Gibson case twisting, not rigid enough to prevent it. Is this normal for Gibson?

[Charlie FiftyWatts]

I'm posting this in "Guitars", not "Bass guitars", because my question is about

Gibson CASES, so I wanted to ask Gibson guitar owners about their cases.

 

I bought a 2014 anniversary edition Gibson SG Bass Guitar.

It came with the old 'Cali Girl' hardshell case (tan on the outside, pink on the inside ).

My understanding is 2014 was the last year for those

and now they give grey hard molded-plastic cases with their guitars.

 

Here's my issue - when laid flat, the case I find is twisted.

(one side is up in the air, while it rests on the other feet).

If I remove the guitar and try to twist the case, oh it does! Way too easily.

Is that normal for this type of case?

 

More importantly, because the guitar fits snug in this case (the lining

presses against the guitar, from head stock to bridge),

I fear the twisting case will exert twisting pressure on the neck of my guitar.

It cost a lot of money, I'm quite disappointed to find this lack of quality.

 

What do think, DOES YOURS DO THIS? Should I buy a new hard molded case for it? or is this one actually ok somehow?

 

 

 

 

 

[billybilly]

If it came that way I'd contact the vendor and try to get a new one.

[Charlie FiftyWatts]

If it came that way I'd contact the vendor and try to get a new one.

So this doesn't seem normal for this type of case then?

Because it doesn't seem defective, it seems like it's all there.

And I'd like to just say humidity did this to it but...that shouldn't be able to happen (should it?).

(Is it actually plywood, under the veneer and lining?)

 

*The vendor isn't really possible, for getting a replacement case. My options would be to go through the Gibson warranty,

or just eat the $200 cost of a new molded plastic case (which probably couldn't have such a problem).

 

One of these:

 

[mrbrown49]

Cases like that are indeed plywood. You say it's not defective but that sure sounds like a defect to me. I've never had a case go squirrelly like that and I live in the NE USA where humidity changes wildly throughout the year.

 

I'd get a new one through the warranty if you can.

[badpenguin]

Contact Gibson, and complain. It's obviously defective.

[Charlie FiftyWatts]

Cases like that are indeed plywood. You say it's not defective but that sure sounds like a defect to me. I've never had a case go squirrelly like that and I live in the NE USA where humidity changes wildly throughout the year.

 

I'd get a new one through the warranty if you can.

 

Ah, ok. I'll contact Gibson. Thank you.

 

Yea, I'm in Massachusetts myself. Humidity is a big problem here.

There's too much in the summer, and way too little in winter. Bad for guitars.

So I've got Humidipaks in all three guitar cases now, but I worry they might leak

and they cost too much for what little amount of time they last. (it's $50 every 4 months.

I should buy a humidifier for the house and solve it that way.)

 

Shame about this case. It was really exciting to buy a real instrument (an actual Gibson

instead of just an Epiphone (they're ok, but you know what I mean). I was psyched getting

a Gibson guitar! I just wish I heard better things about that company than I've been hearing.

The recent attempt at price gouging, the compromises in quality also for the sake of profit.

*shakes head* It's a Gibson, it's suppose to be about making a finest quality instrument,

a legend to own. Well, this incident isn't making me feel I got a legend. I could have saved

a yard of cash buying another Epiphone if I wanted problems like this. Ah well. It does play

great! It is a nice instrument. Thanks Mr Brown. I liked your music.

[WRGKMC]

I'm posting this in "Guitars", not "Bass guitars", because my question is about

Gibson CASES, so I wanted to ask Gibson guitar owners about their cases.

 

I bought a 2014 anniversary edition Gibson SG Bass Guitar.

It came with the old 'Cali Girl' hardshell case (tan on the outside, pink on the inside ).

My understanding is 2014 was the last year for those

and now they give grey hard molded-plastic cases with their guitars.

 

Here's my issue - when laid flat, the case I find is twisted.

(one side is up in the air, while it rests on the other feet).

If I remove the guitar and try to twist the case, oh it does! Way too easily.

