# of case latches correlates to guitar cost (humor, or:judging book by its cover)

[LakewoodM32Fan]

Thought I'd post this funny comment to lighten the mood a little. A few weeks ago I was at a shop auditioning a Goodall. I always bring a couple of my guitars for a reference tone, and this time I brought my Santa Cruz OM and Martin 000.

The nice gentleman helping me offered to assist carrying my guitars inside (it was 104F outside, so I welcomed the help).

As we were beginning to set up the 1-on-1 demo, I was unpacking my OM and missed a latch (as I almost always do) and complained out loud "how many latches does this stupid thing have?"

Without missing a beat he says "probably one for each grand you paid for it."

When I got home, I looked at all my cases...I think he was right. I think I laughed for about a minute straight when I noticed that.

[hubcapsc]

My Ken Stika guitar's case has more latches than it
cost in thousands. And it is geib over lead, lined with felt ...

-Mike

[Nctom]

You could be right. My theory is that the number of latches reflect the aspirations and expectations of the builder. My early three-digit Waterloo WL-14 case has just 3 latches, my four-digit WL-12Mh has 4, and my latest Martin 0-18 has 6! (more than enough to contain such a small guitar). All the cases are TKL and appear to be same build other than the number of latches.

[mouks]

I guess you're right, mine cost less than a grand and came in a gigbag

[jcpharm]

how many latches does a zipper count as?

[LakewoodM32Fan]

It's funny, because I know it's a form of confirmation bias (just like when you buy a specific car...suddenly you notice tons more just like it on the road whereas the day before you bought it, not so much). But it was eerie how well my cases correlated to that offhand comment. My two 2019 Martins, one has six and one has four, which closely matches their MSRP. My SCGC matches. Even my new K14c, which MAP for just a hair under 5K has...five latches.

Now I know that 1) we don't pay MSRP or even MAP, and 2) the premise of this post is not a universal truth. It was more just a funny observation that had some correlation to recent real-life guitar experiences I've had.

[Bob Womack]

Well that's funny. I had come to understand the number of latches was directly related to how curvy the guitar is. Dreads typically get only four and it goes up as the guitar gets shapelier because the bulges each need to be secured.

Bob

[Tnfiddler]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Well that's funny. I had come to understand the number of latches was directly related to how curvy the guitar is. Dreads typically get only four and it goes up as the guitar gets shapelier because the bulges each need to be secured.

Bob

Both of my Bourgeois dread cases have 6 AND that fancy green interior!!

[jaymarsch]

That is so funny and true. A guitar playing friend of mine once stayed at my home and I gave her permission to play my guitars while I was at work. She wanted to check out my Wingert and she told that it took her 10 minutes to discover why she couldn’t open the top of the case - that pesky 6th latch!
Best,
Jayne

[scotchnspeed]

I was just wondering to myself that my former Ryan only had 5 latches on its new Calton case. My others are 6 or 7, and are not in the same class as Ryan.

[LakewoodM32Fan]

Imagine, if this were an absolute rule: how hilarious looking would the case for that $80K Martin be? Take a year just to even open it up.

[rllink]

Evidently my SKB hard case is made for a much more expensive guitar than a Taylor GS Mini. I like that, going to the store and "auditioning" a guitar. What exactly does that mean? I might throw that one around and see what kind of reaction I get and I don't want to use it wrong.

[The Bard Rocks]

2 of my most valuable guitars came (new) with 4 latch cases. I think more to the point is that the number of latches corresponds closer to the cost of the case than the guitar.

[DanR]

In my recent case history my Martin Custom Shop OM-28 had a TKL case with 6 latches. The Martin thermoplastic case that came with my HD-28 has 5 latches. The TKL cases that came with my 00-18, 000-18 and Gibson J-45 '68 Reissue have 4 latches. Finally, my '67 Gretsch Double Anniversary came with a TKL case that has only 3 latches.

How many is too much or too little. When unlatching my cases, I always seem to miss one and wonder why the lid doesn't open.

[Mr. Jelly]

I agree with the point and pretty much have thought the same thing.

I once owned two SCGC 00 guitars. One was a hog sitka 00 and the other was the all hog 1929 00. Of coarse the less expensive of the two was the 1929 00 and it had one less latch. The hidden one in the back which I hate. I have conditioned myself to always feel for the back latch and be very careful with guitars around their cases. Latches attack guitars you know. I wish they made them out of hard nylon or something.