G&L Guitar Case Fit / Size Buying Guide

So you have a G&L guitar and want or need to get a case for it. Good news: there are options. Bad news: there are a lot of bad options. I have a US-made S-500, ASAT Special, and Espada. I’ve gone through at least 10 cases from Gator, SKB, random Amazon providers, and other known brands. Here’s what I found.

TL;DR:

The short answer is… if you have an S-500 (or Strat-shaped “Legacy” model etc.), or an ASAT (probably any of its variants), the following hard cases work great:

• Gator Journeyman Deluxe GW-JM-ELEC
  • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GKOJC5Y
  • Reverb: https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=GW-JM-ELEC
• Gator Deluxe Vintage GW-ELEC-VIN
  • Same exact fitment as above, just alternative color palette
  • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009GZHM6
  • Reverb: https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=GW-ELEC-VIN

If you have an Espada, with its wider lower bout, the best option is:

• SKB-6 Rectangular Case
  • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P5PKT6
  • Reverb: https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=SKB-6

If, on the other hand, you want a soft case, then I assume we’re talking about a hard-foam “soft” case. If you really want a flimsy, no-padding soft-case, any should work. If you want a fitted, nice, hard-shelled soft case, the right answer for the S-500, ASAT, or Espada is:

• Protec PRO PAC Contego (CTG234)
  • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BAHFCO
  • Reverb: https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=protec%20contego

The rationale behind all of these choices is explained at length below. Read on if you prefer!

A Note on First-Party Cases

G&L shipped a few different types of cases with their USA guitars over the years. Primarily you’ll see the injection-molded, branded G&L plastic road cases like this:

These cases had shape-formed interiors and, while I’ve never had one, I imagine they probably work with G&L’s guitars 😜. The tricky part is that finding them on the second-hand market for a reasonable price and in good condition is rare. I love the big G&L logo on the side, but expect to pay a premium for it if you want to go this route.

Outside of that, G&L worked with G&G (ggqualitycase.com) for vintage-style, very-high-quality cases — complete with a small metal “G&L Guitars” placard under the handle. These are nice cases, for sure, but depending on which particular case you find, you might find the lateral sliding problem.

I have two G&L G&G’s. One standard and one from the G&L Custom Shop. The first, the non-custom-shop-branded G&G, is similar to this image (the guitar inside is an ASAT Classic for sale as of 11/20/25 https://reverb.com/item/88813740):

The key point here being that the storage box in the case stops way before the shoulder of the guitar. There’s no way to prevent the lateral sliding problem with these cases.

The second type of case G&G made for G&L had a much wider storage box. It’s a little difficult to see in the following image since it’s all black-on-black, but this is an example image showing the same G&L Custom Shop case that I have as well:

The keen-eyed among you will note that this case may still have some lateral sliding (the distance between the headstock and the left side of the case is less than that of the upper horn and the storage box) but since the storage box is so much closer to the upper horn of the guitar, it’s easy to place a small foam block there to halt lateral movement.

Only problem with this route is that I like to keep my original custom shop cases in storage and not beat them up over the years! I know that’s silly. It’s just what I prefer. So…. On to the third-party cases!

The Grid

Case	S-500	ASAT	Espada
SKB FS-6 (jump to below)	❌	❌	❌
SKB SCFS-6 (soft) (jump to below)	❌	❌	❌
SKB 66 (jump to below)	TBD	TBD	TBD
SKB 66PRO (jump to below)	❌	❌	❌
SKB 6 (jump to below)	✅	✅	✅
SKB iSeries Strat/Tele (jump to below)	🤔	✅	❌
Gator GL-ELECTRIC (soft) (jump to below)	🤔	✅	❌
Gator GW-ELEC-VIN (jump to below)	✅	✅	❌
Gator GW-JM-ELEC (jump to below)	✅	✅	❌
Gator GC-ELEC-XL (jump to below)	🤔	✅	❌
Crossrock CRW520EVB (jump to below)	✅	✅	❌
Protec PRO PAC Contego (jump to below)	✅	✅	✅

🤔 = My particular S-500 did not fit but I think mine is slightly thicker than a typical S-500 (it’s a custom-shop). I think a standard S-500 would fit.

Case-by-Case

SKB FS-6

S-500 Notes: A total no-go on the S-500; the slight shape and contour differences between the S-500 and a traditional Stratocaster simply aren’t compatible enough here. SKB designed this case very tightly to the Stratocaster curves.

ASAT Notes: The ASAT fits the curves — the issue with the S-500 is in its upper horn which the ASAT does not have — but the total length of the ASAT headstock remains an issue, like many other SKB options in this list. You could technically press down (hard!) some of the foam on the lid so that it doesn’t squish down on the headstock and that would work fine, but then the tip of the headstock would still be millimeters from the metal case liner. Too close for comfort, for me.

Espada Notes: Lower bout doesn’t fit; don’t even try.

