Hard guitar cases are typically made of wood, molded plastics, or fiberglass. To clean them, remove any dust and debris with a soft cloth and mix a DIY cleaning solution of warm water and mild soap. Use a sponge and 409 or Simple Green to dampen the exterior, then wipe down the case, paying attention to any stains or marks. Avoid using harsh chemicals or excessive moisture that could damage the case’s material or finish.
For the interior, use a soft cloth and mild soap solution or a gentle cleaner. Blot dry with a clean towel. For the exterior, add a few teaspoons of vinegar in a cup of water and use a clean lint-free rag. Armour All also works well. For the outside, make a bucket of water and soap, and use a soft bristle hand brush to scrub it out.
For Tolex-based cases, use plain window cleaner or sometimes Simple Green. Mix warm water with mild detergent and use a sponge or paper towels to lightly wet a clean, soft cloth in a mix of warm water and dish soap. Wipe the case down thoroughly, giving a bit of extra elbow grease. MusicNomad has developed a revolutionary product that safely cleans, shines, and restores instrument cases.
📹 The Best Way to Clean Old Tolex Ever
1974 Traynor YT-15 Restoration Part 4. In this episode of the series, we tackle cleaning 45 year old tolex. Did I just figure out the …
📹 203 RSW Restoring a 102 Year Old Guitar Case
This case belongs to a 1916 Gibson L1 guitar. The guitar is also in bad shape. That video will be shown later. I think you’ll be …
I just cleaned a 1960 era Marshall amp cabinet. After using a household cleaner and a brush to remove the dirt in the valleys of the textured Tolex, it still looked like there was some grime left. I think it was because the cleaner was drying out the vinyl. I sprayed WD-40 on it and the oils in it restored the Tolex to a nice deep black hue. I wonder if it will last. I also wonder if other care vinyl cleaning products like Armor All would work as well as what you used.
Very cool, kid. Now let me share with the class my little housewife’s trick. Use Meguiar’s Hot Rims Wheel Cleaner to degrease your stovetop, cabinets, backsplash, and vent hood. NOTHING takes off kitchen grease like this stuff does. I’ve use it to clean old cabinets to prep for paint and it got off decades of grunge. DO NOT LET IT SIT MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES ON STAINLESS STEEL. It will cloud the finish and nothing you do will bring it back. Thankfully, I discovered this on a brand new, but only $140 stove vent and not my $4000 zline stove or my expensive stainless all refrigerator. I sprayed it on, went to take a break, got distracted, and forgot about it for an hour. But it cleans up my enamel stovetop wonderfully. To return the shine to factory new, rub on the thinnest, lightest coat of Vaseline on the cleaned surface. With those two products, your stove will look brand new for decades. The Meguiar’s hasn’t hurt my enamel cabinet paint or the poly finish of my wood countertops one bit. Now I’m motivated to dig through the car cleaning section for more products that actually WORK. The EPA has destroyed all of our cleaning products over the years and nothing in the home aisle is worth spit anymore. Oh, and find some TSP powder to your dishwasher (1 teaspoon) and your laundry loads (no more than 1 tablespoon). Thank me later. This is the primary reason cleaning products don’t work anymore. You can find it in the hardware dept of Walmart or the big box hardware stores.
Dang man, that is slick! I’ve tried other cleaners, but never get the junk out of the tiny crevices in Tolex, always that white dust that sticks. I’ve got some amps to sell and I am for sure going to try this out! Thank you for demonstrating just how effective this is! I’m sure the brush helps with getting the junk out of the crevices.
