A Comparison of Three Popular Saxophone Cases
Over the years, I have purchased student, intermediate, and professional alto and tenor saxophones. When I purchased a student or professional saxophone, I assumed that the saxophone case that came with the horn would be sufficient to protect it, but such is not always the case.
In my experience as both a player and a traveller, I’ve come to learn that choosing a saxophone case is easier said than done. I myself am currently in the process of choosing an alto saxophone case because I just purchased a vintage Selmer Balance Action alto saxophone and need a case that is lightweight, durable, and most importantly, protective of my horn.
In this article, I will review three cases based on size, material, weight, and price. Please keep in mind that the cases reviewed here come in different models for specific horns and in the case of the Reunion Blues, different colors.
The cases being reviewed are:
BAM Softpack
BAM has manufactured cases since the 1980’s and continues to introduce newer and better products which aim to fulfill all musicians’ needs. The BAM Softpack case is both lightweight and protective
Size
The dimensions of the Bam alto and tenor Softpack case are as follows:
- Alto 4001S: 23’’ / 59.7 cm – 4’’/ 11.5 cm,
- Tenor 4002S: 30’’/ 76.8 cm – 6’’ / 15.9 cm.
The BAM Softpack can fit almost any saxophone due to the high density polyurethane foam which adjusts itself to fit the horn. I currently use this case to protect my Selmer Mark VI tenor and feel that whenever I get on a plane, I don’t have to worry about picking my horn up from baggage and discovering that the bell is either bent or dented. This case makes for an easy carry-on item due to the fact that its size allows for it to go in the overhead storage compartment with plenty of room to spare.
Material
The outside of the case is a hard-shelled ABS material. The bottom of the case is a soft anti-slip elastomer which is coated with a water-resistant nylon fabric. The back strap is incredibly comfortable and stable due to the security screw hooks. As mentioned previously, the inside of the case is made of a high density polyurethane foam. Inside the case there is a “secret” compartment where you can store a tuner, ligatures, or reeds. There is also a spot inside the case where you can store your neck as well as a spot for your hard rubber or metal mouthpiece.
Weight
As one would imagine, this case weighs noticeably more than a leather gig bag. But based on the materials that go into the case, I feel very comfortable taking it on long distance trips as well as walking around the city.
Price
The alto Softpack case starts at $238 while the tenor version goes for $288. Although these prices are higher than such popular brands as Pro-Tec and SKB, I attribute my scarcity of repair shop visits to the fact that the Softpack truly keeps my horn locked into position while protecting it from the outdoor elements.
Reunion Blues leather saxophone gig bag
Founded in 1976, Reunion Blues has become known as the premier gig bag company. They have over 70 models of instrument cases and have been called the best of the best on the market.
Size
The interior dimensions of the Reunion Blues tenor and alto saxophone gig bag are as follows:
- 24″ length x 8″ height x 4.5″ depth for the alto.
- 31″ length x 11″height x 6″ depth for the tenor
The Reunion Blues gig bag is similar in shape and size to the BAM case. Its size makes it ideal for carrying around to local gigs. It holds any type of saxophone – even the big bell saxophones such as the Keilwerth horns.
Material
The Reunion Blues gig bag has been reinforced at tested stress points to minimize any potential damage to your alto or tenor saxophone. It’s made out of luxurious full grain leather, soft tarnish resistant interior lining, thick dual layer density foam, industrial strength zippers, and includes a pocket on the side to store your neck, mouthpiece, and other accessories. However, I would recommend using a neck pouch when storing your neck in case you hit the accessory pouch which is on the outside of the bag.
Weight
The Reunion Blues alto saxophone bag weighs 3.7 Ibs and the tenor weighs 5.8 Ibs. One of the big selling points of a gig bag is that fact that they are quite a bit lighter than the BAM case, which is, of course, due to the materials on the outside of the case.
