Folk singer Tom Paxton wrote one of his most famous songs after his favourite guitar was damaged by careless handling on an internal flight in the United States. In those days, musical instruments were often transported in just the case they came in from the manufacturer, albeit augmented by packing tape and a plethora of ‘fragile’ stickers. As a result, many rare and expensive musical instruments were irreparably damaged in transit, and many a struggling artist was robbed of their greatest tangible asset. It’s no wonder companies manufacturing custom built music cases, like Gothard Flight Cases of Yorkshire, have become an essential contact for countless travelling musicians the world over.
In medieval times, itinerant performers criss-crossed Europe in search of anyone who would pay them for their music. These travelling bards may have carried pipes, a drum, or a lute on which to perform. This instrument would likely be the only item of value they owned; it was their passion, their investment, and their livelihood, all rolled into one. As these early performers travelled across the wet and windy moors from one Yorkshire village to the next, performing to maybe ten people at a time, they could only have dreamed about the security and convenience custom built music cases could provide. When it rained, the instrument got wet. In the cold of winter, it would go out of tune and perhaps suffer structural damage due to the flexing of the materials. If they were attacked, these valuable possessions could be stolen or damaged. And then there was the every day wear and tear they would suffer as they were transported in an ill fitting bag or box from one rough campsite to the next.
Hundreds of years later, musical troubadours were still driven by the same spirit. The bluesmen of the American deep south had no custom built music cases, and most of them had probably never heard of Yorkshire. Many of them played rudimentary guitars which they had built or extensively modified themselves. One, three, four, six, nine and twelve string instruments were all to be seen. These were played with plectrums, coins, penknives, broken beer bottles, and tired, calloused old fingers. The odd shapes and specifications of these instruments would have made creating custom built music cases for them a challenge, although I’m sure Gothard Flight Cases of Yorkshire would have done a fine job.
As with so many other aspects of life, everything changed in the 1960s. The world was ready for larger than life heroes, and flamboyant rock stars fitted the bill perfectly. At the same time, technology had made it possible for these icons to perform for, not tens, but tens of thousands of people simultaneously. Economies of scale meant there was no more struggling from one gig to the next; rock stars rode in stretched limousines, with their instruments in custom built music cases. Gothard Flight Cases of Yorkshire are proud to supply transport equipment to some of the biggest names in the business.