Gr8 vid here … I have a 1974 Peavey Classic 4×10 that I bought back in 76 when I was 14…yay… I hauled this heavy mutha everywhere back then. This baby has Never failed me and still cranks…But Now its time to clean it up… Nothing like a 45 year old drink stain down the left front… Everything is original and hope I can make it look like its new or close to it. Can u help me find out what speakers I have or where to look …I believe they are Scorpions (101610C 67 7403) all 4 are marked the same… TY 4 the article man…. Meguiars at it again… Gr8 Idea
I’m restoring a 1989 Peavey Rage 12watt that recently came to me for free. Yeah, dare to dream! That said, it’s kinda nostalgic for me…one of the amps knocking around that I came up with long ago. This ’89 Rage was stored under a house for decades but works great after a single spray of De-Ox in 3 pots. IT WAS FILTHY inside and out. But not mouldy which is weird where I live. Dampest New Zealand. The tolex is super high-relief and dirt was stuck in deep. The peaks came clean and black, but the valleys didn’t. Had it all taken apart so decided to just paint it. Sanded the top down to half relief to prevent future troublesome cleaning. Used a good filler primer too and that also tamed the topography of the gnarly tolex’s gnarls. It’s now on the turquoise side of SeaFoam Green, close as I could get in Rustoleum. Metal corner guards are Ivory. It was time consuming to remove the powdercoating on those pieces. Powdercoat react badly with the paint when I tested it and the pieces were surface rusted too. All is topcoated in gloss. Screws are gold and a new silver and black Fender type grill cloth. Was after grill cloth with teal in it but that was $167NZD. Got an off-cut for $25 instead. It looks like a Tone King…but alas, it still sounds like a Peavey. Actually it sounds great for what it is and it’s super loud for 12 watts. Not replacing my big twin though. I have a Line 6 practice amp that was my travel amp, but this one is a head turner. And it takes my Fuzz pedal nicely. Haven’t tried any others yet.
I have an old 70’s era Hiwatt 2x 15 out in the garage hat I’ve tried everything I could think of on, and it still looks like it got dropped in a mud bog and left to die. I’m hitting Canadian Tire tomorrow and grabbing me some of that magical elixir. I know they have a large selection of those type of products and carry that brand. Goodbye elbow grease, goodbye sweat, goodbye garage flooded by garden hose I forgot to shut off, hello ease,tranquility, and new looking Hiwatt, the perfect canvas to test my razor blade, straightedge and glue rip and tear transplant technique! Thanks for the tip, I do think it may work. Oh,and by the way, every Canadian kid of a certain era, played through Traynor or Garnet stuff for a long time while having visions of Marshalls in our dreams, not realizing that sometimes what you got is pretty damn epic.
Tried this product on four old amps I have from the 70s/80s when I saw this article. Not working at all, waste of money. Water and soap and a brush worked exactly the same. Only works a bit on smooth Tolex as he does here – that’s all Not working at all on Blonde/black 70’s Marshall and Fender Tolex. waste of time info – sorry. Tried it on 3 large Ampeg isovent cabinets. It actually got worse! I washed it all off again and just used water and Dove Dishwashing soap which was much better. Wished it worked, but completely wasted my money. Only works a bit on smooth surfaces. Dont waste yours.
It’s truly wondrous to see the transformation of a case or instrument as you take it from dumpster ready to new life. Your skill and know-how is phenomenal. And of course, once again, you go that extra mile for the “low budget” restoration/repair. The overall trajectory of the projects you tackle, from awful to great, combined with your natural good-heartedness is a joy to watch. Bravo! Also, as a Christian, I deeply appreciate how you speak without off-color language and your heart for Christ as expressed in your songs and in your generosity. God Bless You and Yours, Mr. Rosa, and may you enjoy continued success for many years to come.
I’ve done some work on much less venerable and experienced cases, and was worried when I cued this up to watch that I would find that the shoe polish trick and dyeing the exposed wood would be anathema to a professional restorer. While I’m very much an amateur luthier, and i’ve got a long way to go before i’m ready to take on some of the jobs I’ve seen you do, it’s always reassuring to see you make a similar choice to one i’ve made in repairing an instrument, and I never fail to learn from techniques you show that I haven’t tried yet. Thanks for inspiring and educating luthiers everywhere.