Price
The Reunion Blues alto saxophone leather gig bag starts at $279.95 and the tenor leather gig bag at $349.95. I used this case when I had my Keilwerth EX 90 Series III tenor saxophone because it was lightweight, protected my horn, and looked great.
Even though you could take this case on a plane, I would recommend either a cover or a hard shelled case for air travel. It’s my opinion that the double layer foam alone might not protect it from a bumpy plane ride. I consider this case to be the ultimate case if you are gigging locally.
Walt Johnson
These are considered to be among the most protective cases on the market. In my experience, I have never seen or heard of a player replacing their Walt Johnson case due to the wear and tear or a defect with the case. A Walt Johnson case could easily serve as a life-long investment.
Size
To give a general idea of the size of these cases, the tenor comes in at 12″W x 32.5″H x 7.5″D .
The case is a bit bulky compared to the BAM and Reunion Blues and there is very little space to store anything but your mouthpiece and neck.
Material
These cases feature a hand-laminated fiberglass shell which surrounds the entire horn. The material is capable of withstanding a good amount of abuse and would even probably do a good job of protecting the horn in the event of it being dropped on the floor.
Weight
The Walt Johnson is one of the heaviest cases on the market, but for good reason. It weighs in a 5.5 Ibs due to the heavy-duty materials it’s comprised of.
Price
The Walt Johnson alto saxophone case starts at $335 and the tenor case at $395. Its limited space for accessories and higher price aside, this case serves the purpose of protecting your alto or tenor saxophone against anything that might come in its path. Some users of the Walt Johnson saxophone case have referred to it as “bullet-proof” and “indestructible.”
Conclusion
Whichever one of these three cases you choose, I guarantee you will be happy with the quality as well as protection these cases offer. My opinion is if you are willing to spend $4,000 or more on a new saxophone, then wouldn’t it make since to protect that investment with a quality case?
Gary
March 13, 2012 @ 2:33 pm
Can the BAM softpack accommodate a Keilwerth SX90R?
Zach
March 13, 2012 @ 8:25 pm
Hey Gary,
After doing some research, your best bet is to contact BAM. From just looking at the case I own as well as previously owning a keilwerth, I believe the oversized bell makes it difficult to fit the horn in the case. I believe if you try to do so, you might end up bending part of the bell. I know the walt johnson does fit the keilwerth tenor saxophone and if you want a case that is custom fit to your tenor sax, check out manningcustom. They are located in New York City and make really good cases. Let me know if this helps.
Brandon
April 6, 2012 @ 8:39 pm
Hi Zach. just wanted to share some experiences of mine and some friends over the years with these different cases. I have known friends that have experienced damage to their baritone saxes with the Walt Johnson case… in both cases the Eb cage was pushed into the horn requiring significant repair. They need more support there. I do love the BAM foam and lack of contact with the horn in the high tech cases… if only they’d get their external bag shredding issue together. Just wanted to throw in my two cents.
Zach
April 6, 2012 @ 9:07 pm
Hey Brandon,
I appreciate the feedback on the walt johnson cases. I have a teacher who uses the walt johnson to protect her alto sax and she loves it. I also, know others who think the walt johnson is very heavy and lacks extra space to store accessories like the BAM. What case would you recommend players check out?
Brandon
April 7, 2012 @ 7:03 pm
For tenor: around town i love my VGV that I picked up at ishimori’s shop in Tokyo. It’s an Italian case that is super compact, not much padding inside, but great hard shell. I also still use my old Wolfpak if I’m traveling a lot and need the backpack straps. On alto I love the BAM high tech even with the shredded pocket. On Soprano I use a Walt Johnson thats nice and compact. The alto and tenor WJ’s are too heavy for my taste. I’m currently looking for a case that will fit a low Bb Conn 12M baritone. Seems the only case that I can find is the Protec (many reports of the bell being too big for the BAM), but would like to find something more compact I’d even go for the cordura Reunion blues just for ease of travel around town. I’d sure welcome any ideas!
