Advice sought - repairing case latch

JerkMoans

Wonder if I might pick the brains of all the clever folks on here.  

Acquired the Holy Grail of Rickenbacker accessories, in the form of a case that didn't require a second mortgage.  The trade off, besides a little area of damage, is that it has a broken latch.  'How hard can it be to find and fit a replacement?', I asked myself.  'Very' howled the Internet in sardonic response to my petty hubris.

As I disconsolately prowl eBay and Google, anyone know where a replacement may be obtained?  My plan then is either (a) to try to replace myself with the aid of a couple of videos I found, or (b) to hock it into the local shoe and luggage repair chap to see if he can do it.

Pictures! First, the working one, then its broken companion.

Teyeplayer

Surely that’s just a generic part used by multiple cases across the industry (despite the usual rickenbacker determination to use only weird unique parts that cost a small fortune)? 

Lovely looking case btw, I was looking at it myself and trying to work out if I had the required skill. 

JerkMoans

Teyeplayer said:

Surely that’s just a generic part used by multiple cases across the industry (despite the usual rickenbacker determination to use only weird unique parts that cost a small fortune)? 

Lovely looking case btw, I was looking at it myself and trying to work out if I had the required skill. 

I'm sure it is, but finding a spare is proving elusive thus far...  The Quest continueth!

ICBM

The easiest way to fix that is to cut the pivot pin and replace just the moving part - then replace the pin with a small bolt & nut, or similar. Undoing the rivetting to replace the whole catch is a right pain.

Unfortunately I don't have any of the right parts... I checked .

JerkMoans

ICBM said:

The easiest way to fix that is to cut the pivot pin and replace just the moving part - then replace the pin with a small bolt & nut, or similar. Undoing the rivetting to replace the whole catch is a right pain.

Unfortunately I don't have any of the right parts... I checked .

Thanks for the advice - you are of course entirely correct, as against the internal sabotage required to dick about with the rivets/install new ones.  And thanks for looking for the part.  Surely these things can't be that obscure..?

PhilKing

There is this on ebay in the US:
https://www.ebay.com/i/322233001236?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=322233001236&targetid=917185845248&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9009739&poi=&campaignid=10460085294&mkgroupid=109413764851&rlsatarget=aud-762207186714:pla-917185845248&abcId=2145999&merchantid=113601930&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwL_P3-DW6gIVUb7ACh2zLg2qEAQYBiABEgKZwfD_BwE

There are a few others if you look up Cheney Case Latch

ICBM

JerkMoans said:

Surely these things can't be that obscure..?

Have a look for an old brown 'leather' (often cardboard!) suitcase - some of these have identical latches, or at least the top part - and although antiques dealers charge silly money for nice ones, you can often find wrecked ones, especially the cardboard variety, for next to nothing.

JerkMoans

PhilKing said:

There is this on ebay in the US:
https://www.ebay.com/i/322233001236?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=322233001236&targetid=917185845248&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9009739&poi=&campaignid=10460085294&mkgroupid=109413764851&rlsatarget=aud-762207186714:pla-917185845248&abcId=2145999&merchantid=113601930&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwL_P3-DW6gIVUb7ACh2zLg2qEAQYBiABEgKZwfD_BwE

There are a few others if you look up Cheney Case Latch

Thanks - yes they all seem to be in the USA for some reason.  

Kittyfrisk

Ooh, I love a challenge.
You might try this company  http://www.eyland.co.uk/locks.htm
Their website is shite ermmm...basic, but according to the information, they bought out Cheney, including the staff!
If you go to Downloads, select the 'Buckles' pdf & scoot to the bottom of the page where the Cheney stuff is, you might just see a hasp at the top centre that looks promising.
I have no idea of costs, suitability, or if you will have to purchase 1,000's of any given item, but it looks interesting 

JerkMoans

Kittyfrisk said:

Ooh, I love a challenge.
You might try this company  http://www.eyland.co.uk/locks.htm
Their website is shite ermmm...basic, but according to the information, they bought out Cheney, including the staff!
If you go to Downloads, select the 'Buckles' pdf & scoot to the bottom of the page where the Cheney stuff is, you might just see a hasp at the top centre that looks promising.
I have no idea of costs, suitability, or if you will have to purchase 1,000's of any given item, but it looks interesting 

Thanks!  That website looks likesomehting from the Dawn of Time, but I think I may just email our chums at Eyland.  Assuming they have email of course  

mooncat

jwhite-guitarworkshops.co.uk sell those latches, there listed under guitar case parts.

JerkMoans

mooncat said:

jwhite-guitarworkshops.co.uk sell those latches, there listed under guitar case parts.

Oooh oooh ooooh.  Thank you!

GavRichList

Or email G&G directly. They seem really pro-active on social media - I’ve always found them
quite chatty on Instagram; they’ll probably be able to sort you out. 

Also, you shit. I was hovering

JerkMoans

GavRichList said:

Or email G&G directly. They seem really pro-active on social media - I’ve always found them
quite chatty on Instagram; they’ll probably be able to sort you out. 

Also, you shit. I was hovering

On balance, lol'd: you snooze, you lose in the crazy madcap world of used Ric case snafflement  

And, thanks for the suggestion re G&G  

Kittyfrisk

JerkMoans said:

GavRichList said:

Or email G&G directly. They seem really pro-active on social media - I’ve always found them
quite chatty on Instagram; they’ll probably be able to sort you out. 

Also, you shit. I was hovering

On balance, lol'd: you snooze, you lose in the crazy madcap world of used Ric case snafflement  

And, thanks for the suggestion re G&G  

Nice of you two to kiss & make up 

I hadn't realised the case was a G&G.
I did a search on ' g&g guitar case latches' & unearthed a mountain of owners with exactly the same issue 

This site has a possible fitting fix (last comment)  https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=269113