BEWARE Spider Cases review - Flightcase Warehouse - Nitro damage

Voxman

If they've sold hundreds of cases over 5 years with no problems reported, there's no reason the store would have any reasons to doubt the case being fit for purpose.  I therefore think you need to prove your case (no pun intended) by obtaining bonafide independent professional evidence that it was THAT case which damaged THAT guitar and that means a definitive chemical test - not just an opinion based on pictures or a luthier looking at the guitar.  If supported scientifically, and because all Gibson Les Pauls have nitro-cellulose finishes, then I think you may have a case.  The length of storage is irrelevant - it's simply a matter of fact in that the case is either made or not made of materials that have reacted with your nitro-cellulose finish. 

However the point about it being made to fit a Les Paul style guitar with no statement re nitro-cellulose suitability is an interesting one. My view is that any case sold to fit a Les Paul shaped guitar is by definition likely to be bought by someone with a Gibson Les Paul and if the case is not suitable for a nitro finish, you could argue that the marketing description should have made this clear.  Conversely, there is a counter argument that if the manufacturing blurb did not clarify the position and you did not specifically ask beforehand, then at least some responsibility might be deemed to rest with you.

So, as with most things in life, things are often not as clear cut and obvious as they might at first seem, and it may not necessarily be fair to castigate the store.  

BloodEagle

Yeah, I’d just move on to be honest 

nibs

Yeah - getting tests done...

nibs

Yeah - prove my case for the case - I like it!!

 The thing is when I puchased the guitar case I went through the Flightcase Warehouse website links which said guitar cases for 'Gibson' Les Paul Guitar cases - see here:

http://www.flightcasewarehouse.co.uk/industry/index.asp?section=gibson-guitar-cases-3959

So obviously thought they were perfectly fine for 'Gibson' Guitars - which all have a nitro finish.

Even their Ebay ads state:
"We are the flightcase experts. We know exactly how to build and construct flight cases that offer supreme protection. Our flight cases are constructed in our warehouse with expert care and attention offering the complete protective case you’re looking for."

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spider-Hard-Electric-Guitar-Flight-Case-For-Epiphone-Les-Paul-Studio/162874481695?epid=2172348371&hash=item25ec135c1f:g:nP8AAOSw7ZlZnCvb

Obviously not ....

John_A

Have you had a quote for a repair!  I still reckon it won't be expensive, I've DIYd far worse with success 

nibs

...yeah just waiting on quotes...

rlw

nibs said:

Yeah - prove my case for the case - I like it!!

 The thing is when I puchased the guitar case I went through the Flightcase Warehouse website links which said guitar cases for 'Gibson' Les Paul Guitar cases - see here:

http://www.flightcasewarehouse.co.uk/industry/index.asp?section=gibson-guitar-cases-3959

So obviously thought they were perfectly fine for 'Gibson' Guitars - which all have a nitro finish.

Even their Ebay ads state:
"We are the flightcase experts. We know exactly how to build and construct flight cases that offer supreme protection. Our flight cases are constructed in our warehouse with expert care and attention offering the complete protective case you’re looking for."

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spider-Hard-Electric-Guitar-Flight-Case-For-Epiphone-Les-Paul-Studio/162874481695?epid=2172348371&hash=item25ec135c1f:g:nP8AAOSw7ZlZnCvb

Obviously not ....

How old is the guitar?  Very recent?  Could the nitro not have hardened yet?

nibs

Guitar is 2013 model - no problems in Gibson soft case - only problem occured when put into Flightcase Warehouse case - I wouldn't think the nitro wouldn't have hardend in just that place in the shape and position of the tab though tbh....

John_A

Yes yes to certainly the case that's caused the damage, but so do loads of stands and straps

nibs

John_A said:

Yes yes to certainly the case that's caused the damage, but so do loads of stands and straps

Yeah I know but those stands and straps aren't designed and sold to 'protect' the guitar.....also aren't sold as 'recommended Gibson guitar cases'...

John_A

nibs said:

John_A said:

Yes yes to certainly the case that's caused the damage, but so do loads of stands and straps

Yeah I know but those stands and straps aren't designed and sold to 'protect' the guitar.....also aren't sold as 'recommended Gibson guitar cases'...

They are sold to hold a guitar and can damage some finishes.  

BloodEagle

What is your ideal outcome from this OP?

StuartMac290

The "we've sold hundreds of these and nobody's ever complained before" line is exactly what they said to me when I complained about a case they sold me too, but I was just complaining because the case was shite. 

I'm pretty sure they're not making these cheap cases, I'm fairly certain they're Chinese-made and FW is just distributing them. 

Legionreturns

Whole thing could have been avoided by just fitting the tab on the corner instead of where the neck rests. Ridiculously easy fix that I can't believe they didn't do in the first place. 

I'd like to think if I'd put my guitar on there and realised it was resting on the tab, I'd have taken it back / ripped the tab off because I'd not want it like that nitro or otherwise.

Winny_Pooh

BloodEagle said:

What is your ideal outcome from this OP?

This is the only time he's posted here so it's clear that this thread was designed purely as leverage to show to FW rather than to get actual opinions (thread already sent to them if you see their email response). How much money he wants is the unknown. 

clarkefan

Case not fit for purpose, they didn't say anything about "don't store a guitar in this case", who could, that's what they're for.

Shameful behaviour by Flightcase Warehouse, sort to hard to believe really, they should be making every effort to make this right, not the director geezer washing their hands with flat refusals like it's 1976 or something.   

Flightcase Warehouse can get knotted, no chance am I ever considering their stuff in the future thanks to their reaction to the OP's story and that director's er attitude.

Imagine if the guitar was properly valuable, bloody hell. 

OP I hope you get their marketing director on the phone on Monday wondering how they can possibly sort this out.

Three-ColourSunburst

nibs said:

obviously thought they were perfectly fine for 'Gibson' Guitars - which all have a nitro finish.

I didn't know this. Thanks for the heads up / warning. Another reason for not buying a Gibson!

tony99

I'd find it a bit strange if this is the only case (again no pun) of this happening.

Surely they've sold a few of these with the offending tab in the same place, and surely other owners would've stored their pride n joy in one of these and therefore suffered the same fate ..... surely to goodness

OK I'll stop calling every1 shirley now

HPhillipsmusic

Seems like bad luck bro. I'm guessing they have sold 100's of those cases and can't have had many complaints like this otherwise they simply would have adjusted the design, rather than fend off too many potential court cases. 

Obviously not stella response from FW, but I see where the guys coming from, and I understand his reason for not immediately offering to pay for your luthiers bill. He's probably a fairly small company, and I'm sure for every unfortunate example of this happening to a nitro guitar, I bet there are plenty of people with nitro guitars on this forum with that case who have never had a problem. Yeah they should adjust the position of the leather - probably didn't think too deeply about a hard case for guitars and spent more time thinking about how to protect it from external damage. Not ideal I know, no one wants to see guitars hurting! 

Just seems like bad luck, take the refund, get the guitar fixed - hope that FW make some changes so this doesnt happen to anyone else, and move on! We all know damage of all kinds can come to a guitar even in a hard case and we've all seen how leather straps, coiled cables have all damaged nitro guitars - they're guitar products too but we just have to remember to be vigilant about how we store things (not easy if you're dopey like me) . Most guitarists have to get something fixed at some point. Just remember to get that baby out more often and give it a play! 

Good luck getting it fixed bud

tony99

OP's taking a stand, you have to admire that in this day and age