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The True Value of Buying a Good Case


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There are some instruments you just cannot replace.  Double Stop Fiddle Shop in Guthrie, OK had a fire.  The owner of the store had a Lloyd Loar Gibson mandolin in the shop.  Here is what was posted at a mandolin forum. 

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Default Re: Double Stop Fiddle Shop Lost to Fire

Hang on to your hats for this bit of news. What I'm told is Byron and his crew are going to post and confirm this on the web as well, where I don't know but I'd guess on Facebook:

Byron's Loar was in a safe on the second floor of the building. By the time the fire was out the safe was in the basement with most of the rest of the building, under several feet of water totally submerged. They talked the fire department into pumping the basement dry from the water used to put out the fire. The safe was opened, everything in the safe was totally wet and ruined, but the Loar was in a Calton case, always said to be waterproof. They opened the case, the mandolin was dry and still in tune.

That's the story as it was told to me just on the phone with Jim Triggs a few minutes. Jim is a close friend of Byron's, said Byron was crying when he pulled it out of the case and saw it was undamaged. This information literally came to me just now in this fashion. I'd say that's pretty damn good news as part of an otherwise tragic story.

EDIT: the video, click the image to start:

 

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                                                                        Yeah that is a huge money piece of musical history not to mention an incredible instrument, don't know what that particular mandolin was appraised at but there are several at Carter's in Nashville.............. here is one https://cartervintage.com/collections/lloyd-loar-signed-mandolins/products/1923-gibson-f-8 and Dave's Guitar in Wisconson also has one.https://davesguitar.com/products/gibson/lloyd-loar-f5-mandolin-1923/ Definately NOT for the bargain mandolin shopper.

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Okay, I am never going to knowingly test it like that, but I am very impressed with the Calton cases. I got one, almost by accident, with a "singlecut guitar" last year. I probably would not have bought it otherwise. The inclusion of a $1200 (I think) custom case made it a relative bargain. And it fits quite well with a variety of "Les Paul" type guitars. So it WILL be used.

If this does not protect your guitar, I don't know what WILL......It is like a portable vault, but less bulky and less heavy than a typical old style flight case.huber orca korina 5.jpg

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I had a high-dollar Sakurai classical show up for a refret in one of those cases. Me not being a classical guy (too much practice and discipline), I was as impressed with the case as I was with the guitar haha. 

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3 hours ago, django49 said:

And it fits quite well with a variety of "Les Paul" type guitars. So it WILL be used.

Yeah. Like you’ll ever whip out your $4k+, Schlitzenberger’s, EVER, at a gig or jam session. Please...

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You know, stories like that put some perspective on the kind of money we spend for our musical toys. I sometimes get a little embarrassed when "outsiders" ask about the money I paid for my guitars. And me, like most of you guys would / could never spend five-figure money or even more on a vintage electric guitar - crazy, no?

Well, talk to a classical violinist about the kind of money they spend on their bow! Not to mention the violin as such... They don't blush!

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Very cool story - sounds like they were very fortunate to have the mando in the safe.

It reminds of a story that was on the old Birds And Moons forum.  The poster's neighbor was also a PRS player, and his house burned down.  They found his PRS case in the wreckage.  The case had taken some serious damage, but was reasonably intact.  They opened the case, and the guitar had taken a bit of damage to the headstock, but was still in tune.  As I recall, PRS guitars offered to repair the guitar, but when they saw it, they offered to replace it so they could use the guitar to show how resilient and protective the cases are.  And the guy's set list was still under the body of the guitar and untouched.

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23 hours ago, django49 said:

Okay, I am never going to knowingly test it like that, but I am very impressed with the Calton cases. I got one, almost by accident, with a "singlecut guitar" last year. I probably would not have bought it otherwise. The inclusion of a $1200 (I think) custom case made it a relative bargain. And it fits quite well with a variety of "Les Paul" type guitars. So it WILL be used.

If this does not protect your guitar, I don't know what WILL......It is like a portable vault, but less bulky and less heavy than a typical old style flight case.huber orca korina 5.jpg

I’ve bought a few guitars from Fred!! Hope he’s still enjoying life after the cancer surgey a few years back. You never knew who you’d run into in his store... Jackson Brown, Dwight Yokum... the list goes on... he’s got some fantastic guitars!!!

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On 2/26/2019 at 2:20 PM, ARM OF HAMER said:

                                                                        Yeah that is a huge money piece of musical history not to mention an incredible instrument, don't know what that particular mandolin was appraised at but there are several at Carter's in Nashville.............. here is one https://cartervintage.com/collections/lloyd-loar-signed-mandolins/products/1923-gibson-f-8 and Dave's Guitar in Wisconson also has one.https://davesguitar.com/products/gibson/lloyd-loar-f5-mandolin-1923/ Definately NOT for the bargain mandolin shopper.

Back in 1977 I was in a gospel Bluegrass band and had a Japanese Tahara mandolin based on a Martin A-style with a rather short neck. I was jonesing for a Gibson with a longer scale for easier solo work, so I started getting Mandolin Bros.' weekly inventory mailer. They had pre-was Martin D-28s and a host of other droolers, but at the time, the most expensive instrument in the house was a Lloyd Loar F-5 priced at $17500. So it looks like its value has gone up tenfold since then. Adjusted for inflation, $175,000 in 1977 would be $72,689.11 today, so the Loar F-5 has appreciated another $103,000.

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