When I opened the SKB case, I sat for a good 5 minutes just checking how beautiful the instrument was. The craftsmanship is excellent & it's quite a striking instrument. It was hard to believe I had waited that long (over a year) & was awestruck by the beauty.

Anyway, post pulling it out of the case, tuning it up, etc, I had the second epiphany (OK I'm over dramatizing, LOL). I plugged it into my POD & into a little practice Peavey. I didn't have any esoteric effects on the POD; it was set clean without anything but a little reverb.

The sound was exquisite! I could get a rainbow of sound without resorting to delay, chorus, tremolo, etc. The tone knob & the volume pot on the lap were all I needed. I was literally blown away by the quality of this guitar.

Anyway, I called Don over at Sierra to tell him how pleased I was & to verify the sturdiness of the case as I may have to travel via the airlines with it. He said it should be good even in the hands of said condiitions. And I promised him that I would come over here & tell you all what my experience was.

I don't have any other lap experience so it's not really appropriate of me to comment on any other instrument. I just want to say that this experience rates right up there with the day I bought my whale blue PRS Archtop II & took it home.

Thanks, peace, )

Also, I have flown with it. The case protects it very well. I wrap my volume pedal in cardboard (to keep it from scratching the instrument)and put it in the case too. That keeps the guitar from shifting position, as the volume pedal is a snug fit.