Zach
April 10, 2012 @ 8:07 pm
Hey Brandon,
I have read reviews on the Pro Tec and the Reunion Blues. I heard the Pro Tec is a well designed case but its a fairly large case in comparison to other bari sax cases. I also looked at the SKB but am not sure if it would face the same issue as the BAM case in terms of having not enough room for the bell. Your best bet (although it is probably expensive) is to talk to manning custom. The case will probably be twice as much as any other case, but its designed specifically for whatever horn you want so you would have no issues with the conn 12m baritone fitting properly. Hope this helps man.
Frank Benvenuto
May 4, 2012 @ 8:48 am
Hey Zach,
I bought 2 hard cases for my alto & tenor. They are Hiscox and made in England. These are by far the best & lightest cases ever. They make 3 different grades of cases. I bought the middle grade for alto & the top grade for tenor (which is called the artist case).Hiscox in their ad shows 6 guys standing on a guitar case with no damage to the guitar. Check them out! I wish they offered them for sop. & bari. http://www.hiscoxcases.com
Frank
Zach
May 4, 2012 @ 9:54 pm
Hey Frank,
I have checked out the hiscox cases and can see why they are so popular. The video with the 6 guys standing on the guitar case was amazing, I thought the case was going to break. Hopefully they will start distributing some of their cases to music retailers around the united states.
James Capatch
May 15, 2012 @ 1:36 am
Hello,
my two cents as a technician for over ten years on some of the finest players in the world-Walt Johnson cases are the ultimate in protection, short of and ANVIL or specially designed road case. They are heavy and sometimes difficult to use, but they are the only thing that I can fully endorse as being a “protective” case. The BAM not even in the same league as the Walt, but it is still almost a hard case-there are cheaper cases that offer as much protection. That plastic is incredibly thin-I have seen it cracked and broken off and it has almost zero protective value on its own, but the dense foam interior gives a bit of a buffer zone if it fits properly. The gig bag is the repair technicians best friend and worst enemy. I would like to personally thank Reunion Blues for providing me with several thousand dollars worth of repair work over the years as a result of their really fancy saxophone bags. They look awesome. Their ability to protect is a bit higher than what it would be if it were in a trash bag with a strap-at this point you are relying on your own abilities not to slam it into something because if you do, you will likely be scheduling an appointment. Good luck, and thanks for being interested in saxophones!
-j-
Thomas
July 2, 2012 @ 1:38 pm
I don’t understand how the Walt Johnson is described as being so heavy, but is listed as being 5.5lbs. The Reunion Blues is listed as being 5.8lbs and described as being lighter than the BAM.
I just want a decently protective case that isn’t bulky and doesn’t weigh too much and has backpack straps. The Fusion F1 looks awesome, but seems scarce in the US.
James Capatch
July 3, 2012 @ 7:03 am
Check the text again. You are confusing the weight of the tenor with the weight of the bag. Bag alone should be under 4 lbs.
Zachary Sollitto
July 2, 2012 @ 4:33 pm
Hey Thomas,
I got the product specifics from the website of each manufacturer. If you want a bag that offers good protection, backpack straps, and does not weigh too much, your best bet is the Pro-Tec case. If you want one for tenor or alto saxophone, the pro-tec is one of the most popular saxophone cases for the money. Click on one of the links I have for each of the three cases, and you should be able to find the case on amazon. Let me know if you have any questions.
James Capatch
July 3, 2012 @ 7:00 am
Pro-tec is good value for the money. In response to Thomas, the Walt is the heaviest of those three for sure.
Thomas
July 3, 2012 @ 12:48 pm
Thanks for the feedback! Believe it or not, I *have* a pro tec case for my tenor, but to me it is way too heavy and bulky. I also find it to be very akward to strap across the back while biking. Perhaps there are some backpack straps that can go with it, and that is a possibility, but I haven’t been able to find that. If you know of such a thing, let me know!