Is that normal for this type of case?

 

More importantly, because the guitar fits snug in this case (the lining

presses against the guitar, from head stock to bridge),

I fear the twisting case will exert twisting pressure on the neck of my guitar.

It cost a lot of money, I'm quite disappointed to find this lack of quality.

 

What do think, DOES YOURS DO THIS? Should I buy a new hard molded case for it? or is this one actually ok somehow?

 

 

 

 

 

I have a Gibson Les Paul case that's nearly identical in build. I haven't had any issues with it warping in any way since 1992. Your case is likely larger, but I don't think it should flex. Mine is highly rigid and the only way it could flex is by breaking the wood seam between the sides and bottom. Maybe the bass case uses thinner wood, but I doubt it.

 

I did have the Handle did come apart on me. They use a plastic tube under the leather that loops around in a Figure 8. Problem is this tubing doesn't join together in an endless loop and eventually an end pulls out of the handle from the weight. I had to glue it back in and use Tie wraps to hold it together. Its really a crappy design. Any idiot would know rubber stretches and eventually pull out like that. They should have used a leather or steel strap inside.

 

As far as your issue goes, the case flexing doesn't seem to normal. I suspect your have a cracked joint where the sides meet the back some place. It is newer then mine. Maybe they changed the materials. Mine is made of wood underneath the Tolex. It likely cracked or twisted some how and broke the glue joints.

 

What I'd do is use localize the area where the joints give. Then either peel back or cut the inner lining with a razor knife, and re-glue the case where the sides and bottom meet. Then re-glue the lining back in place using either some 3M spray adhesive or rubber cement. (don't use wood glue on the lining. It will soak the cloth and when it hardens it will scratch the guitar. Be sure the glue is fully dried before you store the guitar in the case. You don't want the fumes to damage the finish.

[Charlie FiftyWatts]

 

I have a Gibson Les Paul case that's nearly identical in build. I haven't had any issues with it warping in any way since 1992. Your case is likely larger, but I don't think it should flex. Mine is highly rigid and the only way it could flex is by breaking the wood seam between the sides and bottom. Maybe the bass case uses thinner wood, but I doubt it.

 

I did have the Handle did come apart on me. They use a plastic tube under the leather that loops around in a Figure 8. Problem is this tubing doesn't join together in an endless loop and eventually an end pulls out of the handle from the weight. I had to glue it back in and use Tie wraps to hold it together. Its really a crappy design. Any idiot would know rubber stretches and eventually pull out like that. They should have used a leather or steel strap inside.

 

As far as your issue goes, the case flexing doesn't seem to normal. I suspect your have a cracked joint where the sides meet the back some place. It is newer then mine. Maybe they changed the materials. Mine is made of wood underneath the Tolex. It likely cracked or twisted some how and broke the glue joints.

 

What I'd do is use localize the area where the joints give. Then either peel back or cut the inner lining with a razor knife, and re-glue the case where the sides and bottom meet. Then re-glue the lining back in place using either some 3M spray adhesive or rubber cement. (don't use wood glue on the lining. It will soak the cloth and when it hardens it will scratch the guitar. Be sure the glue is fully dried before you store the guitar in the case. You don't want the fumes to damage the finish.

 

Okay, yup I tested it, and it does seem to have a broken joint.

Thank you for the information. I got to think on it a little more before I

resort to pulling the lining up, that'd be a project to me, but it does seem to be the way to fix it.

 

I may just want to let Gibson replace it via the warranty (if they actually will!),

or upgrade to the newer type case. Good to have options.

But if nothing else, if it's going to cost me money for a new case, because this one could actually damage my guitar,

well then I got nothing to lose by pulling it apart and trying to solidify it. Could save me $200.

[DeepEnd]

It's not a Gibson case but my 12-string acoustic is in a hardshell case that I bought used in 1974. The dealer told me it had originally held an Epiphone. It lies flat and doesn't exhibit the issues you describe. AFAIK, it's constructed the same as yours. This is a case that's 40+ years old.