SKB SCFS-6

Broadly the same notes as the FS-6 above for all three models. Even more sketchy for the ASAT if you do try to press down the foam in the lid, since then it’d only be millimeters from the zipper and nylon. Any accidental bash would be bashing the headstock. Skip this one for G&L’s.

SKB 66

Currently TBD; it’s on the way. Based on the 66PRO and the FS-6 though, I don’t have high hopes…

SKB 66PRO

Worth noting before getting to model specifics: this case is great. It’s a real beefy upgrade from the FS-6 and it feels really well made; a solid tank of a case.

S-500 Notes: Again, as with the FS-6 we find that the slight curvature difference of the S-500, particularly in its upper horn, doesn’t sit well in this case. The neck ends up not lining up straight down the neck cavity and it just doesn’t work.

ASAT Notes: Again, similar here to the FS-6 as well, the ASAT actually fits the contouring excellently and the neck sits down into the neck slot perfectly, but it comes down to a length issue. And, again, you could press in the lid foam somewhat permanently to make it work, but still the headstock would be very, very close to the metal case seam. Not my favorite.

Espada Notes: Lower bout too wide for this case; doesn’t work.

Same as the FS-6, for the ASAT the fit around the body and neck are actually great but the headstock is about an inch too long; could press in the foam but again, millimeters from seam metal then

SKB 6

S-500 Notes: This case is a little wider than most of SKB’s so the S-500 fits fine width-wise, with even a little wiggle room to play. The S-500 neck sits into the neck cavity very well and the case is long enough for the G&L headstock. This would work! The aforementioned wiggle room means the whole fitment is a little less snug than I might prefer for my guitars, but overall I’d be happy with this.

ASAT Notes: Fits great; similar small amount of play on the left and right of the lower bout — same as the S-500 mentioned above. There is a little space between the headstock and the left side of the case, but since the whole guitar can shift left and right a few inches, the first point of contact when shifting left would be the headstock. Read the section “On Lateral Sliding” below for an easy fix to that.

Espada Notes: Surprise, surprise! This is an excellent fit for the Espada. That extra width that gave the S-500 and ASAT a little wiggle room on their lower bout is just about the perfect amount to fit the Espada’s wider lower body. Similarly to the ASAT, there’s a very small amount of space between the end of the headstock and the left side of the case (but there is space!), so I’ll probably put a small foam block between the shoulder of the guitar and the mid-case block bar to prevent the sort of left-and-right motion that would cause the headstock to hit the left side of the case.

I was worried I wouldn’t find any hard case that fit the Espada shape really well… but I’m glad to be wrong! Overall this case feels perfectly fine and like a totally moderate hard-case, yet in a smaller-than-usual form factor. It’s nice to have two big pockets for things, too. It’s not SKB’s toughest case (for sure) but it’s a really great weight-to-strength tradeoff for just about everything but proper touring and checked-bag flying.

SKB iSeries Strat/Tele

S-500 Notes: Sadly this one doesn’t fit. While my S-500, as mentioned previously, is a little thicker than what I believe most S-500’s are, this case had a problem similar to other SKB cases in this list pre-shaped in the Stratocaster cutout: the upper horn just doesn’t quite fit the cut contours and ends up canting the whole guitar slightly wrong. The neck doesn’t lay straight down the neck cavity and I wouldn’t use this case for an S-500 given that.

ASAT Notes: My ASAT Special actually fits perfectly into this case. I would totally use this for travel and/or touring with the ASAT. There’s about an inch of space beyond the headstock, the neck fits perfectly into the neck cavity, and there’s very little play in the guitar once it’s inside. Surprisingly good fit.

Espada Notes: Won’t work, don’t try. Lower body on the Espada is simply too wide.

Gator GL-ELECTRIC

While the image here doesn’t show it, the GL-ELECTRIC has an open-box internal design, similar to that of the SKB-6, not a strat/tele pre-shaped cutout.

S-500 Notes: I’m a little hit-or-miss on this one. My S-500, when laid in the case, ended up having its neck too high to be comfortable. It lined up with the neck cavity perfectly well, but I don’t think it was actually even touching it — rather, it was hovering above the neck cavity. That meant that the lid, upon closing, would actually be pushing down on the neck and stressing the neck while in the case. Not great. That said, and as I’ve mentioned above, I believe my S-500 is thicker than most, and I’d bet money that a normal S-500 would work fine in this case. It’s not the best soft-case option, but it might be the cheapest!

ASAT Notes: Great fit on the ASAT. Gator nailed the length so the headstock fits with an inch or two to spare. Just make sure you curb any lateral movement so the headstock doesn’t hit the left side of the case.

Espada Notes: Doesn’t fit. The GL-ELECTRIC isn’t wide enough at the back to fit the Espada’s wider lower body.

Gator GW-ELEC-VIN

S-500 Notes: Tremendous fit. Perfectly holds the sides in place, neck sits excellently through the neck cavity, and there’s an inch or two past the headstock of space to the left side of the case. In particular, with a gold S-500, the brown suede exterior and gold hardware make a wonderful combination. Pictures below.