My protec bag is nearly 9 pounds, so the thought of halving that is enticing.
I’ve handled a Walt Johnson tenor case, and although it is clearly a very secure option for travel, I find it excessively heavy for everyday use. I spoke with fusion and they will have their line in stock again by the end of August. You should check those out if your interested. If I can get a acl pack setup for this protec, that would be an option, but would prefer an option at about half that weight.
I have a 1933 bari case for my conn and it is only slightly larger and about the same weight as the tenor pro tec. Granted, you still need to handle the horn carefully, bu that’s not too hard for me.
George Hicswa
July 4, 2012 @ 8:34 am
I have used my Reunion Blues leather gig bag for local gigs for almost 40 years and never had a problem with it. It’s nice & light and easy to carry. Of course I’m careful about bumping it or dropping it. When I travel I use the original Selmer rectangular case which provides the ultimate in protection & isn’t much heavier than some of the hard shell gig bags. I don’t fly so I don’t have to worry about transporting it on planes. I originally used it for a Mark VI, but now play a SA80 I which is a bit more difficult to fit length-wise. I guess the Mark VI was a bit shorter or the cap stuck out less. Still, I’m happy with the Reunion Blues bag.
Steven Elwell
February 19, 2016 @ 10:25 pm
I used the Reunion Blue leather tenor and bari bags for 20 years of gigs and never had any issues. The bari bag is of course less protective with the larger horn, but I never had any issues. I am getting rid of them as I do not gig any longer and want more protection to be on the safe side.
Ellis Jasenovic
October 5, 2012 @ 7:50 am
I’ve personally found that on my Mark VI alto, the Protec cases work pretty well, but on my tenor there’s too much room inside…the top of the horn tends to shift around (and needed some alignment fixing). I got a BAM trekking case for my tenor and while I love it for all it can hold and it protects pretty well, it’s pretty big/bulky. I’m probably going to get a WJ tenor case for when I have travel or have to use a baggage claim…
My sax teacher in college (David Bixler, NY jazz guy, alto) has a WJ and said that after many years, the strap broke and the case hit the cement…and NO damage was done to his horn…Also I figure if I really need more stuff when I travel and the case doesn’t allow for much inside, I’ll pack extra reeds or w/e in another bag.
Ellis Jasenovic
October 5, 2012 @ 7:54 am
Also, personally, If you want a protective case, you should DEFINITELY stay away from leather/soft-case gig bags…I feel like if i placed it on the ground to hard it’d dent my horn. Just my 1.5 cents…
Also…Awesome website! Glad I found it!
Nicole Rachelle
December 15, 2012 @ 12:28 pm
I bought a Walt Johnson case for my Keilwerth tenor, and it fell apart in 14 months. My landscape with the Jonathan Winter case which cost $75 and lasted for 14 years before it fell apart, with the same intensity of use. Walt Johnson has offered to repair the case for free but they could not give me a timeframe on how long it would take and I cannot move my horn without a case so now I am stuck trying to borrow or rent a case that will fit my car work or I will just have to buy another new case. I feel that for as expensive as this case is they should cross-ship the new case to me and let me send the broken one back after I get it.
A friend of mine who plays tenor has sent his Walt Johnson case back for repair twice and it fell apart a third time within a month. Another friend of mine who makes fiberglass replica race car bodies looked at the case and thought the construction was not very good.
I wouldn’t mind a couple quality control issues if Walt Johnson had amazing customer service and sent a replacement case ahead of the return shipment, But their customer service is pretty terrible and it’s difficult to get them to respond to an email. They have never returned call for me.
Obviously the Walt Johnson case company has some serious problems and you should definitely avoid buying their cases.
Nicole Rachelle
December 15, 2012 @ 12:29 pm
oops casualty of Siri, second sentence should read that my previous J Winters cheap case lasted 14 years
Zach Sollitto
December 15, 2012 @ 4:09 pm
Hey Nicole,
I am sorry to hear about your case problems. I have heard great things about these cases from various artists but have never heard anything about their customer service. I will see if I can get in contact with Walt Johnson and make them aware of their service as well as case issues. Could you tell me what in particular went wrong with the case?
