How absolutely bizarre! - but now resolved & found a key that fits!

Voxman

One of my guitar cases, a Hiscox Liteflite, has locked itself in the open position.  I bought it new maybe 20 yrs ago and I'm buggered if I can find the original keys as I've never used them. 

As I said - absolutely bizarre!!    I've dropped Hiscox a line to see if they might be able to help.

JerkMoans

Poltergeist 

(I presume you’ve tried all the obvious application of lubricant, jiggling with small screwdriver type home remedies..?)

Voxman

JerkMoans said:

Poltergeist 

(I presume you’ve tried all the obvious application of lubricant, jiggling with small screwdriver type home remedies..?)

Yup...won't open.  

TA22GT

Is the guitar inside or outside the case? 
If it's inside it might be some considerable time before you see it again!

Forget the small screwdrivers and jiggling...an axe will do it.

Voxman

TA22GT said:

Is the guitar inside or outside the case? 
If it's inside it might be some considerable time before you see it again!

Forget the small screwdrivers and jiggling...an axe will do it.

Outside...locked in open position fortunately as per OP. 

TA22GT

Oh I see now! I thought you meant the lock had locked itself in the "open position of the lock itself " meaning you hadn't turned the key to lock it. 
A bit slow but I got there.

ICBM

Use any other guitar case key made by any other company ever.

Voxman

TA22GT said:

Oh I see now! I thought you meant the lock had locked itself in the "open position of the lock itself " meaning you hadn't turned the key to lock it. 
A bit slow but I got there.

No, you got it. I can't close the case properly.

robgilmo

Looking at the locks on my Fender case and the keys that cam with it I will never lock it, ever. If it ever locked itself tapping it with a spoon would probably fix it.

mudslide73

I bought a case sans keys and Hiscox sent me some free replacements. They really are the bees knees.

Voxman

Well I'll be jiggered.  I rummaged our drawers for old keys we'd kept for donkeys years and found a bag left by the folk we bought our house from 16 yrs ago - radiator keys, window keys, alarm keys - and some keys that looked like they might be the right size...and I found two linked together that fit, and my Hiscox case now opens and closes as it should. 

But to lock or unlock the case takes serious and deliberate 'force' - when I say force I mean re normal locking action, i.e. you have to turn the lock past a point where the mechanism 'grabs' to turn the cylinders - not 'brute force' (if that makes sense).  So I simply don't understand how the case could possibly have locked itself, but it did. 

It's a very strange mystery but at least the problem has now been resolved. 

olafgarten

Voxman said:

Well I'll be jiggered.  I rummaged our drawers for old keys we'd kept for donkeys years and found a bag left by the folk we bought our house from 16 yrs ago - radiator keys, window keys, alarm keys - and some keys that looked like they might be the right size...and I found two linked together that fit, and my Hiscox case now opens and closes as it should. 

But to lock or unlock the case takes serious and deliberate 'force' - when I say force I mean re normal locking action, i.e. you have to turn the lock past a point where the mechanism 'grabs' to turn the cylinders - not 'brute force' (if that makes sense).  So I simply don't understand how the case could possibly have locked itself, but it did. 

It's a very strange mystery but at least the problem has now been resolved. 

Do you have any kids? In my experience it is always a kid who causes things like this.

Or a Ghost. 

Voxman

olafgarten said:

Voxman said:

Well I'll be jiggered.  I rummaged our drawers for old keys we'd kept for donkeys years and found a bag left by the folk we bought our house from 16 yrs ago - radiator keys, window keys, alarm keys - and some keys that looked like they might be the right size...and I found two linked together that fit, and my Hiscox case now opens and closes as it should. 

But to lock or unlock the case takes serious and deliberate 'force' - when I say force I mean re normal locking action, i.e. you have to turn the lock past a point where the mechanism 'grabs' to turn the cylinders - not 'brute force' (if that makes sense).  So I simply don't understand how the case could possibly have locked itself, but it did. 

It's a very strange mystery but at least the problem has now been resolved. 

Do you have any kids? In my experience it is always a kid who causes things like this.

Or a Ghost. 

None under the age of 20 and they'd never touch my gear!  So gotta be one of them poltageist thingamees! 

Bridgehouse

You've not got one of these on your keyring have you?

Voxman

Bridgehouse said:

You've not got one of these on your keyring have you?

Sadly no...or he'd certainly have been the primary suspect.