So Alarum and Levitation Hex did the European tour, we landed at the Melbourne International Airport, put all our gear in our respective cars, and away we go: HOME.

Now, I was going to take a cab, but Scotty from Levitation Hex said I could go with him and his lovely girlfriend and they’d drop me home. This was  Thursday October 25  (2012) at 2:45 in the morning, mind you. I gladly accepted.

We get to my joint, Scotty open the trunk, I grab my backpack, and my Ibanez (in the Hiscox case) was under his guitar. I grab the handle, pull with semi manly force, and viola!! Out comes the guitar.

Now, just as the guitar was at about face height, the handle broke off and the guitar hit the concrete face down, with a kick ass SPLAT!!! Ha ha, I wasn’t worried about the guitar at all, I knew that bad boy was fine. I was more worried about showing up to future gigs cradling a no handled guitar case looking like a douche.

After the jet lag, a gig in Perth that very weekend we got back, and a bit of downtime, I decided I’d email Hiscox and see if I could buy another handle. I have two of their cases as well as my Ibanez J Craft moulded case, so I’m not totally helpless, ya know? I’ll use one of those for the time being.

Now, what you don’t know is that this particular guitar case had been overseas two times prior to the 3 week tour I went on. I lent it to someone and he’d taken it for a good two months. I’ve had both cases for roughly 6 years with no issues. Ever.

Anyways, I email Hiscox from their site: Hola, I’m Doug, I want to buy a handle, bla bla bla. Hit send.

I don’t hear anything from them for about a week. I mentally keep a note of that, but life gets in the way….

On a Monday after work I pull up just outside our gates and go to my mailbox. Ah, a package, nice!! I see who the sender is: HISCOX!!!

They sent me the handle, screws, all the shit I need to put the new handle on. I am floored!! Here I was, happy to buy another handle and these dudes give me one!! Turned my semi shit day totally upside down! The spring in my step returned. They also included good, solid directions on how to install that bad boy. Which I’ll need because I’m fairly dumb when it comes to building shit.

Later that day I told my wife what had happened and she gently reminded me (because she bought both cases for me as gifts) that those cases come with a lifetime warranty. WHOAAAAA!!! I had no idea!!!

Yo, Hiscox: I LOOOVE YOUR CASES. They are very lightweight and sturdy protective sonsa bitches. And they are very balanced when you’re walking with two. Sooo awesome. Thanks so much. I’m speechless and I encourage any serious travelling musician to purchase the case you need.

I am elated, a billion thanks.

Doug

I have two of  THESE. (STD-EF, the top one)