my TKL case has the oddest balance point.
I have a TKL American vintage which is a little better...just a little better.
I found a Geib style leather handle at Elderly and I replaced the hard plastic handle that came on one of my cases with the one I got from Elderly. I repositioned it, making the balance point a little more toward the center. It's a huge improvement. It was easy to drill out the rivets that held the original one and it is easy to get under the padding to insert the new hardware.
13 Comments |
 | vega long neck says:
7/1/2014 10:57:15 AM
I agree with the balance point issue on the case. It also wouldn't accept a Vega Seeger model without drastically lowering the neck rest height and it's about 1/2 to 1 inch too short for the overall banjo length. The pot BARELY fits into the case due to an excess of foam.
The case is well made, it just does NOT fit my Seeger.
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 | john bange says:
7/1/2014 11:17:24 AM
That is another interesting point...my American Vintage TKL fits my Vega but not my Gibson. The pot is too deep on the Gibson and I would be afraid to snap it closed. My standard TKL fits my Gibson and has the same issues you mentioned my Vega. I know the only way a Vega Folklore can fit one of these is with a towel under the pot. The neck rest is way off. I have used the standard case with Gold Tones without any fit problems. As to length, they are just long enough.
They are wide enough to allow the use of guitar type tuners but just barely.
That said, for the money, I think they are the best out there if you don't want to wait for an American Vintage or Ceder Creek. I think Deering has an import that they will sell too.
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| vega long neck says:
7/1/2014 1:29:53 PM
I understand that Deering has one now, or is developing one, that is to fit their reproduction Vega LN models.
Like I said, I found the TKL well built but it in no way did fit my Vega without major rework to bring it up to to acceptable. I mostly use a gig-bag for local plaing anyhow.
John: Any leads on a Grover 5th string tuner to match the set of 4 you're advertising?
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| john bange says:
7/1/2014 1:54:38 PM
I don't. Years ago, I saw some Grover planet sets with a geared 5th on ebay...wish I had bought one.
I'm using Kluson clones made by Schaller. I was able to find some keystone knobs on ebay that I can file to fit the 5 Star 5th...hence, my comment about the width of the cases.
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 | raymond66 says:
7/1/2014 3:30:15 PM
I agree with the balance issue. I assembled my own long neck. It fits fine but the handle is not positioned correctly unless you have a very heavy pot i.e.mastertone type tone ring. the lightness of the tube-a-phone pot makes the headstock end of the case dip down in an uncomfortable way.
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 | Helix says:
7/3/2014 5:57:11 AM
It seems casemakers don't actually USE their own cases. I've seen many handles off the line and corrected a few.
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| vega long neck says:
7/3/2014 6:54:48 AM
Has anyone experience with the LN cases from Deering? I had a nice conversation with Janet about the problem at Merlfest two years ago and she agreed with us. I bought a Vega reproduction that day ( another interesting story that ended with my wife almost demanding I buy the banjo!) so I didn't get to test a LN case (they didn't have a LN or LN case at the festival)
I was actually plugging pretty hard for Deering to make a sturdy Gig bag for their Vega reproduction LN at the time but sadly, she allowed there wasn't a sufficient market.
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 | darwinyarwin says:
7/3/2014 8:44:58 AM
That's an interesting point, Scott. I wonder just what market there is? Is there enough demand for, say. ... a small boutique run of LN cases? More than that? When I was searching about for my Ode's LN case, I briefly considered making one, but it seemed too expensive to just make a single case. I wonder if we long-neckers should maybe tool-up and make a couple dozen? At least we'd get the handles right! :)
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| vega long neck says:
7/3/2014 1:30:15 PM
Even as we engage in this thread, I have Betty Vornbrock making a custom long neck gig bag for me. She's a well-known fiddle player in this area and also an equally well known maker of wonderful custom bags.
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 | mainejohn says:
7/4/2014 4:49:39 AM
Speaking on longneck gigbags, I have Colorado Case making a custom longneck gigbag for me. I have one of theirs for my standard length openback and decided to go with CC because I like the one I already have. However I've heard good things about Betty and also Glenn Cronkhite in Berkeley. For the past few years I've been using my TKL, with a big sausage handle installed, forward of the old off-balance POS that came with the case. I ordered my gigbag with shoulder straps, as I like the hands-free aspect, and am tired of banging doors with the TKL.
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| vega long neck says:
7/4/2014 5:47:48 AM
I have a Colorado custom KNOWLEDGE case too. Nice with straps, goodie bag inside, embroidery etc. Nice heavy material.
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 | calypsojimmy says:
7/7/2014 9:35:43 PM
Just for the record: I have one of those American Vintage hardshell cases (approx. 10 yrs old) which as of today would sell at Elderly for precisely $400.00. (Note: My longneck is a clone of an original late 1958 Vega Pete Seeger Tubaphone w/wooden dowel ... the pot is a 1927 Vega Tubaphone 10 15/16" and a longneck made by Wyatt Fawley, to 1958 specs.)
Two things: (1) It seems like kind of a tight fit, but after 10 yrs, the banjo is unbelievably healthy: It intonates perfectly up to the very highest/last fret, and plays like a combination of butter &beautiful longneck growl.. i.e. the case has kept this banjo in perfection-condition for 10 yrs..., and (2) I might trade it straight-up (or sell it for enough $$) for a highest-quality Reunion-Blues-type gig bag.
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 | TonyS says:
7/12/2014 8:56:03 AM
I know - I was disappointed with my Gold Tone Case- seemed nice, but really off balance. I'm not one for drilling, maybe I should try, it's kinda useless as is -but I don't travel much so I'm using their gig bag...
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