The case of Cedar Creek Cases continues.

[Glassweb]

More mandolin makers than ever - both luthiers and companies. More mandolin players than ever - the world over at that! Yet the choices for a good case are few and far between. How sad is that!?

[Wes Brandt]

Thanks Jim.

Wes

[mandowilli]

I also own a Hiscox case and it is very fine indeed. It is lightweight but you could stand on this thing as the Company touts, and it would not crush. Granted, it is a bit larger than others but the instrument is snug inside and I am able to include a humidifier, hygrometer, strings, tuner, cloth, notebook, and pick pouch and still have room available.

For $200? No regrets.

[Linds]

I have a Cedar Creek case for my Octave and it is a great fit.

Hey, Nola -- My new octave is in a Cedar Creek case, too. Have you flown with yours? If so, what's your experience? I'm thinking about getting a case cover for a little extra protection while I fly (Colorado Case Cover or something similar), but since my Cedar Creek is custom (it seems like it's thicker and shorter than most guitar cases), I'm not sure how to find one that fits. I'm curious to hear how this case travels, though. It seems really heavy and sturdy.

[Mandobar]

Ameritage I making all the Collings uke and electric guitar cases. Their volume has increased tremendously and I have waited several months for instruments while Collings waited on cases. Lots of lead time as Jim advises.

[Paul Hostetter]

Is this "issue" you have based on actual, real-world experience with them, may I ask, or on theorising about them?

Well, I don't (and never have had) a financial interest them. You can follow some links on my website and find out more on your own, so I won't belabor it, but I've been in the instrument business for over 50 years. I have handled many thousands of instruments, starting well before these urethane shell cases were even on the market. Yes, I have personal experience. I don't know you, or how much you have had, but it exceeds 12 years.

I just tossed a dead, unclosable Hiscox guitar case for someone a couple of months ago. SKB is the American brand that has this issue, they're much more common here. Violin cases, like guitar cases, are very much prone to this failure, hence my skepticism about mandolin cases. My experience tells me urethane cases aren't worth much. The one good thing is perhaps that they float. I told you my issue. If you don't share it, splendid. But don't take a swipe at me as if I don't have direct experience. I repair instruments, I see the ones where the cases have failed them.

[Charles E.]

This company offers mandolin cases from Eastman and Bobelock.....

http://www.giannaviolins.com/Accesso...olincases.html

We sell a lot of Bobelock violin cases in our shop, they are well made and offered in different price points. I believe Howard Core is the distributor.

[peter.coombe]

Jeepers, after all this slagging of Cedar Creek you guys are making me nervous. All cases except the first one I have received from them have been OK and the last custom case I received was perfect, so I thought my case problems were at long last solved. There is another one on the way, so lets see how that goes. By far the best cases I have used are Presto, individually custom hand made here in Australia, but most customers won't pay the premium price. My personal mandolin lives in a Presto case that is around 15 years old, that has been checked in as luggage on planes more time than I care to remember. Their new mandolin case is really nice.

[almeriastrings]

I have seen the warpage issue with TKL cases, yes. I have two of them here with that problem. Like I said, though, I have personally flown many, many tens of thousands of miles with Hiscox cases over the years and know a lot of other people who have too. I know that Ralph McTell has been using them for all his tours for years, and even saw it hit the concrete while being unloaded from a 'plane once, falling around 15 feet. His old Gibson inside was fine. They are not constructed in the same manner as TLK's and most other ABS cases. The key difference is in the bonding of the internal foam moulding to the shell, and also in the structure of that internal moulding. My own experience with them is sufficient to give me a lot of confidence in them from the protection point of view. I would envisage that you could warp any ABS case if it was subjected to extreme over-heating.... one of my pet peeves is why so many cases are black... that said, I have not seen that in a Hiscox. My main problem with your comment is that you stated these cases are not "flightworthy" and are only good for "about town". That's just ridiculous (in my opinion) and flies in the face of all available evidence.

