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Case for CF-100E


ducrot59

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Aside from the cutaway, the body plan of the CF100/100E is the same as the "modern" Gibson small body (since about 1942) or LG series. It also happens to be very close to the same size and shape of the modern classical guitar, so you have a lot of cases to choose from.

 

You can also, of course have someone like Cedar Creek make a case for you.

 

What case do you have now that you want to replace?

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Aside from the cutaway, the body plan of the CF100/100E is the same as the "modern" Gibson small body (since about 1942) or LG series. It also happens to be very close to the same size and shape of the modern classical guitar, so you have a lot of cases to choose from.

 

You can also, of course have someone like Cedar Creek make a case for you.

 

What case do you have now that you want to replace?

 

It is a black chipboard case, apparently about the same age as the guitar, made by LaDuca Bros, Milwaukee. The CF-100 has about an inch of clearance all around.

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I keep my CF-100E in an old Martin case. Not a perfect fit but close enough.

 

The original 1950s Gibson brown Lifton 00 cases are not easy to find. Over the years, I have only seen a few come up for sale. Apparently not near as many of these floating around as the slope shoulder and J-200 versions.

 

What case you pick depends on how much traveling the guitar does. If it stays at home or only goes out to a friend's house now and then a Guardian, Silver Creek or TKL will do just fine. Guardian makes a Geib style case with seven ply construction. If you need more protection you can go with a Hiscox or an Ameritage (I keep my 1942 J-50 in one of these) all the way up to a Calton.

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Listen to what ZW says. A "stock" case from TKL or others will set you back about $150-$200 for decent quality, but that's not a case you can use to check the guitar as luggage on an airplane.

 

Go on tkl.com as a starting point. Also check out cedarcreekcases.com if you want to move it up a notch.

 

You should probably be looking at what are generally called OO or classical-size cases. Both websites give inside and outside dimensions of their cases.

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Listen to what ZW says. A "stock" case from TKL or others will set you back about $150-$200 for decent quality, but that's not a case you can use to check the guitar as luggage on an airplane.

 

Go on tkl.com as a starting point. Also check out cedarcreekcases.com if you want to move it up a notch.

 

You should probably be looking at what are generally called OO or classical-size cases. Both websites give inside and outside dimensions of their cases.

My Thanks to ZW and j45nick.

I had posed the question to Gibson and just heard back. They offer a better-fitting case for $175, and I may get a 20% discount on that. I have asked for additional info about the case, and about the discount. The Gibson cases seem well-made.

I also looked online at Silver Creek, Gator, and Chromacast.

I will travel very little, if at all, with it. The roughest trip it will probably have is coming back to me from Nashville. My incentive is based on the (breathtaking) cost of the repair - pretty much a complete rebuild. So I wanted a little insurance on my investment.

Thanks again.

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My Thanks to ZW and j45nick.

I had posed the question to Gibson and just heard back. They offer a better-fitting case for $175, and I may get a 20% discount on that. I have asked for additional info about the case, and about the discount. The Gibson cases seem well-made.

I also looked online at Silver Creek, Gator, and Chromacast.

I will travel very little, if at all, with it. The roughest trip it will probably have is coming back to me from Nashville. My incentive is based on the (breathtaking) cost of the repair - pretty much a complete rebuild. So I wanted a little insurance on my investment.

Thanks again.

 

Please give us more details about the guitar and the repairs, including pictures, when you can. Most Gibson cases are made by TKL. The standard Gibson hardshell case is basic, but reasonably well-made adequate for normal use. I have several of them for various guitars.

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Please give us more details about the guitar and the repairs, including pictures, when you can. Most Gibson cases are made by TKL. The standard Gibson hardshell case is basic, but reasonably well-made adequate for normal use. I have several of them for various guitars.

