Pedal steel case design

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

There seems to be a couple of designs for cases, foam in the bottom that the guitar body rests on, and rails on front and back lengths that support the body slightly over the bottom of the case. What are the pros and cons of each? Does resting on foam put enough pressure on the strings to cause them to wear into the changer fingers? Would the rails damage a lacquer finish?

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Good questions.

I don't like cases with foam padding where the guitar sits on the changer and the keyheads. Seems like a long drop or hard smash would cause the strings to dig into the changer finger rollers.

Several steelers around here use them though and apparently with good results even with flying them around the world in flight cases.

OTOH yes, I've had 3 or 4 lacquer or poly finish guitars where the cabinet ends sit on the blocks. They all showed some dulling and imprint marks there too. Nothing to serious but definitely visible.

I dunno what's the best. There may be other alternatives.

Some others have long lateral blocks/supports that run down part of the length of the cabinet instead.

I guess we have to pick out poison.

Jerry Van Hoose · From: Wears Valley, Tennessee

Interesting topic as Iâ€™ve owned both with good results. My Emmons Black Rock originally was housed in a Thomas Case without any support except for some foam padding underneath the plush lining. Whenever I was visiting with Mike Cass lately, he advised me to have support blocks installed in my new case as he was concerned it could possibly cause string grooves in the changer without them. Given the small space in and around itâ€™s small bolt on changer, I questioned if the tiny support blocks needed could be built without actually having the guitar there. I took photos and sent them to Hugh Briley and he marked on them where I should measure. I did as he asked and the little Emmons rests on them perfectly without more than 1/8â€ or less to spare. It fits perfectly and I doubt there are many requests for a case this size. Itâ€™s been a long time but if I remember correctly, the first case that I ever owned was a Hooper case and I traveled with it without any problems. Iâ€™ve also owned Mullen guitars with nothing but foam support in their factory cases, no blocks without any problems. I suppose my overall preference would be a case with support blocks.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Franklin guitar emphasized a pad for their guitars. I had a D-10 Franklin for 38 years (just sold it last month) and it was always in a case with a pad and did not harm. In fact Mr. Franklin said when he worked for Sho-Bud they had less damage to guitars when a pad was used. Before the Franklin, I had a 71 D-10 Emmons PP. It came with a case that had supports. The case went bad and I built a new case and used a pad and had no problems.

I now have a D-10 GFI (that I traded for about 6 months ago) and had a two piece case set made for it. It had supports but I didn't like them and fit was so-so. I removed them and used a pad. No problems so far.

I would guess its one of those either is OK or neither is wrong things.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Hard to argue with Paul Franklin.

Tim Cushenberry's Cush Case that I owned had pads at both ends.

I think the Sierra Wheel EZZ case was just formed foam with no blocking IIRC.

I'm probably a bigger fan of the formed foam or foam padded long rails along either side of the cabinet with filler on top so that the guitar fits extremely snug when closed up.

I'm sure steel guitar builders and case builders alike know what they're doing and certainly wouldn't build anything that would potentially damage the instrument.

Even so, I still don't like the idea of my changer sitting directly on any object on top of the strings, especially after reading Del Mullen's statement. That was a warning about it sitting on a hard object of course, but still.

Jerry Horch · From: Alva, Florida, USA

Can someone post a pic of a case with the pads? Thanks
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Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Here is a pic of the inside of the Franklin (body) case. It was a 2 piece case set that I built for the D-10 Franklin I had. It has a 1" (green) foam pad. Top is "egg crate" foam that holds guitar snug.

Geoff Queen · From: Austin Texas, USA

I built out an SKB case with support blocks once. I opened it at a show and one of my tuners was broken. After some advice from a friend, I re-did the case with foam all along the bottom and never had another problem.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Forgot about this one I used for a while. I sold it when I sold out of pedal steels. This is half of a split pair of fibre cases by Bentley. Plush over thick foam.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

...and the Wheel EZZ Sierra padded foam case.

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

When I owned my Sierra "Crown" series, S14 guitar, I had Keel Case, in Round Rock, Texas build an ATA-rated flight case. As some may know, Sierra "Crown" guitars have very thick 6061 aluminum end plates.
I worked with Paul, the CEO of Keel Cases to design a case that would protect that heavy instrument from careless handling by airline ramp agents. Paul came up with the idea to build rigid anvils in the body and lid of the case which would (when the case was closed) tightly grip the end plates, thereby allowing the guitar to 'float' inside the case. All shocks from dropping or rough handling would transfer through the anvils and end plates, but leave the guitar unscathed. The inside of the case was trimmed in black crushed velvet, but no padding was necessary.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn
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Steelin' for Jesus

Jerry Horch · From: Alva, Florida, USA

Thanks for the examples...
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Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

...shot of the Cush Case. It looks like this padding was just multiple folds of the same ozite it is covered with, but I can't be sure. Whatever happened to Tim anyway?

Jerry Van Hoose · From: Wears Valley, Tennessee

Jerry, thanks for mentioning Tim, Iâ€™ve wondered the same throughout the years. I owned one of his cases with my Mullen guitar around 1991 or 92. I think that I also had an effects rack and seat built by Tim until I met Kenn & Dan Rollans and purchased my first Steelers Choice seat.

Kevin Maki · From: Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.

I added small blocks of wood wrapped with material. It's what my old hardshell case had,and it keeps keyhead and changer from bearing the weight of my SD10.
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S10 GFI ULTRA,Peavey Powerslide,Quilter Steelaire amp,Nashville 400 amp.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Jerry, I bought that case for my Mullen from Charlie, so it may be the one you had.

I found an old post from Bill Ferguson that referred to the late Tim Cushenberry so...

Sorry for the detour...back to case design.

Jerry Van Hoose · From: Wears Valley, Tennessee

Thanks, Jerry. I performed a Forum search but didnâ€™t find anything, overlooked it I suppose. However, I now remember the sad news about Tim. I have a slight bit of dementia, have been a patient at The Pat Summitt Clinic at the UT Medical Center for the past few months but ok for now. Yes, that was my Cush Case, traded it and the guitar to Charlie for my first Derby. Now, back to cases...I think there was a Norlin case in the 60â€™s, lightweight without any support blocks. If I remember correctly, it came with my first Emmons.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Jerry, wishing you all the best and a positive outlook for your health issues my friend.

Larry Baker · From: Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.

Roger, just throw it in the back of your car or truck. Then you won't need a case at all. Just think you never have to set up or tear down....
Just buy a new guitar every year!!!!
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Mullen G2 SD10 3 & 5 The Eagle
NV112 amp===Earnie Ball V.P.

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