It seems like it would be convenient and protective enough for toting my guitar around town. Anybody have experience with these? Do they hold up okay? Is the zipper sturdy? Do they hold humidity okay in the winter? Should I be shopping for a better case right away?

Thanks in advance for any experience you might have to share.
 
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I've been using expanded-foam cases of various kinds for decades, starting with the old trapezoidal ProTecs, and they can vary a lot--not only in sturdiness but in quality-of-construction details that govern longevity. The old ProTecs had Styrofoam shells with rigid top/back panels that resisted crushing, while the current crop of Chinese-built cases from, say, Saga seem to depend on a thicker top/back foam layer to do that job. I got a Saga-made Travelite TL-60 for my National and feel very confident of its protective qualities, though I wonder about the shoulder-strap attachments, which are single-point attached to the nylon shell rather than to a surrounding strap, as those on the old ProTecs are. (It also lacks the big outside pocket that makes the ProTecs really useful.) Humidity control isn't something I worry about, but I note that the Travelite has an interior humidity gauge.

Both designs work well for day-to-day use, but I wouldn't want to risk either in an airport baggage-handling environment. It's the crush hazard that I would worry about--a thick layer of foam seems to be very good at handling drops. That said, my flight case is a (no-longer-available) SuperCase that is a hypertrophied version of the old ProTec formula: very thick and rigid foam shell reinforced by masonite top/back panels. It's not a Hoffee or Calton, but it's good for anything short of being run over by a truck. It's also bigger and heavier than most foam cases--and, as I said above, no longer being made.
 
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Taylor Martin Guild

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I got a gig bag to use for short trips and camping.
When I realized that it takes up the same amount of space as a hard case and it doesn't offer the same protection from damage and humidity,
I decided to stay with the hard cases.

I would be very upset at myself if one of my guitars got damaged because it used a soft case.
 

adorshki

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I got a gig bag to use for short trips and camping.
When I realized that it takes up the same amount of space as a hard case and it doesn't offer the same protection from damage and humidity,
I decided to stay with the hard cases.

I would be very upset at myself if one of my guitars got damaged because it used a soft case.

Just a second vote for that basic philosophy.
But hey if it's just a "working tool" gigging guitar, easily replaced with no special qualities endearing it to you, and cost of replacement's a non-issue, sure, why not ?, no snark intended.
 

dreadnut

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Of course, a gig bag is a far cry from a rigid polyfoam case. I would think the polyfoam case would provide ample protection from regular bumps and bruises associated with loading and unloading your gear from the car, trailer, etc.

Hardshell wood cases offer more crush protection from heavy objects, but I'm thinking the hardshell and polyfoam would protect equally from say a 3-foot drop.


My buddy has a Martin D-18 in one of those Martin blue plastic molded cases they used to come in. He accidentally backed over it with his vintage MGB one day...I'm guessing there was some drinking involved...the guitar was broken but repairable.
 

Rayk

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The one I experienced with the F150 was pretty cool , I did not study hard but noticed it did closeup well, nice and snug so to say .

Even though it had a zipper it seemed well done and heavy duty enough to handle things .
 
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New expanded-foam cases are pretty sturdy--the foam is denser and stiffer than the Styrofoam that the old ProTecs used. The most dramatic demo I saw personally was at the old Podium store in Minneapolis: they threw a guitar in a Tric case down a flight of stairs and it was unscathed. From what I can see in product photos, the Travelite cases have thicker foam than the Trics, but I'd have to eyeball the actual cases to confirm that. Any polyfoam case is going to give better protection than any gig bag, maybe short of a top-of-the-line Reunion Blues or Mono--and those are somewhere between gig bags and cases anyway.

