Fender Deluxe Molded Strat/Tele Case

I bought this for my American Special Stratocaster (which came with a gig bag). This is the second case of this type that I have (they come with the American Professional and Elite series). And it is a great case.

The aluminium skirt around the lids is tight fitting, the plush interior is thick and well-finished. The storage compartment has a lid and is really quite large. The neck of the guitar is properly supported. Both my Strat and Tele fit snugly into this case (the Strat has the large 70s headstock and it fits - just).

I use this case for home storage and for that purpose it really is excellent. I've not gigged with these cases, but on the basis of what's happened to my cases in the past I would say that the will stand-up well to "normal" gigging. For anything slightly more heavy-duty, there are a couple of areas of risk. There are feet on the case which are attached (rather than being part of the ABS moulding) which I think could theoretically attract damage with sufficient abuse. The latches are good and close fitting and are designed to be opened by without damage by customs officials - but they are plastic and they do protrude - and so for this reason I would not personally use this as a flight case.

Relative to the well-reputed but slightly cheaper competition, I have owned those brands in the past and they are fine, but I think this case is worth the little extra cash that it costs. The latches are slightly smaller and less prominent than on some of the competition and in my opinion this case looks better - less "knobbly" bits of ABS moulding and, of course, it has the Fender logo - which if you're putting a Fender into it is a must!

And if you have more than one case of this type, they stack really well and won't move! I would buy it again.

I bought the Fender Deluxe Molded Strat/Tele Case both for storing my 2019 Fender Telecaster '72 Deluxe in the house and moving it around in the car. This case can do both, perfectly.

It was no fun when one of my guitars hit the sidewalk once, due to my soft case's failed zipper. This time I needed something that won't fall apart or open by accident and this case looks and feels the part.

The latches are easy to use and feel secure when closed. The middle one has a lock (two keys are included) and I think it's the kind of lock that makes the case easy to inspect at airports, without damage.

It feels steady when standing on its narrow side (handle upwards), thanks to the four feet underneath, whether empty or loaded. The small protrusions and corresponding recesses on the large sides presumably help securely stacking more than one cases flat, one on top of the other.

I was concerned that it might look too bulky in the living room, but it does not stand out.

The guitar rests snugly in the case, without taking the strap off. Originally I was concerned about this particular guitar model's pickup selector, which protrudes from the body and feels a bit flimsy compared to a regular Strat or Tele pickup selector. However, the selector does not seem to suffer.

The plush finish inside is high quality, as described, and perfectly good for protecting the guitar, but not as pleasant to the touch as I had imagined it by looking at the photo.

All in all, very happy with the purchase.