Modern case for Ricky Panda

[Matt Berg]

Well my six string Rickenbacher seemed popular at rehearsal with my blues rock band last night. I used a gun case to transport it, they seem to work well for rectangular steels but not so happy with the fit with my Panda. Can anyone recommend some kind of modern replacement case that would be useful for protecting this guitar in transit?

[David Venzke]

Baritone Uke cases work for me. Double-check dimensions to make sure the guitar will fit well. You'll need to remove/rework the neck support. I also wrap the guitar with a black terry cloth towel.

[Matt Berg]

Looks like a soft case will work better than a hardshell, thanks for the tip

[Robert W Wilson]

This one designed to protect the Panda from a serious crash. Lined with ballistic foam, Baltic birch casework, all fasteners through bolted to t-nuts. Each compartment will fit a Mojo volume or effects pedal. The insulating quality dramatically reduces temperature induced tuning changes.

I love it and planned on building a run of these for sale but there is one glaring fault. The case alone weighs 10lbs. and fully loaded a porky 22lbs!

I hope to get a hold of some super light, marine grade honeycomb panels that are heat formable, and anticipate a sub-5lb ballistic grade Panda case.

Anyway, that's one of my impending retirement plans.

[Erv Niehaus]

How many alligators did it take to build that?

[Robert W Wilson]

Just 2, I was younger and way dumber back then Erv

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[Glenn Wilde]

Wow, that's a beautiful case, nice work. I could see my '36 living in such a case.

[Michael Kiese]

Aloha Matt,

I just came across this same issue with my A25 Frypan.

After following some leads, I settled on this 36" Plano Case. Made in the USA, and currently $85 on Amazon Prime Day special. Normally priced at $110.

As you can see, it easily accommodates two 24.5" scale frypans. I'll just cutout the pick'n pluck foam and make custom outlines. There's even enough space right in the middle to hold my bars and picks.

Also, it's MADE IN THE USA, baby.

I'd feel very secure checking this thing on a plane for a long flight.

About this item
PLANO ALL-WEATHER TACTICAL GUN CASE: Protect your firearms from damage with the Plano All Weather 36-inch Tactical Gun Case. Continuous Dri-Loc seal creates watertight, dust-proof shield, protecting your firearms from water damage and the elements.
RUGGED, INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH CONSTRUCTION is elevated with heavy-duty, dual-stage lockable latches for additional security.
EASY CUSTOMIZATION: Features pre-perforated pluck-to-fit foam for easy customization.
AIRLINE APPROVED: Pressure release valve equalizes pressure caused by altitude or temperature changes, making this rifle case safe for airline travel.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS: 36” Black Tactical rifle case. Made in the USA.
Interior: 37in x 14in x 5in Exterior: 38.4in x 16.8in x 6.4in

[Glenn Wilde]

My B6 fits perfectly in my Kala U Bass gig bag, the bag is totally unsuitable for the weight of that steel, however, Kala offers a hard case for the U Bass that is pretty affordable, I will probably order one and report back.

[Joseph Lazo]

That Plano rifle case is heavy-duty, and I do mean HEAVY. I have one and was surprised how heavy it is. (I didn't even look to see what it weighs when I ordered it.) Also, the lid flops open all the way. There's nothing to hold it up when you open the case. The guitar I got it for is longer than most lap steels, so it was the best option I could find.
One other nit: when you remove chunks of the pick and pull foam, it leaves the remaining chunks susceptible to coming loose since they no longer have surrounding pieces of foam around them.

[Michael Kiese]

Aloha Joseph,

I just weighed my case. It's 11.6 pounds. It feels pretty well balanced, it didn't strike me as heavy. Maybe yours is an older model?

My 8 string solid aluminum Frypan is 12.6 pounds. haha. My A25 is probably around half that weight.

It's funny how I think the case isn't that heavy, but I think the 8 string is heavy as heck. The difference is only 1 pound. Must be all about that weight distribution.

I probably should put the 8 string on top so that when I set the case on its side, the heavier item is closer to the ground, which will help its center of balance.

You're right about the lid flopping open all the way. Not a deal breaker to me. I could affix some kind of tether if I wanted.

The pick n pluck foam is what it is. It's quick, and it works if not ideal. I'm familiar with it from my experience with pelican cases. If you make the outline too small, then the friction of taking the item in/out will make the little rectangles abrade away.

One suggestion that I have for you is getting 3M spray glue and a thin sheet of felt. You could cover the pick and pluck foam with the felt flocking and it would give your case a more custom look. It would also alleviate the issue of the adjacent pieces of pick n pluck from abrading.

If I really wanted to, I could buy a block of cheap memory foam and carve out custom outlines for my steels. It's not terribly difficult. There's a military surplus store not far from my house that has a workstation where they supply the foam and cutting materials, and you do your own work customizing cases to fit whatever item you desire.

I think the flocking idea over the pick n pluck is probably less hassle.

I'll most likely do what you did and just stick with the pick n pluck. It doesn't bother me too much. The next step would be flocking and 3M spray glue.

I think Shoshanah (I probably spelled that wrong), one of the moderators on this forum has a sheep farm and makes felt wool flocking.

It's a cool idea for a project down the line.

Enjoy!

[Joseph Lazo]

Mike,
I like your idea of covering the foam with felt! As far as weight, I guess I'm used to "regular" guitar cases that weigh about half what this Plano case weighs. When I carry it around with the guitar inside, it feels like I could knock a hole in the drywall if I'm not careful with it.

I would like to figure out a way to keep the lid from flopping all the way open. That's more annoying to me than the weight or the the blocks of foam working loose.

[Matt Berg]

I got a bari uke gig bag. Seems adequate to get to and from the car, with some bubblewrap around the headstock, but not spectacular in any way

[Gary Anwyl]

When I was looking for a Ricky case I found some earlier forum posts in which people recommended modifying a viola case. I did it and it worked out well.

I got this SKB viola case.

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It was fairly simple to remove the pocket under the neck and cut out some of the styrofoam material to fit the square neck. I also had to remove some styrofoam around the head since it is wider than a viola.

There was enough leftover velvet material that I could cover up the area where the pocket used to be, so the modification looks pretty clean. I used contact cement to hold the velvet.

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There are some gaps at the upper bout and along the waist, but it is still supported well at the lower bout, along the sides and along the neck. There is padding on the top and bottom of the case. It doesn't shift around. It sits very snuggly and securely in the case.

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Build quality is comparable to other SKB guitar cases. There are higher end viola cases available if you want something heavier duty.

[Michael Kiese]

Mike,
I like your idea of covering the foam with felt! As far as weight, I guess I'm used to "regular" guitar cases that weigh about half what this Plano case weighs. When I carry it around with the guitar inside, it feels like I could knock a hole in the drywall if I'm not careful with it.

I would like to figure out a way to keep the lid from flopping all the way open. That's more annoying to me than the weight or the the blocks of foam working loose.

Yeah, felt or satin fabric. Something like that. 3M spray glue. People who do upholstery have that knowledge and skill set.

Good news is the lid issue is super easy to fix. Get a strip of cloth or leather and just staple gun it to the plastic. Or get a thin metal wire from a hardware store and affix an eyelet on each end, then screw it into the plastic. Easy peasy. Glue works too if you don’t wanna harm the plastic.

Try it out and let me know how it works for you.

[Michael Kiese]

Gary,

That SKB Viola case looks like a great solution for a Bakelite! Thanks for sharing!

[David DeLoach]

You may want to reach out to Hugh Briley who is a member here. He builds cases for Pandas.