As the designer and builder of Access N Sight guitar display cases, I would like to convey the thought process and mindset behind them. I personally build every case made by our company. It’s great to have the quality control from selecting the wood to adjusting the doors. Each case is unique and I build them as if they are my own.

Back in 2001 our guitars were hanging on the wall and getting dried out. We didn’t want to put them back in their carry cases so the idea of making an airtight display case with easy access was born. I found an art nouveau violin display case made in 1900 by Alexander Charpentier in the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, very beautiful but very over the top. I liked the roundness of the case and it inspired me. I also barrowed from the guitar and made the edges of my case the same radius as guitar necks. I wanted the case to reflect the sleekness and smoothness of guitars with raised panels like arch tops. I wanted to make a case that was undeniably for guitars, with a look of fine furniture rather then cabinetry. I think all great designs incorporate style, function, perfection and simplicity.

The climate here in Montana is challenging for guitars. There are times when the humidity is so low it will not even register. This makes a great testing ground for our cases. We keep one gauge on top of the case and another inside, with 3/8” tempered glass between them. Even with extremely dry conditions we maintain a comfortable 48% humidity level. I love to check the gauges and see the how well the case works. It is because of this daily use that we offer our cases with such confidence. Our guitars have been our case for years now and are doing great.

Last year we sent our personal case to Vintage Guitar magazine in Bismarck North Dakota for the December 08 gear review . The whole process took about a month. It was when we got out all the carry cases that we realized how cool it is to live with one of these cases. It was hard to go back to humidifying each individual carry case. We didn’t play as many guitars and we weren’t as inspired. Now that it’s back. WOW! What a difference. You really don’t’ know what you’re missing until you don‘t have one. Our guitars are stored in an isolated climate so adjusting the humidity is simple and gentle on guitars. Here’s why.

Guitars are made with environmental conditions of around 49% humidity and 72 degrees. That is where they would like to stay. Unfortunately, they must leave the comfort of the factory, get sent all over the world and live at the mercy of their owners. Only a select few receive the cush life in one of my cases. As I say,” if it doesn’t seal its not real.”

The safest way to preserve guitars inside of a case is with constant passive humidity. A 12’X12”X8” room holds 1152 cubic feet. While our largest case holds about 32 cubic feet. This really makes it much easier to maitain several guitars at once. However, I can understand using piano humidifiers for pianos in large auditoriums where it is impossible to control humidity. To build active humidifiers into a case, I think is extreme and dangerous for guitars. Using an active humidifier, i.e. spray, steam, fans etc. in a guitar case or piano is like turning the case into a room humidifier or treating it like a cigar humidor. It would be much better for a piano or guitars to be stored in a humidified room. Guitars are like pets, they need water available to them and they will take what they need. You don’t have force feed them.

I know my cases work well because they have the time behind them. After building over 400 cases there is a perfection I have reached and when I’m done building there will be no more. These cases are found in fine homes of serious guitar players all around the world. They are protecting guitars in every climate. I have only received encouragement and would like to thank all my customers over the years for their kind words of appreciation. God bless and play on. Mark Elliott