My very first job when I graduated high school in 1967 was with a carpenter and we used Elmer’s white glue exclusively for all joints (including cabinets) and never had a complaint. There wasn’t any specialized wood glue at the time. So your reminder of using it “back in the day” rings true with this old carpenter and cabinet builder.
Hi Jerry, the best way to hold stretched fabric in place as the glue sets is to place a piece of Saran Wrap over the repair ant then tape a block of polyurethane upholstery foam over it. Pull the tape snug to compress the foam. Let it sit for two hours and it will be done. This also works with other thin materials like loose veneers over compound curved surfaces that are difficult to clamp.
Yes, nice! I’ve done several of those over the years on my cases. Just recently a ‘36 Dobro case and a ‘56 Duo Jet case. I can share a few thoughts as well: the Titebond (premium) works great. It’s a good idea to wet the wood and even fabric before applying glue (with a small brush, as you did) then clamp it with amedium bar clamp that will reach the width of the case. (18″ x two clamps.) Rather than directly clamping the case use some stiff material, I had pieces of Kaisen foam that doesn’t absorb the glue. Ideally, you’d clamp it for about 45 mins then take it off and clean up any glue with a sponge. That’s why you don’t use anything stronger than Elmer’s or Titebond for the fabric, you’ll likely have glue on the outside. A 48″ bar clamp can be used for the full length of the case because often the wood is split at the end where the endpin of the guitar goes. This can all take a LONG time. You do small areas at a time. Not something that works very well when the repair meter is running. I’ve done the straps as well, they hold well with good glue. Sometimes I’ve used epoxy on a loose hinge area. The outer fabric can be simply washed, for me I wouldn’t put shoe polish or try to color it at all. With everything tightened up, the case will be functional and look great. Just my version of what works, if anyone is interested.
Very cool repair. I’ve got a guitar case from the early 50s that’s almost cardboard like, maby an ultra thin piece of wood (im not too sure). the interior has the same color as the one in the article. Sadly the handles staples on the inside scratched the guitar made in 50s. No one ever thought to hammer them down or cover them up. Its amazing how something so thin and old has held up, its not a “hard case” at all. The guitar is a Vintage 1950s Airline Alden Harmony Stratotone. Thanks for the article ill be checking out some more.
Looks great. I like using 3M contact adhesive in small amounts, working in small areas. It allows you to also “hold” the stretch so you can work with it in those tiny areas that have shrunk. Steam in small amounts would stretch that fabric as well as loosen the adhesive if you make a boo boo. Buy a gallon of that contact adhesive and keep it in multiple glass jars, lasts a long time ! Large pickle jars to baby jars .
I once worked at a music store and what was funny was the younger guys (approx. 14-17) who were new to guitars. Some of them wanted and asked for beat up guitar cases for their guitars, I guess to make it look like they were roughed up while on tour. Lol, anything to impress the girls I guess. By the way, excellent articles!
I’ve got an old Kay guitar case sort of made with stiff cardboard looking type stuff. Was wondering what I was going to do about it cause it’s all split apart, and hanging here and there. Now I know. Glue and shoe polish. Many thanks. The guitar is another story. That will need to make a trip to Missouri!