Thank you so much for your feedback
Zach
Nicole Sherburne
December 17, 2012 @ 4:49 pm
Zach,
THANK YOU for offering to help. Here are two pictures of the case and how it has failed:
http://www.neoprofessional.net/~dosadi/WaltJohnson/bcfihhdc.jpg
http://www.neoprofessional.net/~dosadi/WaltJohnson/jdbcccjj.jpg
The fiberglass shell is coming apart from the metal hardware. My friend Brian said the same thing happened to his.
Walt Johnson has already offered to repair it for free, but they failed to respond when I asked them how long it would take to have it back. This is a hardship for me because my ONLY job is as a working musician, I will be auditioning for America’s Got Talent in mid-January, and I’ll be taking trips to Nashville and LA this next several months. Plus there’s two videos I’m recording.
I have no budget to buy another case, all of the things I’m doing are low-budget or on someone else’s dime. I had to throw away my old case when I got the Walt Johnson because the old case had molded; so I had my horn overhauled and “invested” in the new case all at once to solve all my problems. It’s been impossible so far to find a case to borrow or rent in Columbus that will fit my Keilwerth.
Since it is apparent that Walt Johnson has quality control issues, even occasionally, I have a suggestion for them.
The cases are way more expensive than any other. So put customer service FIRST.
Each time someone needs a repair or replacement for a particular model of case, send that first person a new case for free, placing a deposit hold on their credit card until they return-ship the broken case.
Then rebuild the broken case and keep that refurbished case for the next time someone writes in needing a replacement. Then you’re only out one new case for each model, and have a rotating stock of spare refurbished cases, so you can always advance-ship replacements.
If you’re paying $350 for a friggin case, you expect perfection. If you don’t get perfection, you can expect perfect customer service. Walt Johnson has provided me with neither.
Can I also have my friend Brian contact you, Zach? His case broke for the third time a week after they sent it back the second time. I think he’s kind of frustrated too and can use some help.
Thanks again for your offer of help! I hope you can straighten this out. I really appreciate your efforts in any case, Zach!
~Nicole
Nicole Sherburne
December 18, 2012 @ 6:59 pm
Hello Nicole,
We’ve checked our records regarding the case and there is no trace of your name in our 2010 or 2011 invoices. How do you expect us to send you a new case? You probably didn’t buy it from us. We offered you to fix it, if you can’t send the case to be fixed that it’s your problem. If you decide to do it please send it to the below address with a UPS returned shipping label.
Regards,
WALT JOHNSON CASES
482 W. San Ysidro Blvd.
Unit 1111
San Ysidro, CA 92173
Message 619 822 2534
webpage: http://www.johnsoncases.com
I ordered it straight from Walt Johnson a year and a half ago. Furthermore, if their quality control problem on a luxury / boutique item becomes my problem, that’s a problem. This is THE MOST EXPENSIVE case available, so I don’t think they’re worth it. I dis-recommend Walt Johnson!
Nicole Sherburne
December 18, 2012 @ 7:03 pm
Protec makes a nice case for Keilwerth. Next time I’ll check them out. Hiscox may fit if you compress the foam near the low Eb key.
More options for Keilwerth listed here:
[Sorry(!), but this web page has disappeared since the original publication of this article]
Bob Felker
January 18, 2013 @ 10:06 am
I have a Walt Johnson case I picked up used for my Big “B” Buescher Aristocrat tenor. It is a bit older so maybe was made prior to the quality control issues that Nicole and Brian have been experiencing. It is as strong a case as you can find and really protects my horn really well.
