Where to get a custom case?

[xed]

Hi all,

I want to find somewhere that will build me a custom bass case. I own an EB sterling and I really like the lightweight but well built plastic shell case that came with it (SKB?).

The reason why I need a custom one is because the case I need to replace is for my Alembic. Unfortunately the "G&G" case that came with my Alembic has had both locking front latches break and the back hinges have about had it too. I swear I'm gentle but it appears to just be a worthless case.

I don't want to have some big heavy expensive flight case made for me. If I could get the equivalent of the EB plastic case made for my Alembic then I think I would be set.

Any ideas? (or alternatives that I didn't think of?)

thanks in advance

[archer121]

I think G&G actually does make custom cases. If you've liked their stuff in the past it might be worth it to look them up. Personally, I wouldn't bother with a hardshell unless I was traveling with it on a plane or something where it would be out of my possession for a time and in a cargo hold or if the bass will be stored away for a long time. There are a lot of really nice gig bags out there (mono and Igig come to mind) that offer plenty of protection while being easy to transport and are a heck of a lot cheaper than getting a custom case made.

[xed]

Thanks Archer.

I've got nothing against gig bags but unfortunately with the design of my Alembic it would make me too nervous to use one. It's got an omega cut at the base so what would be a minor no-damage bump to another bass could crack a horn or two on this one.



Thanks for the suggestion but I'm going to go with "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" for G&G. Maybe I just got a bad case and it was my dumb luck but I'm not willing to take the gamble.

[archer121]

Oh, man I see what your saying now. I guess that could be pretty rough with a bag; what with the points of the cutout resting right on the bottom. Nice looking piece, BTW.

[Headless Llama]

nice alembic!!! Does Alembic offer a case? Or are you looking to score one on the cheap?

[xed]

Originally Posted by archer121

what with the points of the cutout resting right on the bottom. Nice looking piece, BTW.

Thanks. Alembic makes lots of different custom instruments but 2 designs that are often seen are what's called an "omega" cut and a "standard point". The omega cut is what I have and the standard point is just what it sounds like, a point on the end. Aside from the look of the bass my understanding is that they decided to choose those designs to purposely discourage players from putting their instruments on the floor and then leaning them against something. Doing that is just asking for your bass to tip over for a crash so it's Alembic's subtle way of saying "keep your bass on a stand where it's safe or in it's case". Plus I think it's pretty cool looking.

Originally Posted by Headless Llama

nice alembic!!! Does Alembic offer a case? Or are you looking to score one on the cheap?

The case I'm replacing is what came from Alembic; the G&G. I'm hoping to get something like the ernie ball skb case if I can. Not sure if it will be cheap though. I'm thinking maybe if I can get a case that's not fitted and is just cut square where the body is then I can just pull out the covered custom fitted inserts from my broken G&G case and just hot glue them into a new case or something. I measured and I need about 16" interior width and the skb/gator cases that I found online are only around 13" so I'm still looking.

If the back hinges weren't trashed on my original case then I would consider just trying to fix the latches but with it all falling apart it's not worth the effort. Plus a nice lightweight skb style case would be nice.

[Fun Size Nick]

Hiscox cases aren't fitted for any particular body outline, so maybe one of those might suit your bass? They list dimensions of their bass case on this page, second item from the bottom.

I have four of these cases (3 bass, one acoustic guitar) and swear by them.