Practical example: I fly with a Taylor GS-Mini in the Travelite case rather than its own very nice gigbag and never worry even if the guitar gets gate-checked. I'm even less nervous about flying with my archtop in the SuperCase, though I'd rather not put that through the regular baggage-handling system, which might trash that irreplaceable case (which would nevertheless protect the guitar from anything short of fire or immersion).
 

swiveltung

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I have a polyfoam case for one of my electrics. I like it, rigid and lightweight. Not sure if I would go there with an acoustic though or not. The only thing I dislike is Zippers! On the electrics the rigid case pretty much doubles or more the total weight of the guitar.
 

richardp69

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I'm a fan and prefer them to the tolex HSC. I realize from a resale/value standpoint it's better to have the original. But, for trucking around from gig to gig or to different locations I love 'em!!!!
 
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My main gripe with the lightweight polyfoam case is that the compartment for storing picks, capos, women's phone numbers, etc., is quite small and fills up quickly. Sadly, I have mostly picks and capos in mine. Also, the zippered section for storing sheet music is near useless. I don't expect to fly with it, but it has held up well taking to practices and performances.
 

dapmdave

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I should think the polyfoam cases would be better than traditional hard shell in thermal protection. Kind of a custom-made beer cooler, right?
 

Rayk

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I should think the polyfoam cases would be better than traditional hard shell in thermal protection. Kind of a custom-made beer cooler, right?

Oooo he said beer cooler! 🍺
 

fronobulax

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My main gripe with the lightweight polyfoam case is that the compartment for storing picks, capos, women's phone numbers, etc., is quite small and fills up quickly.

<veer>
Once I had more than one bass that actually left the house, I realized I was always checking the case(s) of the instrument(s) that was (were) staying to make sure I was not leaving something behind. That, combined with the need to bring music stands and sometimes extension cords made me give up on using the case storage for anything and just suck it up and carry a separate bag of the other stuff. I still feel like a pack mule but since the amp (when needed) has a shoulder strap, at least I can haul things in one trip.
</veer>
 

Bill Ashton

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I bought a Gator polyfoam case used off the AGF and have been happy with it...though what I was not pleased about is that even though a dread-sized case, it cannot hold either my D55 or my former F47, as the crown-thingy on the headstock makes the guitar too long. Works fine for the Huss & Dalton or (again, formerly) the Collings. I bought it specifically for using at Kaufman Kamp, as walking around the Maryville College campus with a hard case just got to be too much.

That said, at least a hard case stays open...mostly...when you set it down and open it...zipper is a pain and case doesn't stay open, and irritation in class. That said, its what I live with due to its very light weight. Also, shoulder straps are pretty good for those walks across campus, a feature I thought I would never use...
 

Charlie Bernstein

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I just got rid of my Guild's molded plastic case and got a heavy-duty soft case that sounds a lot like yours. (I'd never heard the word polyfoam, maybe that's what it is.)

Anyhow, it's about the same size as the hard case. But there's a lot more storage room and it has shoulder straps. (It had a Yamaha logo on it, but as you can imagine, I shaved that off first thing!)

For my purposes, the new case is a big improvement.
 

Bill Ashton

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Hey Charlie! Hows things up in the North Country? :laughing:

I think if we weren't trying to keep ourselves from looking like cheapskates, we'd call the material what it is...or looks/feels like...STYROFOAM!

Now, maybe it isn't styrene-based and white, but pretty much same kind of family. And, nice and lightweight.

Would guess that its like a hard hat or bike helmet, one good hit and then you say goodnight and get another...
 

kostask

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I have a couple of different polyfoam case types. I have a couple of Gator Lightweight cases. They are nylon on the outside, have a black velour/fur interior. Fit is great for my DV52, and they seem to have a rigid plastic backing sheet top and bottom. Closure is by zipper with a Velcro strap that does over the sipper pulls. Very suitable for around town, have a good compartment under the neck, and a nice sized outer pocket for music books or sheet music. Weak point is that the sides are cloth, so no support to speak of in the vertical plane. The shoulder strap hocks being plastic, will break in colder temperatures, but it does have a decent handle.