 

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Repair report from Gibson:

CF-100E Serial No:8565 19

BASED ON THE FACTORY ORDER #, THIS APPEARS TO BE FROM 1951

 

PROBLEMS

- BACK SEAMS ARE OPEN

- BACK REINFORCEMENT STRIPS ARE ALL LOOSE, EXCEPT FOR ONE

- ALL BACK BRACES ARE LOOSE

- ONE SIDE CRACK @ JACK

- TOP SEAM IS OPEN

- ONE TOP CRACK @ PICKGUARD

- 5 LOOSE TOP BRACES

- BRIDGE IS LIFTING

- SADDLE IS NOT THE RIGHT STYLE FOR THIS BRIDGE

- ONE OF THE BRIDGE PINS IS AN ODDBALL

- POTS ARE LOOSE AND DON'T WORK PROPERLY

- KNOBS HAVE SOME CHECKING

- CHIPS OUT OF HEADSTOCK VENEER

- FRETS ARE LOW AND WORN

- NECK PITCH IS OFF (NEEDS A NECK RESET)

- DIVOTS IN FINGERBOARD

-TUNERS ARE NOT ORIGINAL

 

REPAIRS

- STABILIZE TOP CRACKS (2), BACK CRACK, SIDE CRACK @ JACK,

- REGLUE ALL LOOSE BACK BRACES (4) AND 5 LOOSE TOP BRACES

- REINSTALL ALL LOOSE BACK REINFORCEMENT STRIPS

- NECK RESET W/ PLANE AND REFRET,

- NEW BONE NUT AND BONE SADDLE

- INSTALL (6) BPB-6 BRIDGE PINS BLACK NO DOT

-CLEAN AND TIGHTEN ELECTRONICS,

- INSTALL NEW TUNERS (KLUSON 3 ON A PLATE WHITE BUTTON SINGLE ROW NICKEL) ,

- FILL AND SMALL TOUCH UP OF EXTRA TUNER SCREW HOLES,

- RESTRING (LIGHT)

- PRO SETUP

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Having Gibson do repairs or restorations can be tricky, since the customer may not have a lot of input into what is done. It is important that as much of the original fabric as possible remains intact and unmolested, even if it looks old and worn. You don't necessarily want your 65-year-old guitar coming back looking like a new one, as happened to my 1948 J-45 back in 1968, when it went to Kalamazoo for a top re-glue and fretboard plane and came back looking like a brand-new 1968 J-45, complete with a new cherryburst top and an adjustable bridge.

 

Since then, I've relied on small independent repair shops and luthiers who understand that newer is not always better.

 

You have a gorgeous guitar, and I hope it comes back (or came back) looking exactly the same as when it went in, but with the necessary repairs done.

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I purchased the CF-100E in 2002 for $300 from my father-in-law's estate (will specified everything had to be turned into cash). I know he had it in 1964, but not if he purchased it new. I used to play a little with him and always liked the instrument. But I started mostly playing an Ovation and found it hard to go back and forth because of the neck width differences. I hadn't played in 10-15 years when I decided to restart with his, and discovered the damage.

 

My directions to Gibson were:

 

I would like to have the instrument restored to structurally sound playing condition, without reducing its collectable value. I assume this would include:

- repair the front and back cracks

- remove & replace all the backers on the inside back (loose strips are in the case pocket)

- such other issues as you detect.

Also consider:

- clean surfaces and potentiometers

- adjust pickup

- restring

- provide a manual

I know little about collectable value, but my hasty research indicates I should NOT refinish the instrument. I'm not sure of the effect of repairing things like the chips off the head, or the extra drill holes in the head, and will rely on your judgement.

The original tuning machine has been replaced. If it would not reduce its collectable value. I would like to install a Gibson product identical, or as as close as possible, to the original.

 

From the repair report, it looks like they are trying to follow my direction. I note they plan to fill in the extra tuner mount holes, but don't mention the chips in the head lacquer. I'm not sure about the new pegs or the neck plane. Trying to walk the line between collectability and playability.

 

I'll try to send more pix when it gets back, but have apparently exhausted my quota.

 

Thanks again for your informed opinions.

