As I mentioned above, a hot-wire cutter or an electric carving knife are needed if you want to do a decent job with the softer polyurethane foam. But to be honest, I really don't think a non-electric carving knife (or a serrated bread knife) would work well on polyurethane. It's so soft that any attempt to apply any force to it will distort the shape and make the cut uneven. That's why the electric knives work well - the cutting action is not from the pressure applied to the knife by your hand, but by the nibbling action of the two blades, making it possible to get a very clean, straight cut if you're patient. For the polyethylene foam a utility knife with the blade fully extended works beautifully. If it's sharp, a carving knife or bread knife would probably cut pretty well because the polyethylene is so firm, but more difficult to control when trying to do curves or "blind" cuts into a corner.

As a relative Stick Newbie here, I've been looking for ways to do some of the resto work.

Of course, my case is totally worn out on the inside (every time I took out my instrument, bits of foam would either be stuck to or fall out onto the floor), but is still roadworthy on the outside!

luckily (there's that word again), I was able to procure some foam "seconds" from my Day Job over the last few days!

I'll be following your instructions and seeing what I can come up with too!

Serious thanks for sharing this info with me (us)!

Wow! That foam is awful!

What kind of foam did you snag at work?

Just some packing liners (hard type of foam, but certainly useable). If it can be used to ship wind turbine electronics around the world without damage, than keeping a Stick in place (and relatively in tune) should be no probs! LOL

BTW, that case is what Poly has sat in for the last 10-15 years in my buddy's closet! I kid you not!!!

Sounds like polyethylene. That’s used to protect a lot of electronics because it doesn’t crumble and leave little bits of styrofoam all over everything!

The damper on that poor instrument looks hideous too! Some kind of animal skin/hide?

Looks like some lamb’s wool! Different, but probably works ok.

It's pretty chewed up too!

This instrument had toured extensively with someone before it ended up with the player who gave it to my work colleague!

I guess the correct answer is, "Rode hard and put away wet!"

Just chewed up pretty good. We'll see once I get some strings on it

In case you aren't aware, what's used nowadays for the damper is essentially one side of a velcro fastener.