The second case is called the Forte case by Godin/Seagull/Simon and Patric/Norman (same case, offered by all the brands of Godin). It is an expanded polyrutethane case, with no cover (in my case, they do offer a zip up cover now in some models). The exterior is a dark gray. very dense. molded polyurethane foam with the handle being molded in. Interior is a flocked beige material It is heaver than the above Gator case. It is much more protective, both mechanically and in terms of humidity and temperature control. Snap closures, with a fairly good seal on the mating surfaces.The shell is rigid all around, so vertical plane impacts will be less of a problem than with the Gator. It has a decent inside pocket, but nothing on the outside. I think this could be used for a road case, as long as it wasn't packed as checked baggage (get a Calton on equivalent case for that). It is a pretty interesting design, you could stab it with a knife, and it probably wouldn't penetrate. Weakest point is the hinge which is a just a thin piece of plastic sheet and I have a concern about its longevity, but it hasn't failed in the ten years or so that I have had the case.

Both cases are significantly lighter than a full on, double arched wood case. I don't think the Double arched wood case is any more protective than the Forte case. The Forte case is also very good with temperature control (the expanded foam outer shell doesn't transfer heat or cold easily, and the mating surfaces are better sealed for heat and humidity than any wood case). The Gator is fine for moving a guitar around town with, but not for longer term storage at hot or cold temperatures.

P.S. You can get the Gator case to stay open by cutting the strap between the base a the lid. I don't even know why it is there, as the hinge on the Gator case is just a double layer of nylon fabric, so it's not like the hinge will be damaged, and I don't see how the strap would have anything to do with the alignment of the lid and the main part of the case. I may be remembering this wrong, but I think the zippers go far enough to the rear of the case to permit this.
 
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Big-Al

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. . . The second case is called the Forte case by Godin/Seagull/Simon and Patric/Norman (same case, offered by all the brands of Godin). It is an expanded polyrutethane case, with no cover (in my case, they do offer a zip up cover now in some models). The exterior is a dark gray. very dense. molded polyurethane foam with the handle being molded in. Interior is a flocked beige material It is heaver than the above Gator case. It is much more protective, both mechanically and in terms of humidity and temperature control. Snap closures, with a fairly good seal on the mating surfaces.The shell is rigid all around, so vertical plane impacts will be less of a problem than with the Gator. It has a decent inside pocket, but nothing on the outside. I think this could be used for a road case, as long as it wasn't packed as checked baggage (get a Calton on equivalent case for that). It is a pretty interesting design, you could stab it with a knife, and it probably wouldn't penetrate. Weakest point is the hinge which is a just a thin piece of plastic sheet and I have a concern about its longevity, but it hasn't failed in the ten years or so that I have had the case.

I had a Seagull guitar with the foam case. The living hinges did eventually fail on mine. I fixed them by applying a strip of Gorilla tape over them. I might have even used two layers. It's been a few years since I sold the guitar, so I don't remember the details. I do remember that it worked surprisingly well.
 

Bill Ashton

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Kostask, your description sounds spot-on, except for the cloth sides...on my Gator, the hard foam (maybe thats a better term) comes down from the top and up from the bottom to make hard sides, which are of course covered with the nylon. I would agree however, not sure I would want the guitar to take a flat compression type hit, as they are obviously thinner than the flat back and sides. The case is good insofar as its lightweight, probably sheds water, and will take bangs and knocks protecting its contents much better than a soft nylon gig bag, no matter how much soft padding it has...I have recently helped a friend and then a relative purchase Yamaha guitars, and the Yamaha-branded soft case, while padded, really offers no real support...not even a neck cradle...One passed and continued to use their (old) Alvarez hard case, the other purchased a hard case.

My model Gator was discontinued shortly after I got it...I envy yours, that will hold a Guild!
 
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Grassdog

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I got one of these with my F-1512E. The Guild logo on the outside is a nice touch and I like the shoulder strap and zippered pocket, but I think these Guild polyfoam cases are pretty cheap by comparison to the other gig bags that are out there (someone's already mentioned the Gator ones). Whatever weight advantage they have is offset by the fact they're harder to open/close than a hard case (it has to be literally unzipped all the way around the neck and back of the case for the top to be opened) and it doesn't sit stable on a table while you do that because it's so light. The storage compartment doesn't stay open and has less room than any case I've seen. That being said, it's done it's job so far I guess so I shouldn't complain.
 
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