Conference napalm::guitar

    
    Rick, some of the music catalogs sell handles for speaker cabs and 
    combo amps.  They might work...  Also, what about a old piece of
    luggage which could be sacrificed for the handle?

Really, what a drag this can be..

When this happened to my case for my ibanez...  

I tried everything, to no avail.

finnaly, I had to resurect and put back, the best I could, the
original hardware....  So far, it's been fine (3 years snce I
put it back together) but needs an occasional retightening...

I find it ironic that one could actually shell out the money for
these high priced guitars, (mine was around $1,000 back in 79)
and the cases fall apart during the first 5 years.

    Rick, 
    
    	I had the same problem years ago on a beautiful Twead H.S. case 
    that came with my Guild Jumbo.   The plastic handle cracked leaving 
    the rivets and the rest of the brass hardware still attached to the 
    case. I found a replacement handle very easily  (I think I bought a 
    luggage handle from "Spags" which was an exact match to the original 
    brown handle.  I didn't want to have to yank the brass plate out of  
    the case, as I feared the case would get really butchered in the 
    process. So what I did was I used an electric drill and drilled out 
    the rivets, and attached the new handle to the existing plates with 
    some brass screws with little cap nuts. 
     
    This is crude, but it looks something like this:
    
              * = nasty sharp prongs that get driven through the case.
    
    	              *   *  CASE  *   *
    	--------------|---|--------|---|-----------------
                    --|---|--------|---|--
               rivet>>|| ||        || ||<<rivet
                       | |          | |
                       | |__________| |
                       |______________|
                           HANDLE
    
    It's been years since I repaired the case and it has held up fine. 
    If I ever break another handle it'll be a 5 minute job to replace 
    it.  BTW,  I have seen case hardware listed in the American Music
    Supply catalog. They carry handles, hinges, and closures. I would
    try to locate a luggage handle from a department store before 
    ordering one from AMS.
    
    It works for me !!!
    
    Mark
    

     Reminds me of something that happened in my last band. My bass
    player had a habit of having his bass guitar case always in my
    way. One day I had to move it and I grabbed the handle, lifted it,
    but the case stayed on the floor! Of course I felt like sh!t, I
    wished I'd asked him to move it. At least the handle didn't come
    off after lifting it, then I really would've felt bad.
    
    						-bOOm-

    20 years ago you could go to a luggage repair shop and get all manner
    of handles.  When I said "luggage repair shop" to someone the other
    day (in another context), they looked at me like I was from Mars, so I
    don't know if they're a thing of the past or not...
    
    Charlie

    I believe that many shoe repair places used to repair luggage as well.
    

    
    
    
    		Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI carries replacement 
    	case handles. You can call them at (517)372-7890 for further
    	info.
    
    	DonH
    

    
    
    
    	Stewart-Mac sells a couple of handles!  I just bought their (ahem)
    top of the line, leather simulation handle (7 bucks) and was pleased
    with it.... easy or hard to install depending how picky you are about
    details...  I gouged a couple of holes in the side of my case where the
    old handle used to be and bolted my new simulated leather handle on in
    about 5 minutes, works and looks vintage!  [;^)

    thanks for the replies.  I checked the Stewart-Mac catalog but didn't
    see anything.  Will look again and also follow up on some of the other
    ideas here.  Muchas grazias
    
    /rick

    Like I said in .3   American Music Supply sells them, not Stewart
    Mac.
    
    Mark

    Catalog #45 for Autumn 1990 says:
    
    #1641	Molded handle with prongs	$3.58
    #1642	Simulated leather handle	$7.80
    		as used by Gree Vee King
    
    
    	Along with a whole bunch of other case and cabinet hardware!
    
    	You dudes need to get a newer catalog!!  800-848-2273
    
    

.  I checked the Stewart-Mac catalog but didn't
>    see anything.  

Rick,

	I have an old (10-15 years) real thick leather handle I bought for an 
amp...but never used it. It's a real quality job, from memory it is about 6
inches long and 3/4 inch thick at the middle. I have never used it, and 
never will. The fixing is a "D" shaped steel ring at each end, but I do not 
have the parts that fix to the case.

I have kept it stowed away in my garage and so it has that 1959 Leo tweed look 
about it  (poetic license) !!

Yours if you want it for the price of a stamp.

Dave

    
    	There are a number of shoe/luggage repair shops right in the 
    	vacinity of NYO here in manahatten.
    
    
    	I can look at prices for you if you like.
    
    	tom