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Favorite Cases

Ed

Ed

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I just have a handful of horns that still have their original cases. Sometimes I'll get a horn and the case is just too far gone to keep and it gets replaced. Most of the time I buy a protec but I also like the skb contoured cases. I haven't put the money down on a Walt Johnson and I don't travel on planes with my horns so an Anvil has not been needed. I also have a couple of gator cases around and think they're the equal of the protec's.

What are the rest of you using?
 
I luv the Selmer early 20th century clarinet cases, but those are hard to find in decent condition. Otherwise all my saxes are in contoured cases. I have Walt Johnson's, Selmers, BAM, and the like. Those contoured cased are small and light, just the way I like 'em. :D

Now my Eppelsheim comes in a case that I could almost use as my coffin, if'n I was so inclinded. Fortunately it has wheels too. I dread carrying that to a gig but I know that day is coming.
 
If I want to replace a case, I always go for ProTec. I did not like the case that came with my Ref 54 alto (BAM, I think), so Jim Scimonetti sold me a gorgeous leather contoured ProTec for the Ref 54. It is a class act.

I had a few miscellaneous soprano cases around and put my newly acquired S901 into an older ballistic nylon ProTec in my closet (originally contained a KUSTOM MKVI-clone soprano I bought from Frank Ballatore). That case works great. My straight '28 TT soprano is in a ballistic nylon ProTec. I like the light weight and the extra storage that is ProTec. DAVE
 
I've always liked the Selmer Traypack cases, simply because it unitized three horns into one box. However, ain't no such animal for the baritone sax (although my Yamaha cases all have had a slot for a low B flute case).

I have a Protec for my Conn Model 00 alto, and while it serves well enough, it's not the most substantial piece of work that I've ever seen. I'll not buy another unless it can't be avoided. (See below)

My main soprano clarinets (A and Bb Selmer Series 9 horns) are in a case that Selmer customized for me when I bought the A horn. It's a briefcase sized box in a vinyl cover, and it has served me well for the last twenty years or so. The cover is beaten all to hell and could stand replacement, but the box and innards are in pristine condition.

What is my real problem at present is the replacement of my Model 33 bass clarinet case. I tried to get an OEM replacement, but the sizes and proportions on the Selmer low C bass have changed, and my older horn just will not fit in the new case. All of my attempts at third party cases have ended in failure (but only once in expensive failure), and now I get along with the original, carefully repairing it each time that something goes wrong.

Some of the aftermarket cases are pretty ridiculous, like those over-priced tubular ones from Great Britain. And, making a case isn't that difficult. There is a case box manufacturer up in Kenosha who will make a box with a top cushion to suit your "guts", and the guts can be carved from a block of HDPE foam using a simple nichrome wire cutter powered by a model railroad transformer. So, a "all three" clarinet case for the two sopranos and my bass would run about $100 or so, all things considered. I just need the time to do the work.
 
I like Reunion Blues gig bags, but i'm VERY careful. Since Reunion Blues was sold to a corporation that sent all the manufacturing jobs to China, I started buying the bags from Cronkite, the original designer/manufacturer, who still makes gig bags in the USA for the same price as Reunion Blues.

My cases:
Flute - My Haines is in a typical French case with cover I bought in Japan. My Prima Sankyo is in the original case with a Cavallero case cover.

Clarinet - I love the new Buffet Pochette French case. Small, not much storage space, but the case cover has pockets. It's expensive. It fits in my doubles bag.

Bass Clarinet - My 1950s hardwood Selmer case finally died. I bought a BAM-made Selmer case that doesn't protect as well but it's lighter and not too bad - but expensive.

Curved soprano sax - Original Leblanc/Martin/Yanagisawa hard case. Room for the sax stand and lots of other stuff. I have a leather Reunion Blues gig bag for my curved soprano, but right now it's holding my Eppelsheim bass sax neck for baritone mouthpieces.

Alto & tenor saxes - Reunion Blues leather gig bags, 20-25 years old, still going strong. Every 2 years or so, I go over them with Fiebing's shoe dye from a shoe repair shop and shoe polish and they look great again

Baritone sax - My Selmer low A baritone is in a BAM hightech case with wheels. I love it. Before that I used a Berkeley case with extra padding that I added. I have a reunion Blues leather bag for bari but I worry too much about the big horn getting damaged.

Bass sax - My Eppelsheim came with a great case, but it is BIG. It does fit into the back seat of most cars, however.

Tubax - Believe it or not, the Tubax in a flight case will fit into the back seat of most cars, and the case is absolutely bomb-proof. A superb case.

When I get a new horn, I get the best possible case available, regardless of cost. In the long run, it's cheaper. I recommend Walt Johnson cases, even though I don't have any. I don't do much traveling, and my friends who do have had good luck with WJ cases.
 
I have a Selmer Vangaurd for my Mark VI tenor and alto but on tenor it was just too heavy. I've put the tenor in a protec. If I were to travel I would get a Walt Johnson or SKB.
 
