Martin Dreadnought Case

[llamagish]

Hola!

So I'm about to go through with my purchase of an HD-35, but from doing some brief research I'm not too happy with the looks/quality of the case that it comes with. Looks extremely cheap and plastic-like.

I think it's basically this one: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Martin/6...dshell-Case.gc

My question is, what's a really nice Martin case that'll protect my guitar well, but still look somewhat decent? I love old school cases.. this one looks too modern.
Also, is the resale value pretty decent on a Martin case that I'll basically sell right out of the box? Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks guys.

[TwoMartinMan]

I have an HD-35. It came with the latest plastic rotomolded archtop case from Martin. The case you are linking to is the older version, so mine looks a little different and, in my opinion, is an improvement in strength. I like the case. The standard Martin case is flat topped, not arched which is better. And a wooden case is not as good for maintaining the desired humidity level inside because the wood absorbs much of the moisture.
But a case would not keep me from buying a good guitar. You can always sell it on craigslist and get the case of your choice.

[Blueser100]

Originally Posted by llamagish

Hola!

So I'm about to go through with my purchase of an HD-35, but from doing some brief research I'm not too happy with the looks/quality of the case that it comes with. Looks extremely cheap and plastic-like.

I think it's basically this one: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Martin/6...dshell-Case.gc

My question is, what's a really nice Martin case that'll protect my guitar well, but still look somewhat decent? I love old school cases.. this one looks too modern.
Also, is the resale value pretty decent on a Martin case that I'll basically sell right out of the box? Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks guys.

I didn't mind the thermoplastic case when I had my D28 but I know lots of folks prefer others. If you like "vintage" style there are a number of third party makers like Musicians Gear, Guardian, and others, who make them.

[llamagish]

Originally Posted by TwoMartinMan

I have an HD-35. It came with the latest plastic rotomolded archtop case from Martin. The case you are linking to is the older version, so mine looks a little different and, in my opinion, is an improvement in strength. I like the case. The standard Martin case is flat topped, not arched which is better. And a wooden case is not as good for maintaining the desired humidity level inside because the wood absorbs much of the moisture.
But a case would not keep me from buying a good guitar. You can always sell it on craigslist and get the case of your choice.

Oh it's not keeping me from buying it at all, I just want it to be protected. I guess I'll have to see it in person before I make up my mind about getting a different style.

[martingitdave]

That case will do fine for light use around town. If you want a really good case that you can fly with, consider the Hiscox Pro II. It is on my Christmas list this year. They are expensive, but considered to be well worth it. Most of the hard shell cases provided at Guitar center are more or less equivalent. It is also important to keep the original case in case you chose the sell the guitar in the future. Unless you are flying, or gigging every week, I would save your money initially.

[llamagish]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

That case will do fine for light use around town. If you want a really good case that you can fly with, consider the Hiscox Pro II. It is on my Christmas list this year. They are expensive, but considered to be well worth it. Most of the hard shell cases provided at Guitar center are more or less equivalent. It is also important to keep the original case in case you chose the sell the guitar in the future. Unless you are flying, or gigging every week, I would save your money initially.

I don't necessarily need something that crazy, I just figured there was a more stylish Martin case that most people preferred. It just doesn't look like a nice case for the money I'm probably dropping on it.

[SFCRetired]

That case will protect your Martin, but I also understand the plastic looking concern. My D16GT came with a roadrunner case and at the time I thought I would have preferred an original Martin case. But now that I have 2 more martin guitars I find the Roadrunner case, although it too is like a plastic looking material, is the best of the bunch.

The Martin case like I said will protect your guitar but with that said, they have to cut cost somewhere, so providing an adequate case is their biggest concern. I have seen those cases go used for 200 bucks or there about and I have seen them go for 100 bucks, I also saw someone selling a Dx1 with that same case on auction and the entire set went for around 400 bucks. So it really is a crap shoot and depends on how long you are willing to wait for someone to come along and want that case if you decide to sell it.

Most Martin guitars come with a case so your market is someone who bought an inexpensive martin and wants to buy a nice martin case for it, so already they are telling you/us they don't have a ton of money to spend, unless of course they just bought the inexpensive martin for porch duties.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by llamagish

I don't necessarily need something that crazy, I just figured there was a more stylish Martin case that most people preferred. It just doesn't look like a nice case for the money I'm probably dropping on it.

I would say that all of the Martin branded cases offer the same level of protection. So, if you want more protection, you're talking a lot of money. Otherwise, it's just personal preference. I like the molded cases because they provide better humidity and temp control. But, all my guitars came with hardshell plywood cases.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Tico]

Originally Posted by TwoMartinMan

... And a wooden case is not as good for maintaining the desired humidity level inside because the wood absorbs much of the moisture.

How can this be?

If the RH of the room is, say, 60% everything in the room that can absorb moisture will do so.
After equilibrium is reached each object has absorbed as much moisture as it can so each will stop absorbing moisture.

How can one object continue to absorb more and deny moisture to other objects in the room?

Saying a wood case denies the guitar of moisture is as unreasonable as saying a wood guitar denies the wood case of moisture.

[martingitdave]

Truthfully, there is only a small impact. The plastic prevents the moisture from leaving the case. But, the foam absorbs moisture too. If you are in a very dry environment, the plastic can help retain moisture inside the case. The foam also has some insulating properties.

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[Tico]

Plastic? Wood? Foam? Other?
When it comes to humidity considerations, they're all a wash.

Unless the case is truly 100% waterproof/hermetically sealed (as in you'd be happy to submerge it under water when it holds the $300,000 1937 Martin D-28 you bought at Christies) humidity is constantly entering or leaving a case, even a closed one, whenever the humidity in the case differs from the humidity outside the case.

It's physics.
There is literally a pressure that forces humidity to spread until it has equalized throughout an enclosed space.
It's the same principle that results in odors filling a room even when there is no breeze blowing the odor around.
Think of the force that lets water in if you submerge a case that's not water-tight.
Humidity in the air is not as noticeable as liquid water, but it is just as real and is also pushed around by an equally-real force.

A case can no more defeat this law of physics than it can defeat another law of physics, gravity, because it was made of lighter materials.

Edited to add a quote from a link ... "... gas particles spread apart or diffuse in order to homogeneously distribute themselves throughout any container."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas

[Misty44]

My question is, what's a really nice Martin case that'll protect my guitar well, but still look somewhat decent? I love old school cases

"Old school" to me means Gieb style.

This 5-ply arch-top case fits that bill, as well as offering day to day protection, comes with a Martin name plate:



Eldery has a wide selection of these styles (and prices) and other cases on their site: http://www.elderly.com/accessories/c...-cases-gigbags

My 2007 HD-35 lives in one of these. Good luck, you'll love that guitar!

[Lacks Focus]

Surely your dealer has access to a Geib-style Martin case that would fit your HD-35.

Hi llamagish,

I'll put in another word for Hiscox Pro II. They're currently around $320 and offer an amazing level of protection. I know you've already said it's "crazy" (post 6) and you're not necessarily ready to spend the $$$ for a high-end case; and also since it's thermoplastic you may not like the looks much, but you gotta give it some serious thought. An HD-35 is quite an investment, and lemme tell ya I sleep a lot better at night with my Gibson in its Hiscox lol . . .

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0jbDM2MOxs

My Hiscox Review

[akhan]

You may want to consider upgrading to a 500 Series Geib Style case at the time of purchase. I got a Custom D-28 from one of the forum sponsors a few months ago and upgrading the case wasn't very expensive. It's a bit heavy but a very nice 6 latch case with arched top.

akhan