The question is – do I actually need a guitar case? Some people just grab their guitars by the neck and go ahead with their plans, leaving the instrument completely open to accidents.
If you just play the guitar for recreational purposes in the comfort of your house, you might be one of the few cases not needing a guitar case.
Even so, your instrument might be accidentally knocked by someone, leaving you with repair costs.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Bass Guitar Cases
Table of Contents
Benefits of Investing in a Quality Case
There are a few advantages that come with using the best bass guitar case. Here are a few.
Transportation Issues
As we mentioned, the primary purpose of your guitar case is for its safety and the ease of transportation, among others. If you have a quality guitar case, you can easily transport it safely from one place to another. A good quality product is ergonomically designed to make your life easier.
Safety
If you are a professional musician, you might have already been in the situation when you need to travel abroad with your precious instrument. I firmly believe only the thought of luggage handling makes you worry endlessly about the integrity of your guitar at the end of the journey. A high-quality guitar case protects your instrument from all elements and keeps it safe.
Protection
In a similar vein, a good quality case not only keeps it safe when you travel but also ensures that your instrument is protected on the inside, too. High-quality products are padded with plush inside, which so no matter the outside handling, the interior remains intact and in the best conditions.
How Do I Choose a Bass Guitar Case?
There are several aspects you need to consider before deciding on your purchase, such as:
Personal Needs
Firstly, you need to determine what your needs are: are you a student frequently going to class, a gigging musician, or an international touring one? These aspects can influence your purchase. Some soft guitar cases are specially designed for lighter traveling, while other hardwood cases are recommended for heavy manipulation and flights. Make sure you give it considerable thought, as improper casing can damage your guitar.
Budget
After establishing your purpose, it is necessary to come up with your budgeting options. There are varied cases, with different features and in various price ranges. The budget should also be proportional to the instrument you have. You should definitely spend more if you have an instrument of +$1,000 and consistently take it on flights. Additionally, a flight case might be too much for you if you are gigging from time to time or taking it to rehearsals.
Quality
Lastly, make sure the quality is proportional to the price, too. Luckily, we picked the best guitar cases, suitable for all purposes and budgets, which do not compromise on quality either.
Comparison of the Best Bass Guitar Cases
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Review of the Best Bass Guitar Cases
When it comes to protecting your bass guitar, only the best will do. Here we take a look at some of the best options to keep your instrument protected no matter where you go.
Best Overall:
Gator Cases Deluxe ABS Molded Case for Bass Guitars
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This case easily fits any standard shaped bass. It is perfect for going to rehearsals and gigs, and the interior comes with a plush material that keeps the instrument safe and sound. The neck area is also tapered, ensuring that any neck shape would fit perfectly.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Gator Case is our best pick due to its high-quality components. It ensures extra protection through a thick foam padding with a deep plush lining. The case is also reinforced with aluminum, which makes it heavy-duty, yet comfortable enough due to the carry handle. It comes with a spacious accessory compartment.
Who Will Use This Most
If you are a traveling musician, gigging bass player or frequently travel to rehearsals, this bass case is the best for your needs. It is similar yet more practical than a wood case and the good quality materials ensure that your instrument is always safe when traveling.
Bottom Line
Overall, this bass case is our top choice on the market. It is heavy-duty, sturdy yet the plush inside makes it a great comfortable case for your instrument. It also comes with two compartments which allow you to safely store all the needed accessories, in a compact and sturdy, yet light case.
Runner-up:
SKB SoftCase Universal-Shaped for Electric Bass
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
One of the best features of this product is its durability and reliability. The hard foam interior and the plush lining offer maximum safety for your electric bass. The components seem very high-quality and long-lasting; the handles and straps are also well-made and sturdy.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Our runner-up choice is the SKB soft case for electric basses. Similar to hard cases, it also uses a rigid foam interior to ensure extra protection for your electric bass, but it is now lighter for easy transport between activities. There are also two zip pouches included with different compartments for all your needed accessories.
Who Will Use This Most
This electric bass case comes with durable, well-designed backpack straps. Therefore it is an excellent option for the traveling musician looking to take all needed accessories in one go. It is easy to carry, relatively lightweight, but strong enough to protect your instrument.
Bottom Line
Overall, this is our runner up due to its high-quality components and build. If you travel a lot, these backpack straps can ease your transportation, allowing you to pack all needed accessories in the numerous spacious pockets. It is reasonably priced, and it has all the benefits of a soft case, but much more durable.
Best for the Money:
ChromaCast CC-BPB-BAG Electric Bass Guitar Padded Gig Bag
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This heavy-duty nylon bass case is great for any instrument out there. All components are strong and durable, including zippers and pockets. It is extra comfortable to carry around with you due to the padded straps. The additional six pockets make for a great choice when gigging or traveling.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Our best for money choice is a ChromaCast 6 pocket padded gig bag. Despite its lower price range, this fantastic guitar case comes with a wide variety of features, which makes it our favorite. The thick 10mm interior padding ensures your instrument remains untouched; extra security is provided by the Velcro strap which tightly wraps your guitar neck.
