Handle for Fender Tweed Case

[Michael Kiese]

Hello all,

I recently became the owner of a Fender Dual Pro and a Fender Custom.

Both had Tweed cases that were in fearful condition. In some places, the case was held together by a combination of the Flocking and the Tweed Tolex, lol.

Glad to report that with a bit of ingenuity and a tack gun, laminate reinforcement, a lot of wood glue, and 3M spray glue, I have reinvigorated some life into both cases. I think the cases are serviceable for around the town gigs, but definitely not a flight.

That said, both cases need a new handle.

Does anybody have any recommendations for replacement handles?

I've seen handles on Amazon, but I just wanted to poll the forum to see if there exists better options.

Mahalo!

[Michael Kiese]

Here's a better shot of both cases with their missing handles displayed.

One of the previous pics had the dual pro case purposely upside down to help the 3M glue dry.

[Mark Theobald]

Howdy,
I've installed several of the handles linked below on the case of my Sierra triple neck to make it (somewhat) easier to carry.
They are cheap and functional at $4.85 each. I've seen their equivalent on Amazon at 3X the price.
They may be the same handle as appears in one of your pictures....I can't tell.
There is also a brown model that might look better with your tweed cases.
Blessings,
Mark

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products ... ter-center

[Bill Ladd]

Had an early 50s dual pro. This is the handle on that case:

https://ebay.us/m/K17crB

IMG_1081.jpeg

[Michael Kiese]

Mahalo Mark and Bill!

Mark - that's a great resource, thank you very much!

I might have to invest in a rivet gun...

Thanks again!

[Pete Martin]

Mike, we want to hear those guitars!! Or at least I do!

[Michael Kiese]

Mike, we want to hear those guitars!! Or at least I do!

Yessir! I'll do my best. I'm gonna have to at least take apart the trap pups on the Dual Pro, because one of the necks is noticeably quieter than the other neck.

Even though these are Alnico mags, they could still use a recharge after all these years.

I may not need to recharge the Custom, Randy Rollman really took care of that steel, it sounds great. That said, it probably COULD use a recharge just to be safe.

I plan to drop by Rick's house and do a little bit of hanging out, so I'll bring the guitars with me and see what he thinks...

Rick said he has never seen a Custom in person, so I'll be happy to oblige him. haha.

I plan to put Kayton Roberts's tuning on the Dual Pro.

Randy put C6 with a High E, E9, and A6 with a High E on the Custom T8. I'll probably change the E9 to something else. In my head, I like the idea of A6 (5th on top), C Diatonic, and C6 (5th on top) on a T8.

A6 is easily changed to B11. C Diatonic is C Diatonic. and C6 is Bread and Butter. I'd have to reach out further to play the bread and butter neck, but the audience can see my hands best on the far neck, so it's good for the camera.

That's my thought process anyways.

Enjoy!

[George Piburn]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114945538313 arrow head leather handle replacement



Classic Handle used by Gibson Fender and others.

handle.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/Luggage-Leather- ... 9hdGY&th=1

[Michael Kiese]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114945538313 arrow head leather handle replacement

Classic Handle used by Gibson Fender and others.

handle.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/Luggage-Leather- ... 9hdGY&th=1

Mahalo George!

[Michael Kiese]

Howdy,
I've installed several of the handles linked below on the case of my Sierra triple neck to make it (somewhat) easier to carry.
They are cheap and functional at $4.85 each. I've seen their equivalent on Amazon at 3X the price.
They may be the same handle as appears in one of your pictures....I can't tell.
There is also a brown model that might look better with your tweed cases.
Blessings,
Mark

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products ... ter-center

Aloha Mark,

Thanks so much for your recommendation!

I placed an order through amplified parts, and ordered the handle you suggested. I put that one on the case for the custom.
https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products ... ter-center

I also ordered this Fender Amplifier handle, which almost looks like a direct replacement for the original handle on the Dual Pro's case.
https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products ... -brown-875

I was able to keep the original brackets for the Dual Pro case. They had that nice aged patina to them. I had to pull out the original rivets. But I was able to use the new machine screws, and they had a washer with some teeth in them, so they bite into the wood. I think these will be much more reliable than using a rivet gun on 70 year old plywood.

The other handle didn't come with any mounting hardware, but i was able to find similar machine screws and washers w/ teeth at ACE Hardware.

Thanks so much, I'm glad to have the cases in working order!

Mahalo nui.

[Glenn Wilde]

Those came out great.

[Mark Theobald]

Glad everything worked out for you !
I'm a mechanical engineer, and would not trust rivets into old plywood.
Your T-nuts and machine screws should hold.
Best wishes!

[Michael Kiese]

Yes, thanks Mark, Glenn, and everybody who chimed in.

I'm glad I am able to use the original cases. They're definitely not flight worthy, but they are car worthy and gig worthy around town.

Rick Aiello gave me the idea to use Oil Based Polyurethane coating from Minwax so I can paint protective shell on the tweed fabric. That's probably the last step.

Now I just have to recharge the mags on the steels!

[Per Berner]

Nice, but the upper one would look A LOT better (and more authentic) with dome top/flat bottom screws instead of those countersunk ones, since the holes are not countersunk.