Orginal 1960's vs reissue hardshell cases
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Orginal 1960's vs reissue hardshell cases
What are the identifying differences between an original 1960's silver hardshell case and a reissue one. I currently have a modern reissue, and an early 1980s case, but apart from tolex colour they're pretty much the same. I've only seen photographs of genuine 60's examples, but need one for my '66 Rose, Morris 1998, and don't want to end up with reissue case misrepresented as original.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.
My case for my '67 4005WB does not have the nameplate on the edge of the case. The blue material inside the case is rather plain, not at all like the type that is in the reissue cases. The handle is not cushioned like the new one and the middle lock's plate is shield shaped, whereas the new one is rectangular. I hope this helps.
The present-day silver tolex cases are very nice, and the hardware seems to be uniform on all of them, guitar or bass not withstanding.
The 60's cases on the other hand, have a varing degree of linings and hardware; Rickenbacker used more than one case vendor in the sixties....
Here is an earlier post from John Hall concering Rickenbacker cases...
"..Grey cases - I believe these began to switch to silver about 1962 although this would have been a very long switchover due to the wide variety of case types in inventory.
Don't forget that Electro guitars had brown cases.
Silver cases - (red lining, blue lining, blue luminescent lining)
These continued probably into the early 70's with the same changeover problems as mentioned above. But then, of course, they were brought back
again in 1984 for the vintage series. Linings varied with the textile markets and supplier- not only the color but the textile pattern as well.
Black tolex - These continued until the mid 90's when we began to try several different type of molded cases.
Here's info you probably don't have- the case makers themselves:
1. Victoria Luggage- The original silver and black case supplier. Out of business. Strange story. Owner, Sid Handler, was son of Mattel Toy
founder, Ruth Handler. When she was bumped due to SEC violations in 1974, family empire collapsed.
2. DeCuir Sample Case- Alternate supplier of black cases. Out of business more or less due to death of owner.
3. Geib Case- Alternate supplier of black and molded cases, major supplier to Gibson since the 1930's. Chicago based until 1980s, they moved to California. Out of business due to death of owner, Nick Geib. World respected yachtsman, endorser of Bacardi Rum due to many wins of
the Miami-Havana race.
4. G & G Case- Alternate supplier of black and silver cases in past, continues to be supplier of silver cases. Founded by Ben Germain, factory manager of Victoria Luggage when they closed.
5. SKB- Molder cases only. Saunders, Kottman, and Brown. Brown was owner of very large music store, funded Saunders and Kottman in their small
enterprise. Brown bought out and SKB becomes very large case supplier to gun, golf, sporting, and scientific community, remaining in music
products as well.
Hope this helps a little. Cheers, John Hall..."
The 60's cases on the other hand, have a varing degree of linings and hardware; Rickenbacker used more than one case vendor in the sixties....
Here is an earlier post from John Hall concering Rickenbacker cases...
"..Grey cases - I believe these began to switch to silver about 1962 although this would have been a very long switchover due to the wide variety of case types in inventory.
Don't forget that Electro guitars had brown cases.
Silver cases - (red lining, blue lining, blue luminescent lining)
These continued probably into the early 70's with the same changeover problems as mentioned above. But then, of course, they were brought back
again in 1984 for the vintage series. Linings varied with the textile markets and supplier- not only the color but the textile pattern as well.
Black tolex - These continued until the mid 90's when we began to try several different type of molded cases.
Here's info you probably don't have- the case makers themselves:
1. Victoria Luggage- The original silver and black case supplier. Out of business. Strange story. Owner, Sid Handler, was son of Mattel Toy
founder, Ruth Handler. When she was bumped due to SEC violations in 1974, family empire collapsed.
2. DeCuir Sample Case- Alternate supplier of black cases. Out of business more or less due to death of owner.
3. Geib Case- Alternate supplier of black and molded cases, major supplier to Gibson since the 1930's. Chicago based until 1980s, they moved to California. Out of business due to death of owner, Nick Geib. World respected yachtsman, endorser of Bacardi Rum due to many wins of
the Miami-Havana race.
4. G & G Case- Alternate supplier of black and silver cases in past, continues to be supplier of silver cases. Founded by Ben Germain, factory manager of Victoria Luggage when they closed.
5. SKB- Molder cases only. Saunders, Kottman, and Brown. Brown was owner of very large music store, funded Saunders and Kottman in their small
enterprise. Brown bought out and SKB becomes very large case supplier to gun, golf, sporting, and scientific community, remaining in music
products as well.
Hope this helps a little. Cheers, John Hall..."
-
mark_telfer
- Veteran RRF member
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2001 3:48 am
The one thing in John's post that gives me pause is that silver cases were supposedly brought back in '84. I have never seen a reissue silver case before the John Lennon Limited Edition came out in '89. I'd think that if they existed before then, The JK, RM, and PT would have had them as well as the Vintage Series. Of course I have been wrong before.
When I received my 660/12TP Jetglo a few years ago after buying it on eBay, I was pleasantly surprised to find it inside an original 1960s 450 case, something the seller didn't mention in the description. As Bob said above, it was instantly recognizable for what it was.
It is better, of course, to know useless things than to know nothing. - Seneca
