TKL “A” style case help

[goaty76]

I recently got this case advertised as a TKL A Style. Maybe a dumb question but is this really a case for A style? Also I had hoped to use this with one of my very early Gibson’s however they are a bit too wide to fit. My 1910 A-4 just barely gets in super super snuggly. It has a 10” bout. However my 1904 and my earlier Orville won’t fit at all at 10.5” and 10.75”. Anyone have any thoughts on an attractive and protective case that would fit them. FYI.. Calton and Hoffee are both out of my budget right now.

[Ray(T)]

Thata’s a TKL “F” style case - I think their specific “A” style equivalents are shaped rather than rectangular. That said, the only difference between an A and a F are that the F has a scroll and points.

I brought my Kimble A home in one of those as the A style case Will sent it to TAMCO in had somehow become distorted ant it fits reasonably well; although I had Keith Calton build me a “proper” case soon afterwards.

Old A style Gibsons (and Eastmans) are slghtly bigger in the body than modern As and I keep mine in an Eastman fibreglass case although I’m aware that there are alternatives.

[Jim Garber]

I have a TKL arched A-style case and it works fine for my 23 A2.

[dang]

I can’t say for sure about fit, but I think a Hiscox case is a heck of a good case for the money. The website is different - and it looks like the case has changed a little since I got mine. It has fit every mando I have put in it but those old Gibsons seem to have a slightly different neck/body geometry so hopefully someone will chime in that has gone through your search already. Good luck

[goaty76]

I actually got a Hiscox case a while back and it unfortunately did not fit the early ones either. They are just too wide and these cases like to keep things nice and tight. I have a Hiscox Artist case for a special archtop guitar I have and love it. I also really like the rectangular design of the mandolin case.

[mandroid]

A 4 and A 5 differ a bit.. 15th fret is over the body on the 5 about where the 12th fret is on the 4
as a result the bridge is moved in the design.. since scale , string length , nut to bridge, is consistent..
F4 & F5 similar in that regard..

I think the recent Eastman Fiberglass mandolin cases lengthen the bulge around the headstock to accomodate the differences..

https://www.elderly.com/products/eas...-mandolin-case

[goaty76]

The problem is, even with that Eastman at 10.25”, the width is too narrow. The mandolins I have are 10.5 and10.75+. One is in a case now that fits but I would like something a little nicer and the other is without a case altogether now.

[mandroid]

I have a discontinued FG Eastman A5 Case, I just now slipped my A4 in, and the cushioned padding compressed slightly and it went in fine..

Elderly has other cases ... go search their site..

[Ray(T)]

Both my 1914 A and a 1923/4 A-1 Snakehead fit in an Eastman A-style fibreglass case. The one linked to above, at Elderly, is the F version and I can’t speak for that.

[mandroid]

AFAIK That is all that is Imported to the USA currently..* But you can contact the store ... Elderly.com,

and ask them to take an A in their inventory, and test fit the mandolin in that case and maybe even send a picture of the combination ..

* got mine used from another player It usually has my Mix A5 in it ..

[EdHanrahan]

FWIW, when I needed a case for my '40s Martin tiple (a cross between baritone uke & 12-string guitar; 10 strings in 4 courses), Elderly, on the phone, pulled one of their two tiples out of stock and tried a bunch of cases before deciding that they couldn't help, which was a HUGE help on its own!

[goaty76]

I'm thinking about maybe trying this. It says the lower bout is 11.4"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Crossrock-C...jj_DFUFKMnZvHg