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What's the deal with short Les Paul cases?

Dr. Killmore

By Dr. Killmore
in Epiphone Electrics

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Dr. Killmore

Dr. Killmore

Posted
Posted

I am in the market to buy a case for my Epi Les Paul Standard. I have noticed in some of the reviews on the Musicians Friend web site claim that alot of the cases are too short to fit Epiphone Les Pauls. Some claim that the cases need an extra inch at the headstock area. Others say that the same case fits thier Epiphone just fine. What's the Deal? I would think that the Gibsons are longer than Epiphones. With the longer headstocks and all.

 

Can anyone recomend a good hardshell case (other than the Epiphone one)? I'm looking to spend about $80 to $140. Thanks.

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charlie brown

charlie brown

Posted
Posted

Well, I've never really had any experience, with "after market cases" not fitting Gibson or Epiphone, IF they were designed

FOR those guitars, or similar other brands. What I have had experiene with, is commissioned salespeople,

trying to sell me a much more expensive case (more profit for them), when the less expensive one, would be "Just Fine!"

TKL makes great cases, in several price ranges (with locks, and without, different outer covering materials, etc.).

But, the only way to be sure, is to put the guitar in the case in question. If you are ordering "on line" and can't do that,

then....you take your chances. But, I (personally) have never had a problem, as long as it was the correct case, for the

model of guitar.

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RotcanX

RotcanX

Posted
Posted

When I re-shaped the headstock on my LP Studio I found I had to remove about a half inch in length to get a proper Gibson style (based on a '65 contour).

 

studiohead2.jpg

 

Still; somebody must be building some awfully tight Les Paul cases. BTW if you want a really nice LP case I suggest you check out the Gator contour case; it's just like the old brown Gibson cases with the pink interior and the inner cover:

 

http://www.gatorcases.com/productsmodeldetail.aspx?LID=2&PID=114&MID=91

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garyelcrrt1281733995

garyelcrrt1281733995

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I've been using the Gator GL cases whenever I need one. Extremely lightweight, and I can't imagine an accident short of crushing the case that would damage a guitar inside it, and if that were the circumstance, a hard case wouldn't fare any better. The SG case fits my Gibson SG Junior perfectly. In-the-case weight is probably less than 10 lbs. I recently purchased one of the universal cases, only to discover that the guitar I bought it for (Gretsch G5235 Corvette) is too wide in the lower bout. Fortunately, my Turser strat copy fits perfectly, so it goes in the Gator and the Gretsch goes in the alligator Fender case, where IT fits perfectly! Not to mention, the price is pretty good...

 

http://www.gatorcases.com/productsdetail.aspx?LID=2&PID=15

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Dr. Killmore

Dr. Killmore

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I know you don't want an Epi case. Not sure why. Personally I like mine. However' date=' if you are looking at others I think I recall that Skb-56 fits a paul. Which cases are getting "short" reviews? The Skb is $120 and the reviews sound good.[/quote']

 

 

I'm not dead set against Epiphone cases. I am just weighing out my options right now. I might wind up getting one.

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garyelcrrt1281733995

garyelcrrt1281733995

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On an aside, I've owned an SKB plastic case for my Riviera for about 5 years. Still haven't been able to get rid of the completely, totally, overpoweringly nauseating smell of the interior. I've left it open in sunshine all day, cleaned it with Massengil ****** and left vanilla and coconut air freshners in it for 6 months straight. The Riviera starts to smell same as the case if left inside it for more than a week. Personally, I'll never buy another.

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carverman

carverman

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When I re-shaped the headstock on my LP Studio I found I had to remove about a half inch in length to get a proper Gibson style (based on a '65 contour).

 

Still; somebody must be building some awfully tight Les Paul cases. BTW if you want a really nice LP case I suggest you check out the Gator contour case; it's just like the old brown Gibson cases with the pink interior and the inner cover:

 

I ran into a similar problem on the project LP. With it's more traditional headstock, it

measures 40.5 inches tall (including straplok) at the end. The standard Epi case is

39.5 inches inside. My Epi LP Custom measures 39.5 inches exactly from headstock

to strap pin and fits in the standard Epi case. But I had to get a tweed ROCKCASE

for the project LP and it JUST fits into with only about a 1/4inch to spare longitudinally.

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Whitmore Willy

Whitmore Willy

Posted
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For us all,

 

I just read Garyelcrrt and RotcanX replies. Great stuff. I'm still cleaning my beverage off my monitor. Also, a good point.

As long as some of you are aware of the " smelly case" thing....What causes it?

 

Seriously, I have also read many reviews from most case makers and often hear this mentioned. Maybe I have just been lucky. I have 6 different cases form 6 different companies and have never run into this. Do they occasionally get a bad run of glue and sell the cases anyway? Is one company worse for this than another?

 

 

By the way, I agree about Gator...great cases

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garyelcrrt1281733995

garyelcrrt1281733995

Posted
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Have you tried Febreze? Or maybe a box of baking soda?

 

Just went and smeared to dryer sheets all over the interior of the case, and locked them inside with the vanilla and coconut air freshners (hey, I LIKE vanilla and coconut...). Will check after a week and see. Never tried the baking soda trick. I can use the box that's in the refrigerator now. Does baking soda expire?

 

On the Massengil thing, that's a very well-known and effective way of dealing with a skunk-spray. Takes two shampoos to get rid of skunk odor. Won't touch whatever it is inside this case.

 

I'll post results next week.

 

 

BTW, "new car" smell is really outgassing from the plastics in the interior. New car in hot, hot sunshine results in enough gas (and smell) release to coat the inside of the windshield with a sticky residue. So, I don't think its the glue; I believe it is whatever formula they use for the plastic case and artificial fiber case lining.

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flyingfrets

flyingfrets

Posted
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Good luck with that Gary,

 

I've got my G400 Custom in an SKB fitted case and after 2 freakin' years, the smell is still enough to gag a maggot.

 

Kind of a cross between rotted sneakers that were left in a cat litter box and spoiled milk.

 

Can't get rid of it, and the case ruins my strings if I leave the guitar in there for a few weeks (they rust real fast and feel "gummy").

 

I always thought it was the glue and would eventually dissipate. Yeah, right...I'm still waiting...

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jcwillow777

jcwillow777

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I just sent an Epi case back to Sweetwater for my '56 GT. The smell just kept getting worse the longer I had the case, and it didn't seal very well either. This one one smells too.

 

They are great a Sweetwater about sending stuff back, hopefully the smell will go away. When I told them about the smell, they just said that they couldn't guarantee that the new case would be odor free. I have never had a problem with a case smelling before in the 40 years that I have been playing guitar.

 

Let me know how it works out Gary, if you find a cure I will be trying it too.

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