Who Will Use This Most
If you are a student taking classes or a gigging musician, this case is the best option for you. It is strong, durable, and offers you the protection you need. The numerous pockets and pouches are spacious, and you can store many items, making transportation much easier. It might not be perfect for a touring musician, as this is a softshell case.
Bottom Line
Overall, this ChromaCast product will definitely impress and surprise you. The overall build is designed with comfort and practicability in mind. On top of that, it is one of the most affordable options you can find, keeping in mind the high-quality design and longevity of components.
Best Hard Case:
ChromaCast CC-BHC Bass Guitar Hard Case
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This ChromaCast hard guitar case is ideal for the touring or traveling musician. While the outside is sturdy and hard, the inside is filled with high-quality plush to keep your guitar secure, without leaving any fibers on your gear. Additionally, it could benefit from more compartments, but it is still a great option for traveling.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This ChromaCast hard-shell bass case is one of the top and affordable cases out there. It is perfectly designed from wood to offer sound protection of your instrument, yet the plush interior is soft enough to avoid damages to your bass. You can easily transport it from one place to another due to the molded handles.
Who Will Use This Most
If you are a traveling or touring musician, this is the product for you. It is specially crafted for long journeys and harsh handling, combining creativity, durability, and a pleasant, classic look successfully. On top of it, despite its hardwood build, it is lightweight, while ensuring full protection against bumps, knocks, and bends.
Bottom Line
This guitar hard-case protects your instrument from scratches due to the plush interior and also from outside bumps or knocks. It is essential to protect your investment and keep it safe while traveling around. Overall, this case is great quality, durable, and comes at an affordable price.
Best Soft Case:
SKB Electric Bass Soft Case
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This product is suitable for car traveling and other light travel needs. The price to value ratio is great; it comes with backpack straps that ensure comfort and easy traveling, while the zipper is strong and durable. The design is compact and ergonomic, easy to carry, and not too heavy.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This SKB bass guitar case is our top choice. The semi-rigid bass case has a molded interior for the perfect fit. The storage pouches are spacious, and the interior is strengthened with nylon and a hard-core EPS foam interior. It has a double pull zipper and two pouches with numerous compartments for accessories.
Who Will Use This Most
This product is perfect for students who have to travel to and from classes or other light traveling. It is secure and removes the worries related to light bumps on the way there. It fits most of the bass guitar sizes, and there is enough room inside for your class and guitar accessories.
Bottom Line
Overall, this soft guitar case is perfect if you are looking for an easy and light way of carrying your instrument. The design is strong and well designed to suit all your needs. It has plenty of roomy compartments and, on top of everything, it is specially designed to support your instrument.
Best Guitar Flight Case:
Gator Cases Molded Flight Case For Bass Guitar With TSA Approved Locking Latch
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
If you own an expensive instrument and you are a professional musician who travels a lot, this case is definitely the perfect match for you. It survives all the harsh conditions of flight travel, such as luggage handling, yet the case is surprisingly ergonomic and light.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This guitar case is our top-flight guitar due to its various safety and security features. It comes with a TSA lock, which is easily operated, yet it offers you extra protection when you check your guitar. It is specially designed to prevent damage and theft.
Who Will Use This Most
This guitar case is perfect for touring musicians who often take flights to reach their destination. It is comfortable to carry around due to its soft-grip handle. It offers extra protection due to the protective soft plush interior, and it provides enough room for all your accessories, including pedals, strings, picks, straps, cables, and many more.
Bottom Line
Overall, there is no doubt this flight case will not fail to deliver on your expectations. It protects your precious instrument from damages. It comes with a high-safety TSA lock which is also easy to operate, and the inside is thickly padded for protection. It also has an extended neck cradle that keeps your guitar in place.
Types of Bass Guitar Cases
Some of the main product variations relate to the materials of the guitar case. Here is a short description of the most common types of bass guitar cases:
Gig Bags
The gig bags or soft guitar cases are often made of nylon or some soft material. They usually include backpack straps and a comfortable handle, and they are the lightest options. They have at least one pouch for accessories. Not recommended for air travel, as they offer little protection to bigger shocks.
Hard Guitar Cases
This type is most common as the most durable ones, although they have some variations as well, such as molded, hard shell, and chipboard. Some included shoulder straps for easy transportation, and they can be made from durable materials such as plastic, wood, or even metal. The inside is also soft and usually plush padded.
Hybrid Guitar Cases
This is, obviously, a combination of soft and hard cases. They have a softer exterior, common to soft cases, but the interior is harder and heavy-duty, yet padded with plush, common to hard cases. If you want to combine the lightweight of a soft guitar case with the strong yet protective inside of a hard case, then this is the one for you.
Conclusion
Overall, these are our top picks on the best guitar cases. We chose a selection which satisfies all needs, from studying musicians and hobbyists, to traveling musicians and flight travel. There is definitely a good pick for anyone.
