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Hoffee Cases


L5Larry

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Wanting to get a fiberglass or carbon fiber case for my L-5. The TKL is getting pretty beat up, and I need to put away to maintain any value as an OHSC. Also just sold a guitar so I have "reinvestment" cash available, I've been on the "sell something to buy something" plan for a few years now.

 

Anyway, always wanted a Calton, and it seems they've done a turn around since the guy in Austin took over. But....... a master archtop builder I know recommended, without hesitation, a Hoffee carbon fiber case. I have contacted both companies, and have dialog going with both.

 

Through a "Hoffee" search here, I found some good info in a few threads from a couple of years ago, and Hoffee seems to win out over Calton. Both are custom made to order, and the Hoffee case is about 14% more expensive than the Calton. Of course, neither one is cheap.

 

Anybody have any new info or comments on the Hoffee vs Calton debate?

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By the time I read this thread, 55 people had viewed it and only the originator had replied in a sarcastic fashion.

 

It is a pretty specialized topic that will be of interest to very few, and fewer still will have any information of interest or value to contribute.

 

Never heard of Hoffee or the other guy, and I too have nothing to add about carbon fibre or fiberglass custom made guitar cases.

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Interesting. The Hoffee ones are like the cases most cello players use these days. I didn't even know they made cases like this for guitars, having never researched this area fully either.

 

IMO the Hoffee ones look cooler :unsure:

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Guest Farnsbarns

My dyslexia made me think this was a thread about coffee houses.

 

I'll have to investigate the cases. Sounds cool.

 

Ha, me too!

 

$1200 for a case is ludicrous isn't it? I'd have to get at least 2 or 3 lifetimes use to even think about it. Never heard of them so I can't help either.

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$1200 for a case is ludicrous isn't it? I'd have to get at least 2 or 3 lifetimes use to even think about it. Never heard of them so I can't help either.

 

The problem seems to be that a case of this type for a 17" L-5 is a custom build. The companies that sell off-the-shelf fiberglass type cases (of more reasonable cost) only go up to 16" jumbo flattop size. I've contacted a couple of them, and the response has been "no, nothing for a 17" L-5".

 

I guess I'm really trying rationalize the cost, but I AM putting a Gibson L-5 in it. My L-7 is the same size, so the case would serve double duty for either guitar, as they never go out together, I play either one of the other on a gig. I also have a big rectangular Anvil style road case for these guitars (made by Calzone) which I would still use for truck and bus band trips.

 

I'm not sure whether I'm talking myself into it, or out of it.

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I had a custom case made for a Warmoth I built 4 years ago. The company was Cedar Creek. They have you send in measurements and a trace drawing of your guitar. $3-500 range and rock solid, well built, cushy, the whole 9 yards. Consider it, you'll save some substantial bucks and be satisfied. You can google cedar creek custom case shoppe.

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The problem seems to be that a case of this type for a 17" L-5 is a custom build. The companies that sell off-the-shelf fiberglass type cases (of more reasonable cost) only go up to 16" jumbo flattop size. I've contacted a couple of them, and the response has been "no, nothing for a 17" L-5".

 

I guess I'm really trying rationalize the cost, but I AM putting a Gibson L-5 in it. My L-7 is the same size, so the case would serve double duty for either guitar, as they never go out together, I play either one of the other on a gig. I also have a big rectangular Anvil style road case for these guitars (made by Calzone) which I would still use for truck and bus band trips.

 

I'm not sure whether I'm talking myself into it, or out of it.

Sounds like you've already talked into it! You should go for it. Protect those guitars

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The problem seems to be that a case of this type for a 17" L-5 is a custom build. The companies that sell off-the-shelf fiberglass type cases (of more reasonable cost) only go up to 16" jumbo flattop size. I've contacted a couple of them, and the response has been "no, nothing for a 17" L-5".

 

I guess I'm really trying rationalize the cost, but I AM putting a Gibson L-5 in it. My L-7 is the same size, so the case would serve double duty for either guitar, as they never go out together, I play either one of the other on a gig. I also have a big rectangular Anvil style road case for these guitars (made by Calzone) which I would still use for truck and bus band trips.

 

I'm not sure whether I'm talking myself into it, or out of it.

I just measured my Epiphone EJ212 jumbo 12-string and the lower bout is a hair under 17". It is more rounded than a dreadnought though, of course, and the OHSC it came with is a very tight fit.

Your 2 Ls may be too different in the lower bout. I don't know how close that is to the Gibson jumbo's dimensions but it seems like someone would have a case for it.

 

Pics here so you can judge for yourself: My link

 

Σß

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I had a custom case made for a Warmoth I built 4 years ago. The company was Cedar Creek.

 

I AM a Cedar Creek/TKL dealer, and I can buy all the Gibson OEM (or "custom") cases for this guitar I want for $150 a piece. This is not the type of case I'm talking about.

 

It's not the case getting beat up that is the issue here, it's the guitar inside. I put this guitar in the trunk of may guitar 100+ nights a year, and drive it all over the mid-western United States. The funny thing is, the guitar is worth more (AND insured for more) than the car... and I drive a Lincoln Continental.

 

As Hoya says above, I guess I've talked myself into it!

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Here's a link to a UK company I ran across last week. Says it will fit large Jazz gits up to 17" and built extremely well.

 

My link UK dealer

 

Here's a link to the manufacturer My link

 

Price seems not too bad but I don't know about shipping. You can Probably find a US dealer. I first saw them on eBay looking for a case for my '76 rounback.

 

Σß

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I own 2 Calton cases, made by Keith Calton in 1979 and 1985 specially for my 2 nice archtops. Each time I took the guitar to him and watched him measure up.

At the time I could not buy cases anywhere to fit the guitars so I had to have them custom-made anyway and Mr Calton lives nearby.

 

Pros - they are heavy-duty, impregnable in 'ordinary' use (I don't fly) and after 35 years use and hundreds of gigs, barely scratched; all catches etc still operate like new and there is no rust or any problem whatsoever with them.

My guitars are still in pristine condition. I would probably have been ok with something lighter as I take care of my gear but I've never had any cause to regret getting these cases.

They will easily outlive me and should last 500 years or so without too much trouble. I am not exaggerating at all.

 

Cons - er...um...they are heavy-duty. They weigh more than the instrument. They can scratch up the upholstery in your car if they move around in transit but any case can do that.

Mine do not have a completely airtight/waterproof sealing system like one other manufacturer - damp would get in eventually if you left it out in the rain for a day or more - but I'm not intending to immerse them.

If I dropped one vertically from 10ft up the guitar might still sustain some damage within the case due to shock of impact as they are shaped to fit, not oblong like a flight case; I'm not going to test this theory though, and they will never suddenly fly open either if knocked about.

They do seem to take up more room than a regular case if you get to the gig and space is at a premium.

 

The Hiscox cases are good and very popular but all the ones I've seen are extremely lightweight by comparison. (EDIT) I don't mean to 'damn with faint praise' - they're worth checking out.

 

The Hoffee cases probably have a similar construction method and look very good too, being carbon fibre they just might last a bit longer if you are in the habit of jumping up and down on them or hitting them with a hammer or axe, and carbon fibre has a certain cachet which fiberglass does not......

 

Worth the money IMO. I can take pics if you want but that might take a few days.

 

Regards!

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Lightweight is not a drawback. These guys have testimonials in a variety from battered shipping to surviving fires to hurricane Sandy.

 

hot_test_large01.jpgcold_test_large.jpg

 

The inner foam is semi-rigid cellular and protects against shocks.

The crush strength for the standard case is 500 kilograms = 5½ grown men. The best quality LiteFlite case is £249 and there are US dealers.

 

Σß

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Lightweight is not a drawback.

 

I agree - did not mean to put a negative slant on it - so have put in an edit to my comments above.

Had Hiscox cases been around in '79 I might well have gone for one over the Calton because of the lighter weight.

And I must point out that the current USA-made Caltons (manufactured in Austin Texas since last month) may be lighter than mine, which are the reinforced versions.

 

Regards!

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