Is my case decomposing?

[MHC]

Perhaps a strange problem but here goes...

I have a wonderful Martin CS-00-21 that I bought new in 2016. As usual, it came with a Geib case with the wine red interior (500 series?).

As with my other guitars, I keep this Martin humidified in the case, and the humidity inside the case remains fairly stable between 40% and 50%. Because of this, I have no problems with the guitar, however something strange is going on with the case itself.

The padding is getting very "crackly," meaning, if I squeeze the padding (say where the upper bought shoulder rest against the padding) I get a brittle crackling sound. And when I press my finger into the padding under the top and move it around, I get the same crackling sound. I can't see what's going on underneath the red fabric, but it almost feels like the padding is decomposing.

Has anyone else experienced this? The case is only 3.5 years old (from purchase date). Any recommendations?

If you have a Martin Geib case, can you squeeze your padding and tell me if it feels like soft, cushiony foam, or does it make a brittle crackling sound?

BTW, my Huss & Dalton case (also a Geib from TKL) does not have this problem.

[Wade Hampton]

No, that's decidedly odd. I've owned several Geib style cases, and still own most of those cases and the guitars that came with them. No crackling sounds, and the foam padding underneath the velvet lining seems to have remained fully functional.

I also owned the first Custom Shop special issue guitar that Martin came out with in 2011, the CS-21-11, and it came with a mammoth, heavy case. I recently sold that guitar to a friend, and that foam padding in that case is also fine.

To me it sounds as though there has been some sort of slow motion chemical reaction going on in your case. Manufacturers change vendors for their supplies of necessary materials from time to time, and it seems plausible that there might have been some sort of new adhesive used or foam rubber from a different supplier that has some chemical in it that is causing this.

In any event, I'm pretty certain that this can be considered a legitimate warranty issue. You should contact the dealer that sold the guitar to you and get the wheels in motion to get the case replaced.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Kh1967]

I have seen/heard this on numerous TKL cases. The cases themselves have been a couple years old to much older, say 8-10 years.

I don’t know what causes it, however. I wish I did, so I will be following along on this thread.

[L20A]

The Taylor case that my wife has is doing this.
It sounds like the padding is hardening.
It also feels like the padding is getting stiff.
This is a 20 year old case.

[MHC]

Thanks for the reassuring replies.

This case is well under 20 years old (only 3 - 4 years). In fact, my Huss & Dalton TKL Geib case is a few years older than the Martin case and it's fine.

I will contact the dealer, who is in California (I'm in New York) and see if I might have a warranty claim here. Wish me luck.

[Wade Hampton]

Good luck. It does seem like a defect and so should be covered by a warranty. But I don’t know what Martin’s policy is regarding the guitar cases rather than the guitars themselves.


whm

[Kitkatjoe]

Originally Posted by MHC

Perhaps a strange problem but here goes...

I have a wonderful Martin CS-00-21 that I bought new in 2016. As usual, it came with a Geib case with the wine red interior (500 series?).

As with my other guitars, I keep this Martin humidified in the case, and the humidity inside the case remains fairly stable between 40% and 50%. Because of this, I have no problems with the guitar, however something strange is going on with the case itself.

The padding is getting very "crackly," meaning, if I squeeze the padding (say where the upper bought shoulder rest against the padding) I get a brittle crackling sound. And when I press my finger into the padding under the top and move it around, I get the same crackling sound. I can't see what's going on underneath the red fabric, but it almost feels like the padding is decomposing.

Has anyone else experienced this? The case is only 3.5 years old (from purchase date). Any recommendations?

If you have a Martin Geib case, can you squeeze your padding and tell me if it feels like soft, cushiony foam, or does it make a brittle crackling sound?

BTW, my Huss & Dalton case (also a Geib from TKL) does not have this problem.

You may need another coffin, I mean case for your guitar. I would wonder what the effects could be on the guitar.
😬

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Good luck. It does seem like a defect and so should be covered by a warranty. But I don’t know what Martin’s policy is regarding the guitar cases rather than the guitars themselves.


whm

Martin's warranty does not extend to the case.

[DenverSteve]

I don't know that I would consider case padding getting stiff a "manufacturer's defect" which is the only thing a case warranty would cover. I've had that issue with Taylor and Martin supplied cases in the past and never had an issue with the guitar inside being negatively effected in any way. You likely have a TKL supplied case - it's certainly not a Geib - but may be a Geib-style case. If you are concerned about the case, I would determine who made the case and contact that company for assistance. You can contact Martin but they will likely tell you the case warranty is covered by the case manufacturer.

I have had handle issues for TKL cases and have been sent repair/replacement parts quickly with no cost. Again, first determine the brand of the case. Then contact that company and seek remedy - IF you think the issue is a defect and not a factor of aging, abuse or other issue.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by J-Doug

Martin's warranty does not extend to the case.

I was afraid of that.


whm

[MHC]

Originally Posted by J-Doug

Martin's warranty does not extend to the case.

Yeah. I was afraid of that too. I'll contact the shop where I bought the guitar and then move on to TKL if necessary.

Thanks all.

Originally Posted by MHC

Yeah. I was afraid of that too. I'll contact the shop where I bought the guitar and then move on to TKL if necessary.

Thanks all.

I have worked with TKL over the years and I have found them approachable and helpful.

[BT55]

I stored a Rainsong branded TKL case in my attic. Temps can exceed 100 degrees in the summer. The Tolex pulled away from the seams on the top and sides. Rainsong asked me to contact TKL about the issue. TKL replaced the case no questions asked. I returned the original case using a prepaid shipping label. That’s great customer service. Needless to say none of my guitar cases are stored in the static any longer!