squeeky case question...also strap question

[slowesthand]

Good morning all, heres my question to you. Just got a HD28, couple days ago. it has the nice case with it(don't really know the model) but it's a TKL with the Martin emblem on it.

It's such a tight fit that every time I take the guitar out of the case, it makes all kind of squeeking , rubbing noises. It has me worried that it will cause wear marks on the sides.
Is this normal? and do you think it could wear on the gloss finish?

My second question is would it be safe to keep the leather strap tie holder on the headstock all the time, or would that cause problems also. Please no debates on adding front strap button.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi, all my Collings are in TKL cases very missilry to yours. Some have the tightness to squeak and some don't. Never worried about it, and no harm has ever occurred - my guitars are nitro finished like I believe your HD is.
They do loosen up a little over time. Don't worry, be happy.

Headstock straps - I don't connect my straps by the headstock so no personal experience, but if it covers a significant part of the headstock laminate, I'd be cautious.

[zhunter]

Case on my GE is tight. I have to push the guitar in. No squeak though. It is about 12 years old and when not being played it lives in the case mostly. No finish damage I have noticed but now I guess I'll have to look.

hunter

[slowesthand]

Good morning again, thx for the replys on the tight case. I guess a tight case is better than a loose case.

I know there are people who use the leather strap holder, thats what I'm wondering about now. Anyone got 2cents of info to through in?

[Mr. Scott]

Hello slowesthand,
most manufacturers suggest keeping anything that is not part of the guitar away from it, ie in the storage compartment. So straps, leads or any other paraphernalia should be stored away from the instrument. This is especially so with nitro finished guitars which are particularly susceptible to the chemicals used in curing leather goods or man-made items. I think poly finishes are less so.
As to your other query regarding tight-fitting cases, I have a classical guitar which has lived in its Hiscox case, which is a snug fit, for the past 5 years with no ill effects. My newer Martin 00015SM also fits closely in its Martin case and that has not suffered either. I think you can rest assured.

[slowesthand]

thx for the assurance Mr. Scott. I was just curious as what other players did. One thing that I've always wondered about is....they say don't keep prolonged contact with other things on your guitars finish. What about the case? theres alot of prolonged contact there.

Wouldn't the man made synthetic material in the lining count?
So many questions in the universe to ponder!

I think I'll just go play my guitar for awhile

[Wade Hampton]

Slowesthand, I don't think you need to worry about either the case or the headstock strap tie, provided that you're using a Martin or Planet Waves product. It's good that you're being cautious, because there are different chemical formulations used to tan leather and some of them can cause ugly chemical reactions when placed in contact with nitrocellulose lacquer.

But neither Martin nor D'Addario/Planet Waves wants the headache of angry customers demanding compensation for finish damage on their guitars, so it's a safe bet that any leather components that come into contact with the guitar will be made from non-reactive leather.

I've never attached my guitar straps at the headstock, but for years I did keep my mountain dulcimer straps tied on at that spot (I'm unusual in that I play mountain dulcimer standing up.) I had a leather tie in direct contact with the nitrocellulose lacquer finish on one dulcimer for over a decade, and there was never any chemical reaction with it.

That leather tie came with a good quality guitar strap I still own and use, but since I use strap buttons fore and aft on my guitars, the leather tie wasn't needed. So it got transferred over to the dulcimer.

Anyway, one suggestion I would make that would both eliminate any worries about the finish reacting and also offer you more convenience on a daily basis is that you consider using the Planet Waves headstock strap tie:

¥¥¥

I know, it's kind of "gizmo-looking," but it works well and gives you that quick release option.

But if you don't like the look and prefer going with a simple leather headstock strap tie, I don't think you need to worry about chemical reactions so long as you use a product marketed by Martin or another reputable company.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Long Jon]

I once had one of these, that Wade mentions, I left it on my D28 all the time , no probs. (I'm an under- heel- button convert now though.)

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by slowesthand

thx for the assurance Mr. Scott. I was just curious as what other players did. One thing that I've always wondered about is....they say don't keep prolonged contact with other things on your guitars finish. What about the case? theres a lot of prolonged contact there.

Wouldn't the man made synthetic material in the lining count?

Interesting thought, but I've never heard of upholstery velvet lining a guitar case ever causing any chemical reactions. The one time I have had some problems with the case lining affecting a guitar was when I got a custom guitar that had been sprayed with a defective batch of lacquer. The finish on that guitar never fully cured or hardened, and the velvet lining the case left physical imprints on it.

But that wasn't the fault of the fabric lining, it was the lacquer itself. Even so, it wasn't a chemical reaction, it was just an indentation in the lacquer surface.

So you needn't worry about chemical reactions with the lining. The main concern with a tight-fitting case like you described is not whether it takes some effort to wriggle the guitar into it, but whether the lid closes properly once you have.

Sometimes people on here will post about needing to press their case lids down in order to latch them. That's bad news right there, because the guitar's top is its most structurally vulnerable component. If you have to squeeze the lid shut, that means that any sharp blow to the lid of the case can damage the top.

But if the lid closes and latches easily once you've got the guitar in all the way, you don't need to worry about it.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Silly Moustache]

Just a thought - I really don't know if te soft plush lining in TKL cases is made of - cotton or ?, but I'mhaving an old case refurbished and decided to go with pure cotton velvet just in case (sic).

I know that Collings cases now have a differint lining - possiby for varnished instruments.

[zhunter]

Never happened to me but I have seen pics of what appeared to be case lining color transfer to lacquer finish guitars. My light colored strat picks up a little black stain from the leather guitar strap I use (no synthetics).

I don't think it is worth losing to much sleep over since it seems rare, but there are guitars experiencing discoloration apparently coming from case liner. Finish cure problem? Case liner dye problem? Glue solvent off gassing problem? Never saw a definitive answer.

hunter

Both of my guitars squeak in and out of their cases too. My K Yairi currently leant to my loverly granddaughter has squeaked in and out of its case for 38 years with no issues.

On the Gibson I tie the strap to the headstock with a blue cotton shoestring. It works really well for the guitar, but that one particular shoe keeps slipping off: