Am I Being Too Picky?

[jklotz]

Picked up a new Collings OM2H baked top a few weeks ago. Guitar is great, but the TKL case has a misaligned lid. It can be closed but you have to put a good bit on pressure on the hinge side of the lid and force it a little. Case went from dealer to my house and hasn't moved since. Looks brand new. Since in my possession, it hasn't been hit, dropped or damaged in any way.

At the end of the day, this is a pretty small problem. But I did email Collings and they got me in touch with somebody from TKL. I'm just wondering your thoughts on this. Should I just let it go? I really don't want to be THAT guy, you know, the one who sends his pumpkin spice latte back because there is not enough foam on top.

BTW - Dealer has been great, Collings CS is great. I'm not complaining about either of them. Just want to know if you think I'm being a jerk for bringing this up.

[SecondCity]

In my view, 1000% no. It’s a manufacturing defect. These things happen. I try not to judge a company by its mistakes —these things happen — but by its resolutions. Sounds like everyone so far is being solid about an annoying situation.

[Wellington]

I get your dilemma. Part of me would say 'don't overthink a 1st world problem, it's a functional case' but at the same time that's an expensive guitar and you really should expect the case to work normally and not be misaligned. I would see what tkl says, if they offer to replace it I probably would. If it's going to be a hassle I wouldn't. Or if the guitar is rarely going to going in and out of the case I wouldn't fret.

[frankmcr]

Not picky at all. Would you be okay with a problem like that with a brand new suitcase?

[Mr. Paul]

I think one's response to this particular problem is reasonably shaped by the price of the instrument. For the price of this particular guitar I would expect that this is a problem to be made right. I would be disappointed that, first, the dealer handed you off to Collings who in turn handed you off to TKL.

I believe the dealer should be handling all of the work here and then contact you only after a solution has been found. They should have contacted Collings who should have then worked out a solution with TKL.

[jaymarsch]

It’s important to report it so folks in the manufacturing chain know if their quality control might be headed downhill. But, it is something I could probably live with. I had a latch on one of mine that was a bit wonky and I manipulated the metal a bit with some needle nose pliers and it made it more workable. Congrats on the guitar.
Best,
Jayne

[gfspencer]

I have about 15 TLK cases. None of them are easy to close. None of them have perfect alignment. I don't pay too much attention to the way they close.

[Glennwillow]

Everybody is different and responds to issues like this in their own way.

I have cases that are slightly misaligned like this. It takes a little distortion of the case to get things to latch. If it can be made to work with such little effort, I simply move on.

In fact, I think it's more common to have cases that are slightly misaligned like this than it is to have things line up exactly right.

I don't look for perfection; I look for functionality.

- Glenn

[Dogma]

My custom build received in Jan '21 came in a new TKL case with the exact same problem. The builder arranged for me to return the case to TKL and I eventually got it (or a new one) back much improved. Maybe it would have loosened up with use, but I was afraid that the lock might jam or the hinges would get misaligned as a result of the pressure to close the case properly. That and the fact that the luthiers are now being charged over $600 for the cases made me feel that it really should be better.

I felt like a nit-picker for a long time for having to bother the builder about this, but later I found out that it was far from a one-off indcident (which your experience bears out.)

[phavriluk]

I don't think OP is being too picky.

Looks to me like the case needs to be replaced. What has the dealer said?

Good example of inspection before leaving the store simplifying a solution. Too bad the dealer didn't notice the problem first.

And if I was buying the case as a standalone transaction I wouldn't accept it with a misaligned latch like the one pictured.

[BrunoBlack]

I honestly don’t know how I’d feel or what I’d do in this specific situation. I can’t really see a troublesome problem (for me) in the picture. However, you’re going to be opening and closing the case often and you paid d a lot of money for the equipment. If you think it’s not right, then I believe this is the dealer’s responsibility. They earn their cut by providing customers with service.

[Brent Hutto]

My thought is "speak now or forever hold your peace".

If it bothers you (it would me) then now's the time to get it sorted. It's not a deal breaker kind of thing but to me it's not something I'd want to deal with every time I use the guitar for the next [fill in the blank] years.

[Goat Mick]

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

....it's not something I'd want to deal with every time I use the guitar for the next [fill in the blank] years.

It's the AGF, the blank would be about 6 months. LOL

[lowrider]

Jklotz, get the case exchanged. It's the kind of thing that doesn't seem like a big deal, but it's going to bug you every time you put the guitar in the case. This is a top of the line case, it should feel like a top of the line case.

[jrb715]

Your discomfort has been my experience with multiple TKL cases. The first had every latch fail. Another two have one latch that is very difficult to engage. The latest has been, as yours is, ill fitting. I pretty much just live with the ill fitting case. It takes a little shove and I feel like I have to be more careful closing the case so I won't damage the guitar. It functions, works fine carrying the guitar in the case, and I've just come to accept that TKL cases are really not very good cases. I don't want the hassle of exchanging the case for another that might be just as problematic.

Are you being too picky? No, not really. The TKL cases have some of the manufacturers, including Collings, at their mercy. It's easy enough to see why Bill Collings insisted in ultimately making his own, if pricey, cases. It continues to be a shame that Collings can no longer make them; and that they couldn't have expanded to have the cases available for all the small manufacturers.

It's the one Collings choice I think Bill wouldn't have made if he were still with us.