SilverLesterStd Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Folks, I pulled a good one tonight. I just returned from GC with my new (forum recommended) strap locks to install. I thought (I guess you could call it a thought) I'd try to set my combination lock on my LP case. I thought (I still guess you could call it a thought) I'd use the method that my salesman at GC told me to use. BF mistake! He said to open the lock, remove the red plastic pin, set the combo & then close it. He said it would be set. Some can guess what happened, maybe. When I tried to close the lock, it was a little difficult. So I retried the method above. Same luck. What did the moron do then, they ask? He pushed it (a little bit) into the closed position. I didn't push very hard, but now neither the original "000" combo, nor the new combo work. I then did what I should have done to begin with - call Gibson CS. They e-mailed instructions. I could not see any notches (maybe I was looking at it wrong) between the wheels. Any also spent about 1.25 hrs. trying every possible combination - to no avail. That was all on the instructions from Gibson. It says to employ a lock smith at that point. I am PO's at myself at listening to GS, and at GS for telling me how to when they did not know. Any ideas for me not to be just another Gibby fanatic with a broken combo lock? Oh BTW, my Angel is inside and it's Saturday night and I CANNOT PLAY HER!!!!!!!!!! DAMN!!!!!! Help please[-o< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Damn!...Thats rough. It seems to me I read a while back about forcing tweezers in between the dials to push them to the side. Then you can slowly turn the dial and youll feel the assigned notch *click* when youve hit the right one. I wish I had paid more attention to the article. I leave the red plastic tie on mine. I dont set the lock. Good luck my friend. That has to be torture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I have to think that the lock must me broken. With only three digits, I think there can only be 1000 possibilities, including 000. You say you've gone through them all, but it still won't open? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverLesterStd Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 I have to think that the lock must me broken. With only three digits' date=' I think there can only be 1000 possibilities, including 000. You say you've gone through them all, but it still won't open? [/quote'] Right Saturn. I'm using part of a pepsi can to feel for grooves beside the wheels now. I have a sneeking suspicion that I broke the feeble thing. I will expect GC to replace it, since their employee told me "how to open it." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 In order to set the new combo for the lock, you have to push the latch toward the wheels. When your new combo is set, release the latch and presto. The way you describe it, you didn't change the combination, so 000 should still work. I'm afraid you forced the lock by just pushing it shut while the combo wasn't actually changed. If it won't open with any combination I guess you're screwed... Try setting the combination to 000 and jiggle the latch back and forward a bit. Those locks aren't exactly hi-tech. I think they are completely useless, fwiw... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geetar_Axl Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 You have a CS guitar in there? F**K it, break it. Your CS Geeeeetar is sufficating!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 My Fender cases all come with keys. One opens all! lol I keep the tiny key on my keychain. Im not a big fan of combination locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarstrummer Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I'd take it back to GC and tell them it's there problem and to figure out the solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmonicchaos Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 when i first got my lp my sister thought it'd be funny if she locked it in (i hadn't done anything with the case yet- let alone set a combination) so i spent a good 45 minutes or so systematically going through all of the combinations. i definitely know what it's like especially since my guitar was new and i hadn't played it yet. at least i finally got my guitar out. i hope you get yours out soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaresz Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=2445 Check out this thread on a acoustic forum, you may find something that helps. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sycephant Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Now what is the point of locks on cases? Seriously? Somebody can still just walk up and take the case and open it later. Now I DO lock all my cases for no apparent reason. I think it's because you just seem cooler when you unlock something and open it. Kind of like the briefcase in Pulp Fiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Good luck. I know you'll get into it one way or another. I doubt GC will do anything about it though. Especially if you've had the CS over 30days. I remember when I bought my LP and after about 3 months the handle just fell right off my case. When I asked GC about it they basically said it wasn't their problem and maybe I should use a bandana as a handle. Gibson did replace my case, but I had to pay to the old one to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Sorry to hear what happened, keep us posted on how you get it open.... Didn't your guitar come with a combination lock instrution card in the case? All mine did... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpacheco Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 This happened to me too. The way I got it to work was by sticking a flashlight right on the comination lock and with an eagle eye (maybe a magnifying glass) find those notches in between the dials. They are "there" but you really have to be patient and methodical to find those notches. I think Sanco is right too. Try setting the combination to 000 and jiggle the latch back and forward a bit. Those locks aren't exactly hi-tech. Here is the Gibson link from Customer Service but it sounds like you may have already tried that method: http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Support/FAQs/# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Imagine the only thing between you and your Les Paul is a 50 cent lock. So near, yet sooooo far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 You could always try a locksmith that may charge an arm and a leg... But if all else fails... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Imagine the only thing between you and your Les Paul is a 50 cent lock.So near' date=' yet sooooo far.[/quote'] now thats so cruel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OKlunchbox Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I just looked at my Gibson USA case and unless the CS cases are different it seems that you could just unscrew the locking latch from the case lid. Definitely not a permanent fix, but it would get her out for the time being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverLesterStd Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 In order to set the new combo for the lock' date=' you have to push the latch [b']toward[/b] the wheels. When your new combo is set, release the latch and presto.The way you describe it, you didn't change the combination, so 000 should still work. I'm afraid you forced the lock by just pushing it shut while the combo wasn't actually changed. If it won't open with any combination I guess you're screwed... Try setting the combination to 000 and jiggle the latch back and forward a bit. Those locks aren't exactly hi-tech. I think they are completely useless, fwiw... Sancho, you called it!!! My wonderful instrument is free! I had tried all the above methods, but not the one that made the most sense! Because I followed an incorrect method, the combination never changed. I had tried "000" many times, but did not really spend enough time without trying another method. Once I took this as my last ditch method, wa-la! Maybe 10 minutes of jiggling and rolling knobs. I heard a servo-motor whine and the titatanium latch just slid back. Definately not high-tech. I'm guessing that when I pushed the latch in after not setting it to my new combo, I put a bind on something. By ratteling the lock around and moving the wheels back and forth around the "000" combo, I relieved the binding force somehow. Who knows, it's hard to think like a lock. I want to thank all of you on the LP forum for your coments. Even you, Blue. I had to LMAO about the $0.50 lock! You can probably guess how close I came to employing one flat-head Craftsman screwdriver in a prying motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Sancho' date=' you called it!!! My wonderful instrument is free! [/quote'] Three Cheers for Sancho! Way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuaLeaD Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Now what is the point of locks on cases? Seriously? Somebody can still just walk up and take the case and open it later. Now I DO lock all my cases for no apparent reason. I think it's because you just seem cooler when you unlock something and open it. Kind of like the briefcase in Pulp Fiction. LOL True, true.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverLesterStd Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 Sorry to hear what happened' date=' keep us posted on how you get it open.... Didn't your guitar come with a combination lock instrution card in the case? All mine did...[/quote'] No daveinspain, I got no papers with my guitar from Guitar Center. I had to cll back to the store to get them to send my owners manual. My salesman said he'd send it that day. I called him a week later, and he said that he forgot, but that he'd send it that day. I was in the store the next day for my son to jam on their basses. He asked me if I wanted to pick up my manual. You guessed right, he had "forgotten" to send it. Needless to say, he will no longer be selling anything to me. Are there other papers that I should have gotten, dave? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverLesterStd Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 Now what is the point of locks on cases? Seriously? Somebody can still just walk up and take the case and open it later. Now I DO lock all my cases for no apparent reason. I think it's because you just seem cooler when you unlock something and open it. Kind of like the briefcase in Pulp Fiction. My main reason for locking my LP is the little "bandit" who lives in my home. He is 7-years old and has a hankerin' for anything musical, especially nice instruments. OBTW, my lock still works. I set the combo the proper Gibson way, and now it is internal bandit proof! If it traps my LP again, I'm getting the screwdriver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 When you buy a new guitar from Gibson you get... Registration card to send in for your garantee, a truss rod ajustment tool, owners manual and a set of Gibson Strings. I am waiting for my new ES 339 to arrive and I was told it comes with a cleaning cloth and a chord as well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverLesterStd Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 Wow dave! I got rooked by one set of strings. The sales guy did hand me the tuss rod adj. tool. Supposedly GC sent in my registration, but after the owners manual fiasco I registered it with Gibson over the phone. I just may ask for my strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.