A Hard Case for Your Ashbory Bass

Contributed by Mark Muretisch on April 17, 2013

The soft carrying bag supplied with the Ashbory bass is perfect for toting your instrument to gigs in the front seat of your car, but may not offer adequate protection when it must be packed and transported with other equipment or left unattended where it may be accidentally damaged.

Apparently hard cases are not available from Fender or case manufacturers specifically for the Ashbory bass - so I starting looking elsewhere for alternatives. In a comment posted in the online Ashbory forum it was suggested to use a viola case. But the hard cases seemed relatively expensive and I wasn't convinced that they would provide the best fit. Then I noticed a comment about using a gun case. So I did some research and found that a simple "takedown" shotgun case offered a great solution, after modification.

PLANO Molding Co.
DLX Series Takedown
Shotgun Case, item #10-10303.
38"x12.5"x4.5"
www.planomolding.com

I removed the bottom piece of 2" thick foam from the case and flipped it over to its smooth side. Then, placing the bass face down and centering it on the foam, I traced its shape with a fine felt-tip marker. Finally, using a kitchen electric carving knife, I cut out the traced area. Similarly, I traced the bass on a piece of 1" thick foam that I purchased from a local craft/fabric store, using it as a padded bottom liner and creating a form-fitted depression for the bass to set in.

To provide a little more room for the body when closing the lid, I also cut part of the top foam at the body end of the bass, lining it with 1" foam. The result is a well-fitting case for the Ashbory bass that will keep it snug and safe while in storage or transport.