Guitar Case

**dadovfor** · 5th July 2009, 08:04 PM

I haven't been progressing too far with guitar building lately ... but when you build a custom guitar, you're probably going to need a custom guitar case. So this is what I've been up to for the past few weeks.

The guitar was a copy / tribute to Alexi Laiho's ESP (Children of Bodom) ... hence the Alexi / COB decoupage on the inside of the case.

Seeing as son # 3 will be using this to lug his guitar to school occasionally for music ... and protect it while he's there, there's a box section in the case for leads, pedals, picks, books, notes, etc.

It's made from 6mm ply with pine framing / surrounds. Like some of my projects round the home, I tend to over-engineer things a little and this is no exception. So it's turned out to be a fairly heavy case, but it looks good, it will do the job (it will travel in a car, not the bus) ... and it's taught me some lessons for next time.

**Yoz** · 5th July 2009, 08:56 PM

Hey Dad, the case looks great. I've been thinking about the same idea myself. A couple of questions regarding your case...

Where did you get your hardwear (latches, corners etc.) from? And is the case covered with some fabric? It looks like I can see a texture in the photos, but could just be pixellation.

Thanks!
Yoz

**dadovfor** · 5th July 2009, 09:07 PM

Thanks Yoz.

I got all of the hardwear from Bunnings ... the brand is Zenith ... I just checked and they have a web-site. On the back of the 'corners' packets that I bought it shows that they also make case handles but the two Bunnings I went to didn't stock them. So I used a draw handle instead and I really like the look of it.

And yes ... the case is covered in a black fabric.

**kiwigeo** · 5th July 2009, 09:07 PM

You cant over engineer when youre building for a kid...stick a kid in a tank for a day and he'd come home with the thing wrecked.

Nice looking case...I like the lining.

**Andrew_B** · 5th July 2009, 09:09 PM

looks like everyone is thinking about cases at the moment... lol

i saw marine play the other day which got me thinking about it again

im dieing to try my hand at a coffin type (diamond patern) cushioning

**dadovfor** · 5th July 2009, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew_B

im dieing to try my hand at a coffin type (diamond patern) cushioning

Great minds think alike ... or fools never differ ... take your pick

.

We started off working on a coffin case which was going to have a quilted lining but the shape of the guitar meant it was either going to be fairly long or fairly wide to make it work. So we put that aside.

After the school holidays I want to get on to my daughter's next build (another Rhoads) and I'll cut the above coffin frame down to make a V-ish shaped case.

**Andrew_B** · 5th July 2009, 09:38 PM

lol i dont want to do a coffin CASE!!

just the diamond patterned lining

i like rectangular cases better than shaped ones....
rectangualar is simple and to me it is more sturdy, less likely to fall over....

speaking of coffins... i did a coffin shaped bedside table as my major project in year 8 or 9 when i was at high school

got full marks for it too... lol
and i still have it, was my first experience with inlaying .. kinda... muhahaha

**Buzza** · 5th July 2009, 11:00 PM

Sometimes instruments end up travelling many thousands or ten of thousands of K's, and need to be in a regular shaped box. They stack better and sit tighter in a load. Accoustic guitars in a box of their own same shape can be real pesky to load for a roady. I know a famous Australian performer, who told me they were sitting in the aeroplane seat watching the last trailer load of luggage coming over to the plane cargo hatch before take-off, when her hand made one of kind accoustic guitar slid off and fell onto the tarmac. It was quickly rescued by a worker, who threw it back onto the still moving trailer. My guitars have travelled mainly in my car, but also on boats, trains, trucks and the Ol' Grey Dog.

I may get a new custom made case sometime next year, for my 68' Tele.

A great case by the way.

**floody_85** · 6th July 2009, 05:40 PM

Hey Dad very impressive. It does seem like we've all been thinking about cases lately.. I assume thats the case your sending me for my V??

Ive also been thinking about rebuilding my bass amp..the vinyl is all ripped and stuff..and we have bulk rolls of really good black felt carpet stuff at work so I will cover it in that...I should work out why it isnt working first lol...its an old laney 100w...really good amp for the age!!

**floody_85** · 6th July 2009, 05:42 PM

hey i forgot to ask you before, have you seen the genuine alexi esp???

I was looking at one in liverpool when i bought my new amp head....they are so freakin big!!! way tooo BIG!!!! you couldnt possibly enjoy playing it.....I wonder how yours compares in size....mine is heaps heaps smaller!!!

**dadovfor** · 6th July 2009, 06:34 PM