Is there value to a old case like this? Would it be better to get a new case to protect the vintage guitar? I’m only asking because I inherited an early 1960’s Martin D18 with the original case. I’m having the Guitar restored but was planning on buying a new Martin case for it. Should I hang onto the old (falling apart) case? Thanks
Jerry, Buy at Menards a can of that “liquid rubber in a can” that guy is always yelling about on tv for the outside of the case. (The spray can). With a little practice you can even get a texture that comes close to the vinyl. Although repairs aren’t invisible they look pretty good. Works for scratches too
Absolutely fabulous Mr Rosa There are some great automotive vinyl/fabric spray cans that give excellent results but I do know you live far from stores Next time you’re in town pick up a can of black as it may come in handy I’ve even changed color with great results and it makes the vinyl look new again Hope it helps
Ya…came across your vid looking for ideas to restore an old trumpet and its case i had stored in a closet for years…It was really rough when I bought it 20 years ago…It wasn’t even as bad as the guitar case you were doing so I thought if you can get that old beat up thing looking like that l ll give it a try…l cleaned mine first though which was half of the battle….now for the gluing…ECHH!…It’s one messy job…
I am really surprised you didn’t think of using some foam rubber of some sort and string to clamp the pieces of canvas down to the wood around time signature 7:19…. Or i think a bean bag would work too.. but then again you would need to use like wax paper or parchment so they wouldn’t stick…… just thinking out loud… your a great luthier Jerry.. I love your articles.. There is this really cheap gel type super glue at Dollar Trees. works great for stuff like this…
Super article! Thank you so much for explaining details of the process. I am going to repair a 1947 black Singer Featherweight Case that has its original fabric coming away from the wood. Bless you for your help and giving us this important article–just what I was looking for. The interior of the Featherweight case smells really bad–any suggestions?
I’ve come across this problem Gerry, what did the trick for me was using old seat belts from the scrap yard, i have a bunch of them, you never know when something such as the nylon seat belts will come in handy other than stopping you exiting your vehicle through the windscreen. Anyway when i have repaired vintage/ jurrasic guitar cases i have bound them with the broad belt, it holds it all down real good and doesn’t stick to when you unbind the belts. Just a tip i’ve picked up, i dare say you already know. Thanks RSW another great article.
Jerry – I am new to your website and this article has inspired me to dig out my 1934 busted up old moldy Gibson L4 guitar case and attempt repairs. So far, I’ve got all the fabric glued with Titebond and I’m ready to make the wood repairs. I also bought some ebony wood putty to fill in the missing wood chunks. Once that’s done I’ll get some ratchet strap pieces to fix the interior hinges and then finally on to the missing handle. Thanks so much for making these articles.
Hey Jerry, thank you for posting this article and a thumbs up to you for your excellent work . These cases pop up frequently in Thrift stores and second hand stores and I’ve always thought they would be landfill. Nice to see that I’m wrong and I find it inspiring! You turned that old case into something loveable! Here’s hoping that your customers was delighted with the transformation, as well. ps. I really enjoy your articles, please keep on posting. Cheers! 🙂
Thankyou so much!! You are a guitar case hero! You had patience of a saint, and caring touch of an angel. You indirectly fixed mine too as your article gave me confidence that self- restoration was possible! Lucky i found a similar looking, (not quite as banged up but still looked ready for dumpster) case in goodwill for $10. After removing several bumper stickers from it, its fraying wood was revealed. Elmers worked fine like you said it might! And shoe polish did most of the rest. I used flex seal tape on bare wood patches to match wood level with existing fabric. I am so pleased couldn’t have completed mine so intricately without your demo. Thankyou!!
The case turned out great. You are the master. Thankyou for letting us take the journey with you. I’m about to restore or work on an old Yamaha case and the guitar isn’t in too bad a shape, but, needs some attention. I would like to see a article of all the tools I might need ! Most of the hardware on the case needs to be replaced and the method you showed of using the black shoe polish was awesome !!! THANKYOU JERRY
It always seems good instrument repairs are part of a person’s ability to repair far more than an instrument. The thought process that goes into an instrument repair is the same of other things. People have called it,”Jack of all trades”, multi-talented and many more and Jerry, you fall into that category quite comfortably. The case looks great! Can’t wait to see what you do with guitar. Thankz
great article i was going to replace my case but now i’m going to spend a few hours on it and hopefully do a repair as nice as you did. the covering, would a stain work as good or better than shoe polish as i don’t want to get shoe polish on my car seat and cloths. i take it as given on testing stain/ dye on covering in a place you won’t see from outside first. my case is not as torn up as this cases covering was and looks like imitation leather gibson case from 1970/ 71.
