Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Following on the heels of the case/latch thread, here's one I don't think anyone has covered yet; Where the heck do you find that cool crushed/wrinkled velvet material, or whatever it is actually referred to, if you need to re-line the inside of an old case?Do case mfrs. have this stuff proprietarily made just for them? If not, Where do you get it???I've looked high and low in various fabric and upholstery supply shops, and No One can tell me anything.If you could contact the case co., would They sell you any?BTW, John Hall, do Rick and Fender both use the same case mfr[at least on classic "vintage" style cases?]Don't I recall you saying in another thread awhile back that you use "G and G"?I'm sure more than a few of us here with older Ricks must have cases whose interiors are either, worn, torn, ripped, or needing musty insides redone, if only we could find the "right stuff".I can't be alone in thinking about this one...Thanks to Anyone with info on this.

Oddly, I have seen it around occasionally. Last time was at A1 Foam and Fabric in Santa Ana, a couple of miles north of the RIC offices on the same street.

But at the time (a couple of years ago...) I had no cases that needed repair, so I bought none. But, yes, it is available.

I think an auto upholstery supplier is your best bet.

The tigerskin crushed velvet is especially...er...tasteful.

http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_items.aspx?TypID=89&ViewBy=Types&OVRAW=crushed%20velvet%20cloth&OVKEY=crushed%20velvet&OVMTC=advanced
Don This is your link to the Crushed Velvet. Scroll thru to the next to last page and you will see the Red And Gold C.V. They sell it by the yard.

Sorry Don .. Make that the 3rd page on their list and you will find the Crushed Velvet.

One thing to watch out for when buying crushed velvet (and I have no advice how to test for this) is that it may contain some oil that will pattern the guitar. It has something to do with the rollers that make the pattern which must be lubricated.

The case makers (such as G & G Quality Case in Los Angeles that make our vintage type and many other for Fender, et al.) choose fabric suppliers that have oil-free material.

For all I know, they may wash or dry clean it first and you could do the same.

John: Is this the material your Dad used to cover the tables at the old NAMM events? In the old pics/slides is really resembles that kind of fabric.

Same stuff, yes. I still have all that too!

Now THAT's cool.

Great info! Thanks, guys!

This is a timely thread. Lately I've been thinking of getting some foam of some sort to make some inserts for my vintage silver case. Something basically form-fitting like a modern 330 case so that my 360/12v64 doesn't flop around inside the case. As it is now, the treble tuners (most notably for the G strings) bang against the inside of the case when it's in the carrying position because nothing holds the guitar straight in the case.

Now that we've got a source for the fabric, I'm wondering about what type of foam to use. I don't want to get something that will emit gasses that could damage the finish, so what type should I look for, or what type should I avoid?

John makes a good point about washing the oils out of the fabric too. I'm sure we've all seen guitars that have that kind of finish "imprint" he's talking about. I just want to take this a step further and use the correct type of foam too.

Any ideas?

The foam choice is absolutely critical as some types outgas which is guaranteed to plasticize the finish. Honestly, I don't know the tradename of the correct material although I can tell you it's dark gray and fairly close-celled. I have heard the casemakers refer to it as "memory foam" which refers to its ability to return to shape after compression.

The ivory stuff used in cushions and packaging deteriorates rather quickly and we see guitars damaged by this all the time.

I'm going to have to show your comment to our sound guy/backup singer/rythm guitar player. He keeps a piece of furniture cushion foam in the (non-original) case to keep the guitar sitting properly.
Thanks for the information, Mr. Hall, I'm sure he will take the warning seriously & prevent damage to the guitar.
If anyone does know the name of the proper foam, please let us all know.

Thanks for the info on the foam, John. I knew that cushion type stuff wouldn't be good.