I have no connection whatever with Hiscox, incidentally - except as a very satisfied long-term user.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I don't know about any'warping' issues with TKL cases.My own,is the First Quality Music "American Vintage" model,with extra reinforced top & steel corner reinforcings. It's coming on for 6 years old & is as stable as it was when new.
Re.''urethane foam'' in the Hiscox case - who says it's urethane ?. Hiscox don't state that on their website,merely saying that the use a 'blend of high tech.cellular foam'. My own Hiscox Guitar case is getting close to 15 years old & is still like new & funtions perfectly. My only quibble is that there's no room for a decent strap inside - a bit of a design oversight IMHO. In it's 15 years,with a series of different Guitars in side it,it's had it's fair share of knocks & it's come out smiling. If i didn't have 2 unused Mandolin cases - my original Weber Fern case,(a contender for the heaviest Mandolin case ever made - at 13.5 Lbs, it seems like it) & an unused Eastman rectangular 'Violin' style case,i'd be out shopping for a Hiscox case today !,
Ivan

[Austin Clark]

Nola and Linds: That archtop octave case is custom sized to that particular instrument.

To that note, I have been using Cedar Creek for a while and I order my mandolin cases (and octave cases) with a custom padding configuration that leaves space for the bridge and puts the supporting padding on the tailpiece instead.

[Wes Brandt]

I just wish they had told me I needed to order custom to get a case that fits. I shipped the two cases back, ground ups at $65 with insurance and signature ...so this little lesson has cost me $105.

And, after dealing with their Borg like ("resistance is futile") customer service not returning calls and wasting several hours of my time, they've also caused me to loose 3.2% more of my confidence in the human race and I need all of that I can hold on to.

OK...I'm done moaning.

[Lynn Dudenbostel]

I tried to order a 12 fret 000 guitar case from TKL earlier this year.... I've purchased them many times in the past from TKL. Found out that they are no longer a catalog item and I'd have to go thru the custom shop (Cedar Creek?). The backlog was over 6 weeks. A 12 fret 000 isn't exactly a rare guitar. You'd think they would keep a few on hand. I also ordered a rectangular Loar style case from them years ago. As I understand, they made the Loar type cases for the Monroe model Gibson. Even supplying a tracing, the instrument wouldn't fit, and the "feet" on the case were attached such that the case wouldn't even stand up! After their second attempt to make it right, I just gave up and returned it. I will say, more recent dealings with the custom shop have been much better and I've made no returns in many years, but I'll be looking closely at other case makers when I go to NAMM this weekend.

[Mike Black]

Let us know what you find Lynn!

[Dale Ludewig]

Yes, please. I'm about to finish up a 12 fret 000. No sir, that isn't a rare size guitar... What's Saga selling these days for that?

[Russ Jordan]

Guardian makes a 000 12 fret, Geib style case.

[Paul Hostetter]

Guardian is a Music Link case.

[Lynn Dudenbostel]

I've not been real happy with what I've gotten from Saga. Quality control isn't that great. I had a 14 fret D case that the hinges were mounted screwy and it wouldn't open all the way. Because I didn't catch this for some time (when I was ready to use it), they wanted me to pay shipping back. Not worth it. I sold it for a loss and moved on. Bottom line, check out each case as soon as it arrives and make sure its OK. I bought my last 12 fret 000 case from my buddy over at Finecases.com. It was flat top/flatback, but a nice quality case and fit well. I'll check out cases at NAMM and let you know what I find.
Lynn

[Ivan Kelsall]

Well,yesterday i part-ex'd my Eastman Mandolin case for a Hiscox case,& i have to say that i'm much more than pleased with it. The fit & finish both externally & especially internally, is first class. The case will take both my Weber Fern & also my larger than normal Lebeda "Special". At 7.5 lbs in weight,it is heavier that the Travelite,but 4 lbs less than my TKL 'American Vintage' case.
The Hiscox now takes the place of my Travelite,which is still the lightest case out there,but the zipper has given me a few hairy moments. I've mentioned on here in a previous thread,that my first Mandolin came in a Travelite case. The zipper stuck so much as to be unmoveable, & i literally had to tear the whole top off the case,hinges & all, to get my Mandolin out. In an effort to get the lightest case around,i bought another Travelite in the hope that the zipper problem wouldn't arise. As a matter of interest,it's not the zipper itself that causes the problem,it's the strip of material that rests in between the zipper & the case itself. This material ocasionally sheds a few loose threads which get caught in the zipper,causing it to stick. Anyhow on a few occasions,the zipper has stuck & it's taken a bit of time to un-stick it.
In the UK the Hiscox case retails usually for £99.0 UK ($158.0 US). I know that it's more expensive to buy in the US ( duty & tax etc.), but having seen one first hand & having now bought one,i would recommend that anybody wanting a good Mandolin case,has a look at the Hiscox case,because comparing it to the other cases i've had (& still got),i can't personally fault it,
Ivan

[nobullmando74]

Wow. I think this thread killed my desire to get a Cedar Creek Case. I guess I'll get another Calton for my Campanella F. Maybe it will be ready when my mandolin is finished.