I use the case that came with my reference alto, made by bam, I think. It's very durable and light in weight. A very important aspect of this case is the zippered pocket built into the lid. I carry music, bus and train schedules, a large comb, and I can even fit a small folding stand light into the pocket.
My back up altos both use Walt Johnson cases. The latches seem to be the best in the business, and the handle attaches to a metal molding. A very well built case, but heavy.

My tenor case is an skb with the little pocket on the outside. A good sturdy case. Latches could be better, but the price is right.

For baritone, I use a Berkley. I have shored up the inside with foam rubber, as protection inside of this case is very skimpy. But the shell seems to be strong, the latches are passable, and the whole shebang doesn't weigh much more than the horn itself. So I get hard case protection, with gig bag weight.

I try not to use the shoulder strap that comes with the cases. They seem to look strong, but the hardware that attaches the strap always wears thru, snaps, and unless you are fast with the hand, the case falls to the ground. I had an old time Selmer sax pac, those black zipper hard cases that came out years ago. The cover that you could buy for these had a sewn in strap with no metal or plastic hardware, but my sax pac has been retired for many years, needs the zipper replaced.

And the beat goes on.
 
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Many of my horns are still in their original cases. Having said that, some of my favorite cases are the non-OEM ones.

Without question, my favorite case, is the custom case for my Buescher TT bass that I had built by a boat builder from Saint Andrews in New Brunswick. That "purple coffin" as it has been nicknamed, is the coolest case, IMHO, you will see.

The BAM HighTec bari case that my Mark VI lives in is next on my list of favs. Best investment I ever made, next to the horn itself. Protects the bari really well, and on smooth surfaces, I like the ability I have to roll it with its built in wheels.
 
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For my tenor I have a walt ... i LOVE it ... Most of my profs have Walt's ... however the new ones or a batch in the last 6-months was TERRIBLE ... Someone I know at Humber got one and it was totally defective and useless.!

Protec for clarinet because the hinge broke on the one it came with.

I have a Protec for my current Alto.

The rest of my horns I just currently have them in the case they came with.
 
Old style protec case from the late 90's, which "supposedly" was set up to fit my 6M-VIII (and it does fit it, but not sure if it was modded to do it or that's just how it was designed).

A couple tuners, bunch of reeds, couple mpcs, swabs, grease, stuff... the flute pocket holds all kinds of little doo-dads.

I'm sure there's something better out there. The strap hardware on mine DID break, btw, but I got lucky an caught the strap before the horn hit. Using the handles ever since...

Oh... still have the vintage Conn case it came in... purple interior is great!

**BRENT**
 
MexicanDragon said:
I'm sure there's something better out there. The strap hardware on mine DID break, btw, but I got lucky an caught the strap before the horn hit. Using the handles ever since...
Click to expand...
Straps are easy to replace for very little money. I use the safety clips at the ends of my aftermarket straps. They look something like this:

watermark.php
 
Strapping material usually about two inches or so wide. That way I can carry three saxes and have my hands free to open doors, carry music and the like. I also have a music bag that I carry a water bottle, stand light, tuner, pencils and the like.
 
BTW, all the straps that come with the BAM HighTec bari case (back pack straps and regular) all have those safety clips. I think there was something like 4 clips in total. I never use the straps, I just carry the case by the handles, or roll it. But all in all, the strapping is really the heaviest I have ever seen in instrument cases, and the attachments are also second to none....Having said that...That's what one would expect on a case that costs more than most good, used student model saxophones. :eek:
 
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Vintage Bari Case of a Somewhat Different Design

Hello Woodwind Forum,
My first posting here but I know most of the frequenters from other forums.
This post is, well, almost in line with this thread. I can't say if this would be a "favorite case" or not but I'm looking for any information on it.
The pics that I was able to capture was from an ebay auction about 10 months to a year ago for, if I recall correctly, was of an early 20's Conn Bari. Not that I'm that interested in the horn, but the case is fascinating. For lack of a better phrase, it's a gull wing.
But, it appears that even the images have vanished from the net. I'd like to eventually build one for my daughter's '26 Wurlitzer, so if anyone has any info/contact on it so that I may avoid any pitfalls in building a case similar to this one I would appreciate it.
Here's the 2 pics I have.

IMG_1305.PNGIMG_1304.PNG

Of course, I'm thinking along the lines of a very sound bottom tray with excellent wheels and memory foam encasing more than half the instrument.
Thank you all for your time and Love what you've done with the place! :ugeek:

OH! And for those interested, I have pics of the Walt Johnson Low Bb Bari case. I was inquiring and they were nice enough to send me a couple of High Res photos.
 
Bari, BAM HiTec
Tenor, Hiscox Liteflite
Both bought years ago before the prices became awesomely high. But awesome is a good term for both cases.

Alto, LeBlanc Duo Pack
Clarinet, whatever is convenient, but my favorite is an old Leblanc with plenty of storage.
 
The only thing "bad" I've heard about Hiscox, is they don't make a Bari case.
But if I were on the road I'd have a BAM.
 
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