Cheap case roundup

[JLivi]

There's that great "screw bell roundup" thread and figured it'd be great to get similar thread but about cheap cases. I recently bought a horn without a case and was looking into cheap, but good, case options.

What are some of your go to cheap cases?

After a quick search I found the following brands.

MTS
Gator
SKB
Protec Max

What are some of your favorites, or least favorite?

I had a bad experience with the Protec gig band while on the road. That was obviously my mistake putting my horn in a cheap gig bag and tossing it in a trailer, but I would never use that one again.

[DaveAshley]

My go-to for bells under 8 inches is an old (60's?), green plastic Bundy case. I added a little extra padding inside, and screwed on some eye rings for a strap. It's solid and TINY - I've never had a problem getting it on a plane.

[Posaunus]

Over the years, I've comfortably lived with MTS, SKB, and ProTec MAX for my vintage, "non-artisan" trombones (i.e., nothing very fancy or expensive). No real complaints about hauling any of them to rehearsals or local gigs. Never been "on the road" with any of them. Never had a horn damaged or put at risk by any of these cases. Not true for some other cases - Wolfpack, Olds molded plastic - stay away from these.

[Burgerbob]

I like the SKB for small horns, but I don't really like the other cheap cases. If nothing else, you look like a cheapskate to the people around you, and that point you may as well just go the big blue Ikea bag route to save as much money as possible!

[Bach5G]

I just bought a Protec Max for a straight trombone for $80, free shipping. Works fine.

[greenbean]

The Gator ABS case is great!

[BGuttman]

There are very cheap gig bags on Ebay, ranging from $16 to $25 (all the same bag). They are TERRIBLE. No accessory pocket. No protection from dents. You might as well put the horn in a burlap sack. I use them for storage only (although they are pretty good for that). I increased the protection of the slide by several fold by putting strips of corrugated board in the slide pocket (one on either side of the slide, or a folded one around it).

[hyperbolica]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Universal SKB?

[Burgerbob]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Universal SKB?

I know these have a following... but I find them to just be big and heavy.

[spencercarran]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Universal SKB?

Way bulkier and heavier than it needs to be, and because the interior is oversized it lets the horn bounce around too much, not great protection.

[Boneuphtoner]

There are very cheap gig bags on Ebay, ranging from $16 to $25 (all the same bag). They are TERRIBLE. No accessory pocket. No protection from dents. You might as well put the horn in a burlap sack. I use them for storage only (although they are pretty good for that). I increased the protection of the slide by several fold by putting strips of corrugated board in the slide pocket (one on either side of the slide, or a folded one around it).

The zippers on my p-bone’s case finally broke, and I’m looking for another case to take the horn to my relatives when I’m visiting for an extended time so I can keep up my chops - I’ve seen these no name cases - they would probably not be any better than the p-bone case, which is fairly awful. I think something like the Gator or the cheap Protec would be an enormous upgrade.

[officermayo]

I use the Tom & Will gig bag for my pBone.

[MistedSwan]

I love my Protec Max case. It fits:

- A Bach 42B
- Neotech hand grip
- ALL my oils and lubricants
- Mouthpiece
- A large amount of sheet music
- Screwdriver set
- KM14985 trombone stand
- 1 litre water bottle.

I can squeeze my 1.5 litre water bottle in, but it puts a little more strain on the zippers that I'm comfortable with. All of this with room to spare. I can put my laptop in if I want to.

I bought mine for AUD$250, about USD160.

[OneTon]

I use Gator, MTS, SKB, or an anonymous ABS case depending on which fits the horn best. The MTS was run over by a car tire at a state fair gig. I was still able to play the gig. I have not gotten the subject King 2B to a repair person yet. My Bart van Lier came in a fitted Pro-Tec Max case which provides pretty good protection and is very light. The Gator is cheaper by $20 and probably fits more horns. It is my favorite if it fits. The ability or inability to play doesn’t seem to correlate well with how much people pay for their case.

[officermayo]

I use the Tom & Will gig bag for my pBone.

I second the recommendation on the T&W bag.

[rivertrombone9]

I have a Protec Max Tenor case, which I got on sale during a WWBW sale. I generally like its features - it comes with backpack straps as well as an optional shoulder strap, which I like for ease of carrying and biking around with.

But I don't feel like the case secures my horn as tightly as I want it to -- sometimes I can hear either the slide or main body moving about in the case, and my horn is now a lot more scratched up than when I was using the stock Yamaha hard shell case. I think this might be because the Protec Max case uses just a single Velcro strap each for the slide and for the body (and those two Velcro straps come very long), whereas the Yamaha hardshell case has multiple points of securing with rotating "arms" instead of Velcro.

Have other people have experienced this issue with the Protec Max? Do you have any workarounds to recommend?

Anyways- that's all to say - can't wholly recommend it, but seems like it might depend on how precious your horn is to you -- if it's befitting of a cheap case, I think the Protec Max could be a good option.

(And yes to the Tom and Will gig bag for pBone! Huge upgrade from the bag they come with)

[JLivi]

I have a Protec Max Tenor case, which I got on sale during a WWBW sale. I generally like its features - it comes with backpack straps as well as an optional shoulder strap, which I like for ease of carrying and biking around with.

But I don't feel like the case secures my horn as tightly as I want it to -- sometimes I can hear either the slide or main body moving about in the case, and my horn is now a lot more scratched up than when I was using the stock Yamaha hard shell case. I think this might be because the Protec Max case uses just a single Velcro strap each for the slide and for the body (and those two Velcro straps come very long), whereas the Yamaha hardshell case has multiple points of securing with rotating "arms" instead of Velcro.

Have other people have experienced this issue with the Protec Max? Do you have any workarounds to recommend?

Anyways- that's all to say - can't wholly recommend it, but seems like it might depend on how precious your horn is to you -- if it's befitting of a cheap case, I think the Protec Max could be a good option.

(And yes to the Tom and Will gig bag for pBone! Huge upgrade from the bag they come with)

I think I’ve seen someone switch out the Velcro for a snap to keep it more secure. I have no idea how they did that though.

And a stupid question about the T&W case. Would that work for a metal horn too? Has anyone used it for not a pBone?

[rivertrombone9]

Oo ok, thanks for that - I'll try to look into a snap swap for the Velcro.
Not sure about the TW bag for a metal trombone, but I can try it and let you know by the end of the weekend!!

[rivertrombone9]

And a stupid question about the T&W case. Would that work for a metal horn too? Has anyone used it for not a pBone?

Hey just tried this out -- my Yamaha tenor fits just fine in the case (and the slide fits great in the slide cover that comes with the T&W case), but unsurprisingly there's a TON of room for things to bounce around inside without some extra padding/filling in there to keep things from moving. Attaching some photos in case it's helpful to see!