In 2001, I ordered a Selmer Paris Serie II bari direct from Paris. It came with a Selmer flight case, which I understand is made for Selmer by BAM. About a week after I received my horn, the handle of the case slipped out of my hand while I was getting it out of the back seat of my car and the horn fell about two feet to the ground. The upper stack was bent. I was devistated. Luckily I had purchased the horn with my Amex card and their purchase protection plan took care of the repair. But the POS Selmer flight case had to go. Originally I used a Protec “coffin” case which worked but was very bulky. I really wanted a WJ case for it, but could never find one or get a commitment from a vendor to order one. This week I finally found a WJ and it’s on the way. Now my horn will be safe.
Nicole Rachelle Sherburne
April 19, 2013 @ 8:22 pm
Update . . . . . my Keilwerth SX90R tenor from 1996 fits a Hiscox case pretty well, so I ordered a custom Hiscox in white with red plush with backpack straps for $400. It seems roughly twice as strong as the Walt Johnson did when it was new. We’ll see how well it holds up over time but so far I’m very happy with it. I know the SX90R alto will not fit in a Hiscox, but it fits my tenor great.
Nicole Rachelle Sherburne
May 4, 2015 @ 10:42 am
It’s apparently been almost 2 years since I bought the Hiscox case, so a brief update. It’s holding up great. I’ve managed to stain the white ABS plastic a bit (by carrying my sax after using spray-tan, so that’s my own fault) & there’s one place inside the case where the fit is so tight it’s wearing away the felt in that one spot, but other than that it’s still perfect. I couldn’t imagine finding a case that fit my horn tighter (without hurting it) or protected it better. The tight fit is just perfect for maximum protection, but isn’t too tight to throw my horn out of alignment. I actually think I could throw my horn in-case down a flight of stairs before a gig & it would play fine. I’m not a gentle person, so there’s been a lot of calamity, none of which has done any damage. I highly recommend the Hiscox case for a Keilwerth SX-90 tenor sax.
tvcmusic.com
June 20, 2013 @ 2:28 pm
I’m not sure about ward brodt, I’ve never used that place, but the place I used to rent from charges $23 monthly.
I would imagine that most places would be a close estimate to that.
I’ll give you the link of where I used to rent my violin before I bought one, I think you can actually rent online as well. :D. . Have fun!! Violin is awesome.)i(What would be better? Going to drum lessons or buying a drumkit?
wilson leather bags
July 23, 2013 @ 12:51 pm
Hi, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your blog in Opera, it looks
fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, excellent blog!
Dr. Michael Cox
August 14, 2013 @ 8:31 pm
In my 40 years playing saxophone (OK, so I wasn’t a pro at age 12, but I did get my first “gig bags” when I was 16), I have owned sax gig bags or cases and case covers by Leblanc, Selmer (original and Sax-Pac), Walt Johnson, Altieri, and VGV.
My current favorites, and the reasons: Best ALTO combo, Walt Johnson form-fitted case with a Reunion Blues cover, which is no longer made, much to my amazement as this is the best combination of (1) protection, (2) reasonable weight, and (3) handling and features. Three handling points (besides the case handles are extra handles on the back, and one at the top), a generous sized pocket, and a solidly mounted, comfortable shoulder strap make this the BEST alto case, better than the factor case, bar none.
Current (not necessarily favorite, reasons which I’m going into here) TENOR: The Italian-made VGV has for ME the best combination of (1) relative protection, (2) weight, and (3) low profile (overhead bin compliant for airline travel). After I dented the side of my car with my WALT JOHNSON tenor case (to the tune of over $600), I realized the WJ was just too heavy for my frame. While I’m fit, with decent core, shoulder and arm strength, I’ve never weighed more than 168 lbs, so I am small-framed and I am usually carrying 2-3 instruments to a gig, so I need the lightweight feature and can afford to be careful and take my time walking, etc. The reason the VGV is NOT my FAVORITE is because it closes with a zipper, reinforced with one latch, but these systems have both worn out after a few years (5-6 years maybe, but with continual use gigging around town AND traveling), AND they have apparently become unavailable in the States; at least I’ve tried and failed to replace mine, after having had the zipper repaired twice. It just isn’t going to last much longer so I may have to go to a Reunion Blues or the Hiscox, but I think the latter may also be on the heavy side.
