LP case review and please recommend something!

fatboywhitney

fatboywhitney

New member
I received a guitar case that I ordered from Sweetwater today. It is the $59.97 Epiphone model for Les Paul. A total piece of junk. The vinyl is not glued to the box very well, coming apart at the seams and is acually cut in one spot, the box itself is coming apart, there is dried glue on the furry interior. Also, the guitar does not fit very well - too tight from top to bottom, squishing the axe if latched. I'm afraid it's putting too much pressure on the neck joint and afraid that the dried glue will scratch. The U-shaped neck cradle is poorly constructed. It has hard lumps and folds under the furry lining, and more dried glue. Staple heads are surfacing through the vinyl. Whew! I have not been this dissapointed in a purchase in a long time. Guess you get what you pay for.
An email and phone call have been placed and I hope Sweetwater takes care of me in this matter. The shipping box is labeled "Gator Cases" and"China" but the tab for the storage compartment is labeled "Made in Canada".

Can anyone recommend a sturdy, well built protective case for my new and beautiful Les Paul without going broke?
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

For aftermarket cases, I've had good luck with SKB. You might be able to score a decent used Gibson case on eBay.
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

thanks. I should have though of ebay. I was just looking at SKB's online. That's probably the smart thing to do.
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

You can get the Gibson TKL cases w/ o the Gibson logo pretty cheap ;)

the SKBs are definitely also worth looking into, though not quite as robust IMO
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

It sounds like you've got a TKL case, if you've got a 'made in Canada' tag.

The TKL LP cases I've had (I've owned several) have all been top notch. The one SKB case I've owned is pretty beat- the 'feet' have punched into the case, both the glued on straps have become seperated from both ends. It still offers incredible protection from the instrument, but it looks beat.

The case you describe seems to outwardly describe a Canadian made TKL case with QC issues. If you do not return the case, put a towel underneath the body of your guitar to raise the body and lessen the angle of the neck as it goes over the "cradle" in the case to reduce the probability of breakage.
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

rondo music has CNB or CBN (cant remember) cases that are real nice. I had the brown one
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

Send that crap back and go SKB. Or, like otherwise stated, check ebay.
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

Sorry to hi-jack a wee bit your thread, but since you are talking about LP case.

I have a SKB case for my Epi LP and I am worried that the guitar is resting on the body and the headstock while the neck is flotting 3mm above the neck support. Furthermore, when I close it with the latches (which I avoid to do whenever I can), I have to press a bit on the top to makeit work.

Is it then pressing on the neck? Doesn't look like a good thing, doesn't it? Could be harmful for my axe?
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

ONLY go SKB! I ran over my Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty with my van, it was in an SKB case. Crushed the SKB case and I almost cried, opened it up and it had crumbled in a fashion that the LP would never ber hurt. Go SKB, and that is why.
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

Jazz Rock said:
I have a SKB case for my Epi LP and I am worried that the guitar is resting on the body and the headstock while the neck is flotting 3mm above the neck support. Furthermore, when I close it with the latches (which I avoid to do whenever I can), I have to press a bit on the top to makeit work.

Is it then pressing on the neck? Doesn't look like a good thing, doesn't it? Could be harmful for my axe?
Click to expand...
That can be a very bad thing. The lid of the case will press down on the face of the headstock, putting stress on the weakest area of the guitar, the area around the nut. From my post from above-
The Golden Boy said:
put a towel underneath the body of your guitar to raise the body and lessen the angle of the neck as it goes over the "cradle" in the case to reduce the probability of breakage.
Click to expand...
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

I've had several different style LP cases. The first generation protector case was the best, followed quite closely by the Canadian TKL "historic" cases (I've got one of the older leather tab ones and a few of the newer plastic tab models). The Honduran cases are bad, the "reissue" brown Lifton cases are horrible- heavy as sin, the neck cradle is too high, the latches aren't secure... I had one of the "Gibson USA" brown with pink blanket cases, I didn't like it much at all, but better than the case that came with my 71 Deluxe-

Notice the black duck tape holding the case together.

3515_p46221.jpg

3515_p46219.jpg
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

I've had pretty bad luck with SKB & the other plastic cases over the years. Yah, they protect the guitar but one solid smack puts the whole case in the dumpster. At one point I had about a dozen of 'em and now I'm down to two SKB's.

One is a 6-space rack case that's total dog****. The lids keep falling off & that whole "clip" system is for the dodo birds. I swear I'm gonna take it out to the park one day & toss it in a bon-fire. The other SKB is a strat case I've owned since high school and that's still kinda going. The valance system took a hit by an end latch in it's early touring days and since that happened it's never really closed right. I smacked & worked it back into place (sorta) so now it closes securely but still...what a waste of $89. I would've tossed it years ago but it's covered with great stickers.

Sure the military uses 'em for rockets...but SKB doesn't tell you that the military only uses them once!

'Ya know...cases seem really expensive until you stop & consider that they're protecting something that costs significantly more then the case its self.
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

The Gibson Protectors are the best LP cases for my money. Solid as a rock.
 
Re: LP case review and please recommend something!

flank said:
rondo music has CNB or CBN (cant remember) cases that are real nice. I had the brown one
Click to expand...

First- Thanks for all of the response. I've been away from my desk. Playing guitar and watching guitar playing.

I have explored extensively and the CNB case that the above quote is referring to is at Rondo and at a vendor in a eBay store $59 bucks and the best deal going. A friend has this case (got it used) and is a very nice, strong case and fits the LP well.

I am sending the defective (and sub-par) case back. Upon further inspection, the case is a TKL form Canada as the plastic tab reveals. If it was not damaged and closer attention to detail was standard, the case would do. However, I found that the Photo of the Epiphone model EPLPCS at Sweetwater, where I purchased it, is not the same photo of the model on any other internet music store I can find. On Monday I will find out what's the deal with the photo when I can talk to my "sales engineer" at Sweetwater.

Check it out! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ENLPCS/

The box it arrived in, labeled "made in China" is only an empty box the packager shipped the case in.

Sweetwater will honor any decision I make, ie: refund, exchange, etc. Customer satisfaction is what they stand by.

I found that the Gator ATA Flight cases are a pretty good deal. For $109. You get ABS exterior and sturdy foam and plush interior.

I'm always looking for a good deal on a budget so the defective case goes back (since it doesn't fit well anyway, I can't even fit my nice leather strap into the cubby!). I'm going for the CNB Brown w/pink plush and silk
separator.

Check it out! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7385284010&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

Awesome input folks. I continue to learn in this forum. Now I need to shut up and play guitar.
 
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