The Ultimate Gear to Protect Your Guitar from Rain

This year, guerrilla downpours have occurred across various regions since spring, and the full-fledged rainy season is yet to come. Moreover, it is said that the La Niña phenomenon, which causes harsh summers, will occur. There are also forecasts suggesting that the impact of typhoons, especially after summer, will be different from usual.

For guitarists, rain or not, they still need to go out for live performances, studio practice, or recording. If traveling by car, the risk is reduced as long as the roads aren’t flooded, but if using public transportation like trains or buses, walking with a guitar on your back in the middle of summer is unavoidable.

Nowadays, metal guitars are available on the market, but typical guitars are wooden instruments, making them vulnerable to moisture, humidity, and direct sunlight.

Heavy rain and sudden thunderstorms are likely to continue in the future.

When walking around town, I often see people carrying gig bags on their backs, even in the rain, and I can’t help but worry if their instruments are alright.

Those who are taking precautions usually cover their gig bags with a black nylon rain cover. These typically cost around 1,000 to 2,000 yen and are secured to the guitar case with elastic bands. After use, you dry it out, fold it up, and store it in your guitar case or elsewhere.

Music stores usually have several types of rain covers in stock, both for electric guitars and acoustic guitars.

Some guitar cases, particularly those with waterproof designs and zippers, might surprisingly hold up well against rain. I used to use a gig bag of this type from a certain company.

However, the zipper pull on that product was small and difficult to open and close, which made it seem fragile. I found it frustrating that it was hard to open quickly in a pinch, so I asked the manufacturer,

"Do you have any larger zipper pulls?"
Their response was a polite, "This is the only option for the waterproof type."

That case also began to show signs of stitching coming apart, and after two years, I had to dispose of it. Since it was a waterproof type, it wasn’t exactly cheap.

Owning a guitar rain cover has the benefit of protecting your instrument from the rain, but there's another, often overlooked, advantage.

In the scorching summer sun, it can prevent direct sunlight from hitting the guitar case.

Most guitar cases are black, and when exposed to direct sunlight, they can fade due to UV rays or, depending on the material, suffer damage.

Even if you have a high-end, favorite case, the harsh sunlight these days can be quite intense.

Surprisingly, a rain cover can protect against this kind of trouble as well. I believe most people don’t really pay attention to this aspect.

In short, I think the roles of a rain cover are:

• Protecting the guitar from moisture, such as rain
• Shielding the guitar case from strong direct sunlight

Some might have different opinions on the latter, but this is based on my personal experience.

Now then.

At Soundhouse, there’s a product that perfectly addresses both of these concerns.

It’s called the One Control Waterproof Electric Guitar Coat.

When you put the rain cover on the guitar, it looks something like this: there's a slight bulge, but the One Control logo stands out, gleaming.

This product offers at least three key benefits:

① Durable fabric and strong elastic bands for holding the guitar case.

With typical rain covers, it’s common to discard them after a season due to tearing, or for water to seep through during heavy rain, rendering the cover ineffective. In contrast, the One Control rain cover has been in use for two years and is still going strong, without any water leakage. While I haven’t used it in typhoon-level rain, it seems remarkably durable for this type of product.

② Easy to fold.

Many rain covers can be a hassle to store compactly, but the One Control folds easily by rolling it up like a croissant and fits neatly into its dedicated case. It’s relatively stress-free to manage.

③ Access to small items in the guitar case, plus an extra pouch.

Normally, when you cover the guitar case, you lose access to the pockets. Some covers have zippers around the handle area, but it’s still hard to retrieve items quickly. This product, however, has a wide zipper along the side, allowing access to the small-item pocket of the guitar case, making it easy to retrieve things.

Additionally, when you're not carrying the guitar on your back, you can unzip around the handle and carry the guitar by hand.

There’s a large zipper on the side, allowing easy access to the lower pocket of most guitar cases.

The One Control rain cover comes with a dedicated case that can be attached directly to the cover itself, and it features four hooks for secure fastening. This ensures that the cover won’t blow away in the wind. The sturdy zipper allows the case to hold small items up to about 20 cm square, making it perfect for storing non-valuable items. It’s a convenient option for users to store essentials during travel on public transportation, ensuring easy access when needed.

The small pouch is quite handy for various items. To give a sense of its size, it's comparable to a guitar string packet, offering enough room to store frequently used items. It's practical, and during the summer, it’s even big enough to hold sunglasses, making it very user-friendly.

The price is a bit high, but it's a product well worth the cost. The design exudes a sense of luxury, and once you hold it, you'll be convinced of its quality.

One caveat is that it’s designed for guitars like Strats, Teles, and Les Pauls. Larger guitars like the Gibson ES-335 or uniquely shaped guitars like the Explorer won’t fit.

I’ve used it dozens of times over two years, and while the zipper area has started to fray slightly, it's still very much usable. The silver One Control logo is a nice accent, and I’m really glad I bought it.

Though it’s not a custom fit for every guitar, it’s slightly oversized, which actually provides peace of mind when rain suddenly hits and you need to cover your guitar quickly.

If you pair this with the humidity control product "Dry Forte" from Technos Nakata, which I previously introduced in my column, you’ll be well-prepared for the rainy and typhoon season.

Technos Nakata / Dry Forte - Humidity Control Agent for String Instruments

Guitars are vulnerable to moisture, and keeping the neck stable during this season can be challenging. Rather than stressing over carrying your guitar around, I recommend investing a bit in care products for a more comfortable summer.

I’m still using the first rain cover I purchased, but because it’s such a great product, I bought another one last year.

I’ve never seen anyone else with this rain cover on in town, and I’ve never seen it sold at regular music stores.

It also has a certain level of fashion appeal.

Here are some waterproof guitar cases to consider!

Protect your instrument with water-repellent features and a four-layer Powerpad internal cushion.
⇒ Ibanez / Powerpad Ultra Gigbag IGB924R-BK

A sturdy electric guitar case with strong stitching, zippers, and waterproof material.
⇒ PROTECTION RACKET / LPTREG (5278-06) Electric Guitar Case

An acoustic guitar gig bag featuring waterproof fabric and zippers on the exterior.
⇒ ARIA / ABC-300AG Turquoise

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