Elaine Frizzell

[TerryTNM]

Hi Eddie,
Seeing the photo of the 'student' model with the case, looks like the cases Semie had made for his earlier guitars of Joe, Larry, etc. Do you have any knowledge of where the cases were made? All I can recall is that he'd go somewhere and pick them up.

Also, Paul made the observation that the student model truly does look like a flipped Strat. Great photo.

-T

[EFElliott]

Hey Terry,

I've been trying to find out myself who made those little brown cases,
no one seems to know. Are they Guild cases?
When I worked for Semie he was buying his cases from Victoria Lugage in L.A.
The guitar case guys at Victoria went off and started there own company,
G & G quality case co. I had them build me a batch 12 of the alligator cases a month ago.
These are real nice cases, I need to order another batch soon ,the 12 are already sold.

You can see in that little guitar in the photo has more of the Strat-ish flair than the full blown
Ventures shape, That Guitar belonged to a guitar picker out in Lamont, Ca. named "Rabbit"
Well Rabbit took his guitar Bill Gruggett for some work, Bill remembered the guitar and traded
Rabbit one of his brand new Custom Brass Rail guitars for the litte ol' plane Mosrite. The last time I saw Rabbit out playing music he was playing the Brass Bail, he liked it alot, very,very beautiful guitar. But Rabbit was Sick over trading of his Mosrite, he didn't realize it had such Historical Value at the time of the trade.
Anyway Bill traded the guitar to Artie, the last time I saw the guitar 18 years ago it was hanging High on the wall at Front Porch Music.

Eddy

[TerryTNM]

Good info Eddie,

I contacted G & G and sent them a few pictures of the original cases. Not holding out to much hope that the alligator vinyl will still be available but it's worth a shot. I'm getting my cases now from Cedar Creek.

Thanks - Terry

BTW, Deke has been trying to figure out where they came from too.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Good info Eddie,

I contacted G & G and sent them a few pictures of the original cases. Not holding out to much hope that the alligator vinyl will still be available but it's worth a shot. I'm getting my cases now from Cedar Creek.

Thanks - Terry

BTW, Deke has been trying to figure out where they came from too.

Eddy and Terry,
Are you referring to the Alligator Cases of the Production Run of the 60's, or are you
referring to first ones that Semie was using?

[TerryTNM]

Dennis,
All three of your pictures look close to the one I've been looking for especially the one at the bottom and may well have come from the Victoria Luggage Co. as Eddie mentioned. Here is a picture of the one that Semie got for me for the (Ernie) Deke guitar in 1959. This one has a different handle and the alligator imprint on the vinyl. It would just be neat if I could find these squared off, more vintage looking cases. I'm waiting to see if G & G will be able to duplicate them for a reasonable price.

Terry

[Dennisthe Menace]

Well, hopefully if that's the case (no pun intended), maybe the founders of G&G Case Company,
Ben Germain and Efren Guzman, will know and be able to give us some Info (as well as Cases) .

[gplayer]

The Hallmark 60 custom's have the alligator vinyl for their cases. So the material is still available...just maybe offshore.

[Dennisthe Menace]

The Hallmark 60 custom's have the alligator vinyl for their cases. So the material is still available...just maybe offshore.

Oh....I thought Hallmark was using the G&G Cases, or were they TKLs?......

[sleeperNY]

Hallmarks are TKL cases if I remember right. I can check mine to see.

Jim

[gplayer]

They are TKL's. but, I think they're made in China.

ETA: I just checked mine. I don't see any markings at all on it. I'm not sure where I got the idea they were TKL.