A Case for Retrograde · Compact – Blues for the Grays

In astrology, the double retrograde (October 26 to November 24, 2026) has us revisiting communication, plans, misunderstandings and unfinished conversations (that's Mercury), while Venus pushes us to rethink relationships, money, values and what we actually want.

In my case (pun intended), I needed a new case for my Galaxy Red Ken Stratocaster. I put a BOSS GK-5 Divided Pickup on it and now it won't go back into its original molded plastic case. Honestly, I don't recommend those cases anyway. They trap gases and humidity inside and end up ruining your hardware and any unfinished wood.

It was just my luck that right at the start of this new retrograde cycle, a friend and mentor who always has some expensive gear for me to buy showed up with a '70s Gibson SG case.

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The logo gives it away. That gold “The Gibson Guitar Company USA” script is how Gibson marked its cases in the ’80s. Most ’70s Gibson cases just had “Gibson” printed in white. So even though it came to me as a ’70s case, it’s most likely early-to-mid ’80s, from the last few years before Norlin sold Gibson in January 1986.

I sometimes play an SG, but I went and bought it exactly what I just told you not to get, an SKB molded waterproof flight case. In fairness, it's a flight case made to survive suitcases being dropped on it, and more importantly it has cavities for Boveda humidity packs. What I've noticed is that the cheaper molded cases, the ones with that sweet smell, tend to use some kind of foam that falls apart over time. I've taken a lot of guitars back and forth to Japan in Gator's waterproof Titan cases and they've been nothing but good. They don't react with nitro finishes and they don't smell. For now. If I run into any problems you'll be the first to know, so sign up for my mailing list to save your sh*t!

The brown rectangular Gibson hardshell case, closed

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It’s sporting brown leatherette over a wooden shell, with chrome corners and a leather handle. Gibson shipped these rectangle cases with its early-’80s solidbodies like the Sonex, the Les Pauls and the SG. Since it’s a plain rectangle and not shaped like a guitar, a Strat with a GK-5 slides right in.

The Strat fit perfectly. The case is a rectangle, so there's enough room for that monstrosity BOSS insists we tape to our guitars, room for the guitar to breathe, and space for a few Boveda packs.

The open case with its deep red plush lining and accessory pocket

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Peep that deep red plush. Gibson used it from the late ’70s through the ’80s, with a little lidded pocket for picks and strings and a padded neck rest. There’s still room for the GK-5 and a couple of Boveda packs.

If this is how the retrograde is going to go, I'm all for it. It solved a big problem I just hadn't found the time to deal with. We all need a break, and hopefully this is the start of a new era, with the universe finally lifting its foot off humanity's proverbial [guitar] neck.