For a prized, and likely very expensive, instrument, touring can be fraught with danger. Threats from knocks, bumps and scrapes lurk menacingly at every turn so investing in some form of protection is vital, but not all hard cases are made equal. After noting stagnation in guitar case technology, Timbre Cases founder Peter McMath set about designing the next generation of instrument travel protection. It's taken two years of R&D, but the company is now readying its tough dreadnought-shaped DNone case for release, which features a shock absorbent, water-resistant outer shell, humidity control and recessed wheels.
The DNone's outer shell, which is designed to fit standard 6 or 12 string dreadnought-shaped acoustic guitars, is fashioned from 3.1 mm aerospace-grade Kydex, a thermoplastic acrylic-polyvinyl chloride material that's said to make the travel case shock absorbent while also being rigid and light. It's also reported resistant to scuffs and scratches, and has a water-resistant seal integrated into the upper shell.
It won't absorb or release moisture, making it a good fit to maintain constant humidity levels, and comes with humidity control pockets designed to accommodate optional D-Addario two-way humidification packs for preserving 45 - 55 percent relative humidity inside the case. The DNone also sports lush interior padding to support the instrument body, neck and headstock.
The case's three steel latches are recessed to shield them from the inevitable bumps of life on the road, it features torqued hinges for constant resistance when opening and closing, and the handle at the headstock end is used in combination with the integrated wheels for ease of transport.
Canada's Timbre Cases has launched on Kickstarter to bring the DNone to market. Early bird pledgers will need to cough up at least CAD 699 (about US$620) for one of the first premium guitar cases off the production line and, if all goes to plan, shipping is estimated to start in May 2015.
Though the DNone has been designed to be compatible with 95 percent of dreadnought-shaped acoustic guitars, the Timbre Cases team does have plans to produce other shapes in the future.
The DNone pitch video is below.
Sources: Timbre Cases, Kickstarter
