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How important is having the original hardshell case to you?

#121
If its even remotely valuable i'd sincerely hope it comes in something at least 2.3 hecks* of a lot better than a 1957 pressboard contraption. I'd also be more interested in time spent in the case until now than the trip home, but that should be readily apparent and reflected in condition.

*its logarithmic. One heck of a lot better is roughly double.
 
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#122
Not at a important, but if I were buying vintage, I would also expect to pay substantially less for a bass that didn’t have the OHSC with it, just because you are paying For completeness. I would still buy the bass if it were priced accordingly.

For more recent stuff though, I’m with Joe Nerve above. I’m basically drowning in cases at this point and reslly only using a mono gig bag. Going forward I might want a gigbag with a new bass, but more likely, just nothing (assuming a case or bag costs something)
 
#123
I bought some (6 or 7) generic cases made in Asia that seemed to be pretty sturdy at the time (25 years ago). I used them for mutts. That was okay, but the inner part of the case where the neck rests wasn't cut deep enough and I had to take the instruments out before they got damaged. After that the insides of the cheap junk fell apart anyway, so the little compartment as well as the neck support brace were gone. They are back in use now, but don't leave the house. They only serve to keep the instruments from getting dusty or clawed up from the cats. The worst ever are the '70's Gibson cases with the purple lining. They seem to get moldy and fall apart. I have three instruments in those and keep them right next to Fender cases. The Fender cases are fine, and the Gibson cases look like Petri dishes. I'm attempting to avoid a certain '68 ES335 being ruined from mold. The early '70's Les Paul has a gold lined case that gets a bit moldy, too, but at least it doesn't stink. The absolute worst is the Ripper case. That one has the stuffing popping out from behind the torn, rotted velvet (which has transformed from the usual hideous purple to a grotesque magenta). The only other L9 case I ever saw was almost as bad. Hope none of you have this kind of experience. On the other hand, the Fender Modern Player Tele bass came in a high quality gig bag. I never liked gig bags because they don't offer the same amount of protection in the event of a fall or being dropped. The '66 Jazzmaster came with a chipboard case, as did the '59 Musicmaster. They hold up a little better than a gig bag, but finding cases for those guitars is tricky. The Jazzmaster is wider than a Strat or Tele, and is an inch or so longer. It may require a Jazz bass case with bottom brace that makes the lower end of the case into another compartment. The '68 P came with an original black vinyl gig bag that had a broken zipper. That bass is in a hard shell case now.
 
#128
SleepyShark said:
A buddy of mine recently passed up a vintage P Bass that was, in his words, one of the best basses he’s ever played because it didn’t include the original hardshell case and that was the big dealbreaker for him.

His choice at the end of the day, but I think he’ll regret it. I feel like if it played and felt how I wanted I could get a new hardshell case from Fender. Thoughts? Do you feel the same way Is it a resale value thing for you? An authenticity thing?
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I'd say that's a weak excuse for passing on it IF the bass was all he said it was unless somehow it was overpriced.

Was he planning on playing it, displaying it, or flipping it?

My instruments are all players and what are now vintage guitars and basses were simply new or used in the '60s when I began and to be honest my Squier Matt Freeman is as good as the '63 PBass I once owned and it has a gig bag. If I were to ever buy a '60s P or J Bass like those I once had I could easily by a case if one was not included and I would play the bass.

Vintage may be nice for collectors or for nostalgia sake but then they tend to sit at home because few want to risk gigging them.
 
#132
It depends.

If it was the best bass I'd ever played I wouldn't care. If it was something with collector value I could always find a period correct case later. Not every OHSC is truly the original case as those got swapped around for various reasons.

Modern instrument I would buy a decent case for it.

My partsbass jazz lives in a musician's gear hard case.
 
#135
I use a gig bag for local gigs and a custom-made flight case for travel gigs. The factory hard cases are ideal for neither local nor travel use. In my eyes, his was a poor decision...but that's just my opinion. I also believe buying a bass for investment purposes or resale value is a bit loopy. Sure I've made a bit from resale of instruments, but I bought each of them to play!
 
#138
Total non-factor for me.

But the warm fuzzies seem to like warm fuzzies.
 

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#140
Not a dealbreaker for me at all. In fact, many high-end boutique builders stopped shipping their basses with hard cases because most people will receive it, take it out of the hard case, put it in a closet and then just use a good gigbag for actual commuting/practising/gigs (almost like it's in the name...) My Marleaux came with an awesome semi-rigid gigbag that's way more practical than a hard case - Warwick ship their Custom Shop basses in a leather gigbag (they used to ship them in full-on flight cases). So do Dingwall, Sandberg and most others you could mention. I think MTD have a hard case as an extra option on their US basses, but most people will skip it and be okay with the gigbag. It's just so much easier and more practical to get around, especially if you have one with the dual backpack-style straps. Most busy working pros will use a Gigblade or something for getting around, you won't see many of them lugging hard cases.

I have a HSC that came with my Stingray which is good for travelling by air and for storing it I guess, but more often than not I'll just put it in the RockBag I use with my Warwick (I'm on my third one - first two got worn out over the years). I have a flight case that I use if I ever need to check my Warwick or Marleaux in as hold luggage when travelling by air, but that's literally the only time it ever gets used.

When it comes to original, vintage instruments though, I can understand why people will demand the case as well - it's to complete the vintage, collector's item. Passing up on the 'best bass you ever played' because there's no HSC is a bit of a head-scratcher, though.
 

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