Outstanding! I happened across this article because I have to repair a small section of a Martin case. I was concerned about doing the repair until I watched you save this old Gibson case. I don’t think anyone would have taken the time to repair this case regardless of the repair cost. I learn something from every article you make as well getting to hear some heart felt music. Thank you for posting this, I really enjoyed it, kenny hughes
You did an excellent job….the customer should be tickled pink with the results. I watched your article because I was looking for tips or ideas on repairing my Gibson Marauder hard shell case that’s in rough shape, although not as bad as this one you fixed. You definitely helped me formulate a plan of attack…thanks for taking the time & effort to make this article. I know you could have done the job quicker without the hassle of article recording, but I’m glad you made the extra effort. It is very much appreciated. Thank you!
I’m super glad I found this article! 😁Last month, I purchased an old, unlabeled Mexican classical guitar made of all solid woods; Palo Escrito back and sides, Cedar neck, Cocobolo fingerboard and bridge, and European Spruce soundboard. Nice old guitar, but a mystery as to who made it and when it was made. I’m trying to find out with the aid of a well known luthier down in Mexico. No luck so far. The guitar came with a case similar to the one in the article. I was told it’s the original case. If true then I have an antique instead of vintage. The sound is very reminiscent of old Spanish makers like Torres, Esteso, Ramirez, Etc. Anyway, I bet a couple coats of shellac over the shoe polish would seal it up nicely. 😄Thanks for sharing, Mr. Rosa 🌹
Wow, Jerry! Nice job. You are a creative problem-solver!!! I had a buddy do a similar job on my 1940 Epiphone Lifton case and it also looked great. Think he used some kind of black textured paint and the darn thing looked maybe five years old instead of 78 when he was done. I’ll tell him about your shoe polish idea.
My BIL Jerry (one of those tite arsed sons of German Immigrants) owns a 71 model Gibson J45 in mint condition. He cant play a lick!!! I offered him $1,600.00 for it. Turned me down flat!!! That’s flat not Flatt Bro!!! He bought it for his son to take lessons. Son 86’d that plan. Now in mgmnt in UPS in Wichita. So ole J45 will sit another 40 years in the OEM case that it came with.
I noticed this article is 6 years ago (as of this comment). I take it that you learned about tolex glue by now and to use it like an adhesive. I got a 1940’s era case and I need to strip the damage material off of it. Going to buy black tolex. It should give it about 80 more years of life after I pass it down. It’s hard to find really good cases like those anymore these days. Sure don’t make them like they use to.
That Sir, was a Labor of Love… and you absolutely nailed it. The idea on something that old, is to simply bring it back enough to save it from the Dumpster while still keeping the History of it’s Journey intact (Think Willie Nelson’s Martin N20 “Trigger”) … It’s obviously someones well loved and well worn Treasure and you absolutely did it justice. Well done indeed! Now I’m really interested in perusal the restoration of the Guitar as well. Thank you and a HUGE Thumbs up!!!
I was sad to see the black polish erase its historical 102 year old Patina completely… would have just used a dab of linseed oil on a rag and rubbed it to preserve its character. Didnt like the bright blue straps much..were a bit tacky compared with the absolutely gorgeouse depth of the case lining. You did a great job glueing it all up/restoring it etc. Thanks for showing us how to do it though man. Someone sure did put some miles on that guitar.
Completely unrelated to this article but you are my last hope! I need to install a trapeze tailpiece on an old silvertone archtop but the thing has no screws to do so and the one I purchased doesn’t come with hardware. What would you use or where would you find these screws? Any help would be huge. You are the man, Mr. Rosa!
The problem I always have with these is; do you restore it or just repair it? Some people say that depends on the value of the instrument and how bad the case is. If it was a $10,000 guitar or violin, I would have to think about it quite a while. Otherwise, on some $500 viola or some such, I would do a total rebuild of the case using as original looking parts as I could find. If the clasps and handles are gone, it is a no-brainer to replace them and reline the inside and outside with new materials, but where exactly do you draw the line with some instruments? I had a $55k cello that the owner insisted on a rebuild and upgrade on a slightly worn out case that was the original one. She said she wanted the best, period, and didn’t care about the case value. Looked pretty good with new leather and all that. I’ll bet should could sell that case for $1000 by itself.
