-
Recently purchased a TKL case for my 175-sized guitar. The case is fine but the design is such that the guitar’s neck is only supported at one point near the guitar’s body. The rest of the neck is just floating inside the case. I’ve never seen a case that didn’t support the neck at 2 points.
Is this safe for the guitar? I’m worried if a drop is encountered the neck may break with a support such as this.
-
08-23-2025 12:04 PM
-
I'd probably get some type of pillow under the headstock. I'd have to agree with you seems a bit odd. Nothing surprises me anymore!
-
Really?!?! I don't think I've ever seen a case that did support the neck at 2 points!
Originally Posted by chris32895
...at least, not at 2 discrete, non-contiguous points.
-
That must be the Premier line. This Premier for a 175 lists for $229:
It's a good case that's probably fine as long as you're not roughly dragging it around to / at a lot of gigs, shipping in it, or subjecting the guitar to significant risk of drops / knockovers / etc. But the TKL Performer and LTD models for 175 both have two neck supports.
Performer ($209 list):
LTD ($289 list):
Assuming the inside of the top is in gentle contact with the fingerboard, I'd put a pad of medium density polyurethane upholstery foam on the top of the case pocket to provide more support for the neck. It comes in many thicknesses, so you need to pick the one that's a little thicker than the widest clearance between the neck and the pocket top. For most hard cases, a 2" piece would be fine. If the clearance is an inch or less, you might need 1 1/2" of foam. If the clearance is wedge shaped or trapezoidal, you can cut and shape upholstery foam easily with an electric carving knife or a strip knife. To prevent finish damage on the neck, I'd wrap the foam in cloth that's used for case lining. I don't know if PU foam will damage a finish if left in contact long enough, but I'd hate to find out the hard way. Poly's probably fine against it, but I wouldn't keep a nitro or other thin and less durable finish pressed againt it except to carry it to and from gigs.
I would not put anything under the headstock. That could cause enough upward pressure on it to break it if the case is knocked or dropped. If you're really concerned, exchange the case for one of those with 2 supports.
-
yeah, my cheap epiphone case has 2 supports. It should fit your guitar too.
Epiphone Emperor Hardshell Guitar Case | Guitar Center
-
My Campellone came in an Ltd, it does indeed have supports at both sides of the string pocket. And BYW he shipped it with the headstock well supported. Probably unnecessary for day to day use, at least I don't do it.
The LTD is a great case, but a bit heavy. All well made plywood cases are.Last edited by bluejaybill; 08-24-2025 at 05:29 PM. Reason: Stupidity
-
Hopefully it didn't die painfully Originally Posted by bluejaybill
btw, what's byw?
-
I was considering returning this TKL case and getting on of these. Besides the support being OK for the neck how's the quality? I've seen a couple reviews saying the quality is too cheap. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
yeah, my cheap epiphone case has 2 supports. It should fit your guitar too.
Epiphone Emperor Hardshell Guitar Case | Guitar Center
-
I saw those reviews too. I don’t know what their problem is. It’s a fine case, no worries taking my ‘52 Gretsch around in it. Originally Posted by chris32895
-
If you're a traveling professional, you probably need a flight case. If you're a local, giggin' player, a gig bag is fine! Although I have a few guitars with HSC's, they are only in the cases at home; otherwise, for gigs I use gig bags! I don't worry about neck support when the guitar is simply sitting in my room.
-
Me too! But get a good one. The gig bag is no place to cut costs or corners, since mishap sneaks up and bites you in a flash. I have 14”, 16”, and 17” Mono bags, but there are many excellent alternatives. A flimsy bag is worse than none because it gives a false sense of security. Originally Posted by marcwhy
All of my guitars live in hard cases with humidipacks. Our apartment is too small for a huge room humidifier, and we can’t get RH above 30% during heating season with smaller ones (which we use). I take them out of the case to play them, and I transport them in gig bags without humidification. But when I get home, they get wiped down and go back in the case.
-
I prefer nothing against the headstock. Originally Posted by skiboyny
-
I have one of those and its worked fine for my uses. My only observation was its pretty darn heavy.