Soprano: Altieri’s gig bag-sewn around a tray-design, give the best of the worlds of a case and a soft and lighter gig back. I have room in the generous extra-roomy length-of-the-bag exterior pocket for either a flute case, a Yamaha WX7 (enclosed in its own bag/tray combo I devised myself), or a sax/flute/clarinet stand. I’ve also packed a change of clothes into that pocket, believe it or not, for a quick there-and-back flight to a one-nighter. I wore the gig suit on the plane, packed casual clothes (to wear during down-time between rehearsal/sound-check) and been totally comfortable carrying everything.
Michael Manning
May 17, 2014 @ 7:10 pm
http://www.manningcustom.com
Michael Manning
May 17, 2014 @ 7:15 pm
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153855493505061&set=vb.720700060&type=3&theater
pete forlano
March 23, 2015 @ 7:55 pm
I bought my tenor gig bag direct from Glenn Cronkhite, the guy who started the reunion blues company and now runs and works in his own shop.
Beautiful leather bag. Very sturdy, more than you might guess. You can see pic on google images. You can also contact him direct.
http://www.glenncronkhite.com/
Hugo
May 1, 2015 @ 11:21 am
I’m a little late to the discussion but here is another case-maker. Personally I do not have any experience with them.
http://wisemancases.com/
based in the UK
Wiseman Cases London, 7 Genoa Road, Anerley, London SE20 8ES, England.
Michael
August 9, 2015 @ 12:22 pm
Really appreciate all the comments here! Need to get a new case for my son’s Selmer 54 tenor.
Anyone know if this will fit in a Hiscox Pro II series tenor case?
Nicole Rachelle Sherburne
August 10, 2015 @ 11:41 am
Michael, I don’t know if the Selmer 54 will fit. I wonder if you live close enough to a distributor for Hiscox to take the horn to the case & try it? I tried my Keilwerth in a Hiscox before buying, at Junkdude music in Columbus, OH.
BTW I can say the case is holding up well.
Connell Thompson
October 7, 2015 @ 9:10 am
If you’re looking for the BEST case available, Manning Custom Woodwinds is the only way to go. They can make custom cases to fit any horn, along with any combination of doubles or even laptops/electronics if you so desire. They are super strong, shells made out of fiberglass or carbon fiber, and come with backpack straps or wheels, which make a world of difference when your transporting them. And because they are custom fit to your individual horn, it means that your horn will have the very best protection.
I have two, one for my Tenor and another that holds my Alto and my clarinet (with room for cables and such). They’ve saved my butt numerous times and I really can’t say enough about them. http://www.manningcustom.com.
Johan de Champs
October 18, 2015 @ 11:12 am
And my Martin tenor was also no problem for the Hiscox. I use it 5 years now. In tourbusses. Planes. Super case and i am very happy with it. I asked the factory before i ordered if the Martin would fit. Succes !
jesse dominguez
June 30, 2016 @ 6:59 am
I have walt johnson cases and reunion blue cases for all my horns. Excellent cases. I do not recommend using a soft case during flights. the walt johnson cases fit good in the top compartment of the airplane
Jaime Chavez
April 24, 2017 @ 11:49 am
Dear Zach,
What would you recommend for a Selmer Mrk Vi tenor? I recently got one but the case it came with is too big for it, and I’ve already had to pay for repairs on it.
Wendy Scher
December 6, 2018 @ 7:23 pm
So am I correct in that there is no heavy duty flight case available for a vintage Bb bari? I requested a quote from Manning, though I imagine it will be far out of my league. The 32 pounds of the horn in my Pro Tec is pretty damn painful on the back (really, a wood frame in 2018?), and isn’t protective enough for, say, plane travel.