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I agree with J45nick in that I am pretty sure TKL supplies Gibson with cases.

 

I generally haunt the smaller music shops as the owners are often willing to separate a nice used case from a cheap guitar that came in it. My relationship with the CF-100E is somewhat uneasy.

 

My relationship with the CF-100E is a bit uneasy. While I do think it is the sexiest Gibson acoustic ever built and love the sound and I am generally a fan of the 1950s Gibson roundback D neck carves the necks on the CF-100s are a bit too skimpy for my taste.

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I understand that the damage to my CF-100E was probably due to low humidity. Should I store it in the case with a humidifier?

 

That depends on the ambient atmospheric conditions where you live. You should at least by a hygrometer to enable you to monitor humidity in the location the guitar is kept. If the humidity drops much below 40%, you need to be proactive. Loose braces could be caused by very high humidity as well. Finish crazing can be caused by temperature extremes, particularly if the guitar moves abruptly from extreme cold (like winter shipping over long distances) to a warm environment without adequate time for acclimation.

 

In the ideal world, the guitar would probably stay in an environment with humidity between 40% to 55%, but few people live in an ideal world.

 

I have never humidified a guitar, but I also leave my guitars stored in cases except when I'm playing them. Humidity in my office/music room is 67% right now, and the worst that happens is tone goes muddy and tuning goes sharp from wood expansion. Humidity never drops below about 40% where I live now (South Florida, but formerly in New England for 40 years).

 

If you live someplace that requires a heated environment in winter, there's a reasonable chance you want to humidify your guitars during that time. Others here can address the best way to do that.

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In this area, humidity varies widely on a seasonal basis. The changes can be abrupt, which I've found to be the absolute worst for guitars. Case humidifiers alone are better than nothing, but striving to keep indoor humidity at @45% in winter is lots safer and more effective - also a real pain, depending on your circumstances. AC in the summer keeps things about where they should be, however. My guitars stay cased unless they're being played.

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What’s ideal humidity level for a human being ?

 

 

We're pretty flexible, unless you are made of thin pieces of wood glued together and have a lacquer finish.

 

Of course, we tend to dry out and get brittle over time, and we don't necessarily improve with age....

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That depends on the ambient atmospheric conditions where you live. You should at least by a hygrometer to enable you to monitor humidity in the location the guitar is kept. If the humidity drops much below 40%, you need to be proactive. Loose braces could be caused by very high humidity as well. Finish crazing can be caused by temperature extremes, particularly if the guitar moves abruptly from extreme cold (like winter shipping over long distances) to a warm environment without adequate time for acclimation.

 

In the ideal world, the guitar would probably stay in an environment with humidity between 40% to 55%, but few people live in an ideal world.

 

I have never humidified a guitar, but I also leave my guitars stored in cases except when I'm playing them. Humidity in my office/music room is 67% right now, and the worst that happens is tone goes muddy and tuning goes sharp from wood expansion. Humidity never drops below about 40% where I live now (South Florida, but formerly in New England for 40 years).

 

If you live someplace that requires a heated environment in winter, there's a reasonable chance you want to humidify your guitars during that time. Others here can address the best way to do that.

After reading your advice, I think I won't try a case humidifier. The idea of sticking a water-filled container inside the guitar bothers me - leaks, etc. The guitar was stored in my father-in-laws basement for several years, and I know he had to run a dehumidifier constantly down there. So it probably saw some high humidity for awhile, then a big change when I brought it home to the Pittsburgh area. I have A/C and a humidifier on the furnace (right now it shows 36% and it's hard to get much above that in cold weather; it just condenses out on the windows). So I think I'll just keep in the new Gibson case in the house. It took 60 years to break - and I'm likely gone well before that. Thanks again for all the info.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Speaking of humidity, I queried Gibson about the status of my CF-100 repair, since it been there about a month. I got the following reply:

"It is going to be a while due to the extensive work needed. It is currently being humidified properly. The tech just quoted me around 3 months."

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