To the OP, sorry, I have no idea!
But on the question of a case, just another POV here as well:
The ol mantra of the "hard-shell case" is giving way to the superb designs and builds of new "hard bags" which should never, ever be lumped into the same discussion as the myriad "gig bags" that can be bought for a pittance.
1. There is no shortage of years-long usage by pro musicians that have relied on these tour-grade "bags" because they offer protection that is
superior to hard cases.
2. Stacking and direct weight (think "crush" zones) onto the instrument is more or less the only condition where the HSC's rigid shell is better. Which is why the mega names who have roadies and semis moving their gear all have Anvil (or the like) cases. But for the plethora of working musicians out there (of which I am a mere weekend warrior), bags like the Mono and Reunion Blues proliferate, and this for many years. Their popularity is
because they
earned the trust of musicians who like to keep their guitars intact.
3. Look carefully and read up on design and construction of Mono and Reunion Blues, for example, and you will likely see why these (and other brands, of course) enjoy the reputation that they've built. These things are
tough in all the right places,
properly cushioned with dense foam engineered to dissipate loads (not cute and plush interiors that are utterly useless on impact), and of course lighter than HSC with backpack straps that are a boon for loading in/out of gigs. If these "gig bags" resulted in broken guits, rest assured no one would be trusting their pricey gear in them.
4. Other high-end builders ship with gig bags: Suhr, Tom Anderson, PRS to name just a
few of the biggies --with commensurate big price tags-- ship with high-quality bags and don't even offer an HSC option. While I have no idea what brand of bags these makers use, given the price point of their guits they could choose anything and choose "gig bags"; and they clearly are not suffering from it.
5. Disclaimer: I've never put my hands on a Taylor aerocase so I can't comment on its build quality. But when has Taylor skimped or fallen short on quality? Heck, even their HSC are built better than most every brand HSC I've seen, and this over decades that I've noticed.
6. In any event, choose accordingly. Taylor's HSC is stellar, no question; and it requires no additional purchase so if ya got one, use it. If one really
needs flight-case protection, they are easy to find and close to bomb proof. But for folks who don't want to sacrifice genuine protection for their prized guitars under 99% of normal use/travel, a good --yes expensive-- gig bag is worth every penny. Full disclosure: I bought a Mono case yeeears back, and now own four. Just so you know where I'm a comin from
Edward