ASAT Notes: Excellent fit here too. Only note would be, like with just about every box-cut case, to mitigate lateral sliding: see my notes on that below.

Espada Notes: Ehh. The Espada’s wider lower body can fit in this case, but it’ll compress the foam on either side of it just about 100% to do it. That’s not necessarily a problem, but it’s less margin / comfort than I’d prefer on my Espada. The length is all perfect through.

Gator GW-JM-ELEC

Same exact notes as the GW-ELEC-VIN just above; it’s essentially the same case and dimensions in another color-way.

Gator GC-ELEC-XL

S-500 Notes: This, like the Gator soft case above, unfortunately presses down on the neck of my S-500. Again, my particular S-500 is a little thicker than most, so that may not be a problem for other S-500/Comanche/etc’s. Otherwise the length and width were both great.

ASAT Notes: Excellent fit on an ASAT. Only note would be, like with just about every box-cut case, to mitigate lateral sliding: see my notes on that below. This is the “extra long” version of the case from Gator; I don’t know that the extra length is necessary.

Espada Notes: Again, the Espada’s lower body is too wide for this case and does not fit.

Crossrock CRW520EVB

Pretty much the same notes as the two Gator GW-ELEC models above: the S-500 fits snugly and nicely, sitting perfectly into the neck pockets; the ASAT does similar; and the Espada’s lower body is too wide to fit.

I’d essentially consider this another color-way and possibly cheaper option than the Gators. The only real note I had from it is that the latches feel a bit cheaper than Gator’s. But the case itself feels solid and, I think, is wrapped in actual Tolex. That’s rare!

Protec PRO PAC Contego

This is the case that came with my Custom Shop Espada (with a nice “G&L Custom Shop” embroidered into the front!). It’s an excellent case and has both hard-foam structure around it as well as very hard perimeter bracing around the outer edge (think: zipper edge encasing around the whole thing). I’m very impressed with the quality of this “soft” case.

And, it fits all three of my models. There’s not much extra room past the headstock, but then that solid outer ring keeps things safe in there.

If I was going to use semi-soft, this is the one I’d use.

On Lateral Sliding

When it comes to putting an ASAT or Telecaster into a box-cut / shaped guitar case, you can run into an issue. When the amount of space between the headstock and the left side of the case (#1 in the image below) is less than the amount of space between the guitar shoulder and the case mid-line block (#2 in the image below), it means that, if you guitar were to shift to the left abruptly, your headstock would take that impact.

This can happen with any guitar in any case, but typically guitars with two horns (e.g. S-500, Strat, etc.) will have their upper horn (which protrudes longer than an ASAT/Tele’s shoulder) hit the mid-line block before the headstock hits the left side wall.

Luckily, there’s a simple solution for ASATs and Teles: make a small foam block with a neck scoop and put it between the mid-line block and the guitar shoulder:

The essentially extends the blocking power of the mid-line block backwards (presuming your foam is somewhat hard, which it should be). Now, even though there’s only an inch or two ahead of the headstock (#1 above), the foam block is only a few millimeters from stopping the ASAT shoulder (#2 above).

That means any lateral shift will be halted by the guitar shoulder (via the foam) rather than the headstock contacting anything inside the case. That’s what you want.

Now, take all of that with a grain of salt… there are two factors that may make this a total non-issue. First, as the lid closes on the case, as long as it applies some downward pressure on the guitar, that vertical squeeze may prevent lateral movement already. Second, as long as you’re not (literally) throwing your guitar case around, it probably isn’t going to matter. I’m an engineer so I dig into these tiny details, but I have enough sense to know that it probably doesn’t matter at this level.

Where I Landed

I have four guitars I would like hard-cased. The three G&L’s I’ve discussed above (S-500, ASAT Special, Espada) and a PRS. The S-500 and ASAT share broadly similar body geometries, while the Espada and PRS share having a slightly wider lower body. Thus, I ended up keeping two cases, each intended to be used for either of two guitars.

For the Espada and PRS I landed on the SKB-6. It’s a markedly simple case but still maintains a nicely portable sense given its smaller footprint. Its slightly wider interior made it a perfect fit for both the Espada and PRS.

The headstock of the Espada fits like a glove: just a little extra space, which I will use the technique above to avoid it actually moving into:

Perfect fit.

For the S-500 and the ASAT I went with the Gator GW-ELEC-VIN. I love the vintage brown and gold-touch aesthetic and it definitely works with the gold S-500. Fit-wise, it fits the S-500 perfectly on the sides, in the neck pocket, and with lateral sliding. It’s great!

The ASAT also fits perfectly, and with a lateral slide block, it’s ready to go as well:

So, two cases for four guitars. I was initially hoping that one case could cover all four, but they just have different-enough body shapes that it wouldn’t really work. I’ll settle for 2-for-2!

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