I restored a similar case as this. Not in such bad condition but plenty of fabric missing and hinges to be repaired. I had some very thin black leather pieces that I spliced into the areas where the fabric was missing. Also the hinge strap was hidden and I reconnected it to the top by looking on eBay for similar cases, 1967 date. It took three days of glueing, fitting and also restricting the band that goes all the way around the top. I used two needles and heavy white waxed thread as most of the thread was missing and the band falling off. Came out quite well. Rather than using shoe polish like you did, I used a thin coat of black lacquer paint at the end. Wow, I was really surprised at the final repaired case. Did not look brand new, but certainly looked like it had always been taken care of. When I sent a photo of it to the fellow I purchased it from he was amazed! Is that really that old ratty case sent to you? . I like these older cases especially the ones with nickel latches as they are much more durable than the gold colored latches they use now a days. Environmental law as mean Nickel plating is a thing of the past!
Like me, your not all about money. You seem to love what your doing. I know that I for one love to watch you work and the way you are open and honest about what you do. I think the lord blesses your work because of the way you are. You put your soul into everything that you do, as the lord said we should all do. Great job on this one too.
This was an interesting change in your articles. I’ve seen you work on various instruments but this is the first time seeing you work on a case. It came out quite well considering the age of it. In the past you put up titles when you include music during parts of your articles. The first song was Grandpa’s Old Fiddle. What is the name of the second song and the third tune?
Burn a hole into the strap and melt ends and use CA glue just to hold and install a rivet on both sides with a backing washer or backer plate, hit with titebond as an extra and it will never let go. I understand that it’s not a high pay job, but still do better than your paid for, everyone takes a punch on the nose, plus your costumer will tell the world what a great job he got, worth WAY more than the little you did not make extra.
I had trouble perusal this because I so felt that part of it was being done incorrectly. You cannot put glue on the tolex type covering and have nothing to hold it down. Once you put the glue under the fabric you must then use blue painters tape applied in strips over the edge…lots of strips. This technique holds it tight until it dries, and then results in a pro looking bond. The painters tape can be easily slowly pulled off the next day with only a positive result of a tight bond.
that’s lovely, it still looks it’s age but aged well, i fully understand your passion when it comes to repairing and restoring, i do a lot myself, not many instruments mainly cars and motorcycles but the process is similar .thanks for sharing you are a joy to watch and learn from Peace and Love to you and yours from me and mine ..cheers !
Man, you did a really impressive job on that case, it looks GREAT. I have an old trumpet case I’m thinking of restoring but my big issue with it is a really strong “musty” smell. Do you have any tips for getting rid of this smell? BTW I’ve removed and thrown out the original velour lining, and it still stinks!
elmers glue? tightbond? super glue? This was painful to watch! Did you actually charge for this? I get the feeling you don’t really know what your doing here. What you need to glue fabric down properly is Quickgrip or the generic term is contact cement, or even a bit of hide glue if you have it. no cauls on the clamps? spray glue for paper? Try clag, from your grand-kids craft set, or flour and water works well in a pinch, soaks into the paper and ….Oh what’s the point? Shoe paint before the polish would have been much better.
Nice job! I like refurbishing old cases.. I mainly use contact cement to reglue fabric to subsurfaces…. It seems to hold up well over time, stay flexible and in place..I’ve developed a technique for making old, coming apart cases great again.. I carefully take out the old interior fabric, line the bottom/top of the case with thin, smooth fiberglass and resin, then re-install the original fabric over the new fiberglass…. It adds a super strength for very little extra weight, money, doesn’t show at all, the instrument fits snug but not too much, makes a super strong case..My only concern is of course the “Acidity” Of these techniques.. I haven’t studied that?