SKB 18 Acoustic Guitar Case

I bought this case mainly for travel (I had a flight to Chicago planned that I didn't want to be without my guitar for 2 weeks for), and let me say I am pleasantly surprised!I thought the case was not going to fit my guitar, or craftsmanship was going to be shoddy.Needless to say both were wrong! I have a Martin DX1AE (which is just below a full dreadnought size), which the case fits perfectly fine. It leaves a little extra room, but not enough to make movement of the guitar in the case as an issue. Basically it fits a full dreadnought just fine as well.The case has a sturdy lid that doesn't give and seals all around it, it has quick hinges (that also have a TSA lock, which was the biggest selling point for me) that are easily opened and closed. The interior is a dark green with enough space in the cavity for 2 packs of strings, a bag of picks and my capo, with some room to spare. I even put my full size guitar strap (custom one that is a little thicker and bigger that most straps) in the head of the case with ease. The grip for carrying is also an oversize comfy grip.Needless to say, I checked my guitar on both ways to Chicago, and the guitar came out just fine on both sides with just minor scuffs on the outside of the case. My guitar didn't even detune a bit!All in all this is a solid, well built case that is exceptional for the price, I am going to buy many more of these in the future as my collection of guitars grows!

I would say it's more of a 3.5, but couldn't hate on it THAT much.. I recently bought a Taylor 114ce. It came with a gig bag, and I didn't really want a gig bag for the guitar. My dad had this same model number case for a Blueridge BR-85 (dreadnought guitar). My Taylor fit in there nice and snug, but his case is a good 10-15 years old. His case also lines up very well, leaving no gaps at all.ProsI like it's latching system. They're better than the traditional metal clips. It's also pretty sturdy. After getting all the edges alighned it shuts with a fairly good seal. There are some edges that have a tiny bit of a gap, but it's not that bad. Also I like the green plush lining.ConsIt doesn't fit my taylor very well.. There is a fairly large gap on each side of the body of the guitar, where it just doesn't fit.. It's pretty far off. I checked SKB's site before ordering this item and they say SKB 18 case is the case for my guitar. I was definitely hoping the fit would be better.It appears SKB isn't the same company they once were. My dad's 10-15 year old case is better quality than this. It shuts properly everytime without having to align. has better seals. The same model number has changed.Also like other people have said. If you push on the center of the case it will indent.. You don't even have to apply a WHOLE lot of preasure. I do still feel that it is much more safe than my taylor gig bag though.All and all, I like the case. I got what I paid for. I could have got a case straight from Taylor that probably would fit my guitar perfect, but that was $200. I only paid $125 for this, and it really isn't that bad. I don't know if I will buy an SKB case in the future though. Quality has clearly degraded over the years.Edit - Just a follow up on my problem with the guitar not fitting. The Taylor I use this guitar for has a cutaway. I've stuffed a scarf in the cutaway and it keeps it secured in the case MUCH better. I shouldn't have to be doing that though. and there is still big gaps on the sides. I took some pictures for a reference.

I purchased this case specifically to travel with my guitar. In the past, I have always been able to carry my guitars on board in their soft gig bags, and store them in somewhere in the cabin. Have never had any flight attendant turn them away. However, I was planning a trip overseas on Cathay Pacific and their website specifically stated that all instruments needed to be in a hard case and that they could not guarantee that it would be accepted in the cabin. Paranoid, I purchased this case for my trip and checked my guitar in, gritting my teeth and hoping and praying that my guitar would come out safely on the other end (keep in mind we had 3 connecting flights). Not only did my guitar make it safely in the case, but the case only had a couple of scuffs on the outside and was otherwise unharmed as well. The TSA lock is a really nice extra. This case is solid, with a firm molded outside and a luxurious soft inside, and some sort of extra padding between the two layers. I have a dreadnought and there is a little extra room for the body (maybe 1/4 inch), but I just stuffed a soft cloth as extra padding and the guitar remained snug. For the price, you cannot beat this case for a travel case.

Exceedingly poor quality. The first time I flew with this case, it broke. See the pictures. It's bent out of shape in a way that I can't figure out or bend back. The top doesn't fit properly on the bottom. It's hard to line the top and bottom up well enough to close the latches. And when all latches are closed, the case still has a large gap at the bottom (see the second picture). I'm very concerned about what will happen on the return trip. But I don't have another option.I've taken many flights with guitars, and I've never had a case break before. This case didn't survive even one flight. It did seem oddly flimsy for an SKB case. My bandmates and I have SKB cases for other instruments. They've been great quality, which is why I bought this case. But this case is shoddy.A product that fails to do the very thing it's supposed to do? That gets the fewest stars possible.