[Tavy]

Well,yesterday i part-ex'd my Eastman Mandolin case for a Hiscox case,& i have to say that i'm much more than pleased with it. The fit & finish both externally & especially internally, is first class. The case will take both my Weber Fern & also my larger than normal Lebeda "Special". At 7.5 lbs in weight,it is heavier that the Travelite,but 4 lbs less than my TKL 'American Vintage' case.
The Hiscox now takes the place of my Travelite,which is still the lightest case out there,but the zipper has given me a few hairy moments. I've mentioned on here in a previous thread,that my first Mandolin came in a Travelite case. The zipper stuck so much as to be unmoveable, & i literally had to tear the whole top off the case,hinges & all, to get my Mandolin out. In an effort to get the lightest case around,i bought another Travelite in the hope that the zipper problem wouldn't arise. As a matter of interest,it's not the zipper itself that causes the problem,it's the strip of material that rests in between the zipper & the case itself. This material ocasionally sheds a few loose threads which get caught in the zipper,causing it to stick. Anyhow on a few occasions,the zipper has stuck & it's taken a bit of time to un-stick it.
In the UK the Hiscox case retails usually for £99.0 UK ($158.0 US). I know that it's more expensive to buy in the US ( duty & tax etc.), but having seen one first hand & having now bought one,i would recommend that anybody wanting a good Mandolin case,has a look at the Hiscox case,because comparing it to the other cases i've had (& still got),i can't personally fault it,
Ivan

This is interesting to me, because I took delivery of a brand new Hiscox mandolin case this morning (aside: if you shop around you can get it slightly cheaper than the £99).

First impressions: it's pretty big and roomy, the mandolin is held firm very well in the case, only complaint is it's a touch heavy compared to the Eastman case I've been used to... But, much much better built: right from the moment you open it it exudes quality. If you believe the marketing it'll stand up to 0.5tons of crush, and I can personally vouch for the fact that it'll take my weight (tested without a mandolin inside, and admittedly I don't weigh half a ton!). Right at this moment, I can't imagine why I would ever need to buy another case in my lifetime.... but ask me again in ten years

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi Tavy - The total retail cost of the Hiscox case at the store i bought it from was in fact £89.00 ($142.0 US),but prices in the UK range from the £99.0 to £106.00 at one store. The weight of my Weber in the Hiscox,was about the same as the weight of the Weber in the Eastman Violin style case i part-ex'd.
I totally agree with your assesment of the Hiscox case. It holds the mandolin perfectly,without any movement at all, & the headstock scroll is well away from anything that could cause damage to it. I too can't see me needing another Mandolin case either,that is unless i could sell my TKL 'American Vintage' series case,then i'd buy another Hiscox - it's certainly the best case i've had to date. Maybe not the lightest case i've had (Travelite),but then again,it doesn't have a very 'iffy' zipper to keep it closed,
Ivan

[Tavy]

Hi Tavy - The total retail cost of the Hiscox case at the store i bought it from was in fact £89.00 ($142.0 US),but prices in the UK range from the £99.0 to £106.00 at one store.

Sounds like we might have bought from the same place (Eagle Music shop?). Anyhow, lets hope both our cases last the course now that we've praised them up

[Ivan Kelsall]

I bought mine from Forsyth Bros.in Manchester,a very long established instrument / music store. My Hiscox Guitar case is still in absolutely perfect working order after 15 years,so i can't see the mandolin case giving up the ghost in any less time. After the unfortunate fiddlyness of the zipper on the Travelite case,2 simple latches are a joy to use. I must say here that as the very 'lightest' of cases, & apart from the *&^%£$* zipper,the Travelite still remains a very good case,
Ivan

[mrmando]

Any love for Access cases out there?