-
Nice proofreading on my part! Corrected for posterity. Originally Posted by wintermoon
Hopefully it didn't die painfully
btw, what's byw?
-
Boblen makes a variety of plywood hardshell cases for TKL at different price points. Their various dreadnought cases fit ES-175-style guitars quite nicely. The budget flattop / single neck-rest dreadnought case that you bought works just fine for most purposes short of touring. So long as the case is handled with a bit of care and not banged around, it should be fine.
-
A gig bag next to a tube amp in the back of the car… which one’s going to win? A hard case gives my guitar a chance and me some peace of mind. Originally Posted by marcwhy
-
Y'know how I know you haven't paid attention to modern gigbags? Originally Posted by AllanAllen
I'll happily park my Mono M80, Mono Vertigo, or ProTec Contego in the back seat of a car with a tube amp.
And there are at least a half dozen other contemporary models by a variety of manufacturers that are equally robust.
This is not your father's foam-lined fabric bag.
-
What's odd is that the OP's puchase is not a budget case. I was surprised to see that it lists for more than the model below it, but that the less expensive model has 2 neck supports. This is why I included the list prices in my earlier post showing that the TKLs above and below the OP's in cost both have 2 supports. Originally Posted by Hammertone
FWIW, I don't recall any standard Gibson HSC with 2 neck supports before the 1990s. I'm pretty sure that my '59 345, '60 175, '69 L5, and ~'91 165 all came in cases with single neck support like the OP's. But at least some of those cases also had a pad in the top that held the neck securely over the single support. Since I don't see that in most modern hard cases, I wonder if the second support was added instead of the top pad.
I'm not sure when that second support above the case pocket was added, but it's a relatively recent development. It makes sense that a support closer to the headstock would reduce the risk of snapping in the event of a drop or knock-over. I se that recent GIbson cases have two supports and no pad in the top. But the inside of the top fits snugly against the strings and fingerboard. So I don't know what (if any) science has been used to design better cases, but they're all over the map. Here's a current Gibson L5 case:
-
Just an excuse to post a pic of my '05 in it's case with 2 neck supports!!
-
One of the reasons I bought it somewhat blind was because TKL has a good reputation behind it and it's one of the few cases specific to a 175. I have seen guitar cases either with 2 neck supports or 1 but with a much longer area with which the neck is supported.
I considered getting foam and sticking it in that gap but I've decided against it and am simply going to return the case. I have been cautious putting my guitar in the case and even if it's probably fine, I'd want a case that I feel confident will protect my instrument.
-
It's gorgeous! You can see the imprint of the strings in the top lining, so you know the top is adding to neck support by stabilizing it against those two cradles. I don't like hard cases that have space between the inside of the top and the strings. Any room for the guitar to shift up and down makes it that much more prone to a headstock break if the neck bounces up and back in a fall. Originally Posted by garybaldy
The Ameritage case that my El Rey came in has both a double cradle support system and a pad in the top. Both yours and mine are models of excellence for cases. I like yours a bit more because the upper cradle is almost at the headstock and the top secures the entire neck. Mine has a humidifier above the case pocket. I'd have put the upper cradle where the humidifer box is and made the case pocket longer. I'd also have put either a longer pad or a thicker lining in the top to hold the fingerboard / neck all the way up.
-
Thanks. My 175 is in a nice case as well. It's not as old as the guitar and not quite as tight a fit as the L5.
-
Whilst I'm on a roll here's my Les Paul in its' case. My only other Gibson is an SG but that came in a gig bag which is falling apart.
-
Get one of those tubular travel neck pillows with microbeads (OK, some environmental concern here) and stuff it under the length of the neck. What's good for your neck is also good for the guitar's neck.
Make your own by getting a pack of microbeads and stuffing a pair of woman's hoses with it.
-
I do like the modern cases that have double neck supports. Having said that, a lot of vintage guitars have survived for decades in old cases that only had single neck supports. Unless you’re shipping a guitar, I wouldn’t worry about it at all.
Keith
Reply With Quote
Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
Today, 05:20 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos