Breedlove a style case

[MikeEdgerton]

I purchased one the Breedlove Mandolin cases that Dennis from The Mandolin Store had on eBay this week. I can't say enough about the service. I did a Buy it now over the weekend, it shipped out of Arizona Monday and was delivered in New Jersey on Wednesday. That's some fast service. Dennis unfortunately is out of these but there is another seller on eBay that still has some.

The case is well built. I'd place the quality near a TKL and better than the Musician's Friend A style case (that I dearly love). It has three latches and one of them locks. The only two things I have complaints with and they are small actually. The padding is very heavy and the two mandolins tested fit in quite tight (somewhat of a pressed fit) with the strap on them. This isn't always a bad thing, it does hold the mandolin in place and there is plenty of padding. The original Flatiron Canadian made case for my mandolin allows the mandolin to slip in easy but it also moves around a bit. The other problem I see is the little notched wall for the pick case. It could be more padded. I don't see that as too much of an issue either as the mandolin isn't going anyplace. This is in no way a Calton, I wouldn't want to drop it 20 feet but I think the mandolin would survive the normal bumps and bruises that cases are there to protect against. The pick case is huge and there is plenty of room inside the case for anything else you might want to carry (unlike the TKL and Musicians Friend cases). It comes with a shoulder pad. Here are several pictures of the case. I intend to keep the Flatiron in it and save the original case for the day that I sell it.

[MikeEdgerton]

My short necked Strad-O-Lin in the case.

[MikeEdgerton]

The interior

[MikeEdgerton]

The neck support

[MikeEdgerton]

The pick case

[MikeEdgerton]

The handle and latches

[Jim Garber]

How much do those run, Mike? Not that I need another case at the moment. Got a link to Dennis' eBay store?

Jim

[Jim Garber]

Actually, I found their eBay Store (http://stores.ebay.com/The-Mandolin-Store), but no cases are listed at the moment.

Jim

[homeslice]

I agree that it's a great case Mike. This same one came with my Quartz OO. I didnt realize this when I purchased the mandolin, so I was pleasantly surprised that such a nice case came with it. It's very snug and padded, and seems to be constructed very well. As you mentioned the compartment is huge for a mando case and is actually bigger than the guitar case that I have. I keep the strap/shoulder pad on mine so I can look all cool and professional.:D

[MikeEdgerton]

Dennis out of them but this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330124545871&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fse arch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm37%26satitle%3D 330124545871%26fvi%3D1) eBay seller has them for the same price. Your shipping costs may vary depending on where you're at. His shipping to me was the same as Dennis' price. He says he has 45 available. I know nothing about this seller.

[Jim Garber]

That is funny, the same seller has them $2 cheaper <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Deluxe-Breedlove-Mandolin-Hard-Case-Mando-Hardcase_W0QQitemZ330156964797QQihZ014QQcategory
Z38106QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">here</a>.

Jim

[MikeEdgerton]

I know but I posted the link to the Buy it now. That is actually an auction, not that you'll pay more but you could. I was actually watching this guys auctions (and had been for a while) when I saw Dennis had them and I pulled the trigger finally because Dennis had them. I had been on the fence for a long time.

[Lane Pryce]

Mike can you tell what the case is made of? Wood,hard board/ masonite. Is the covering tolex or vinyl, curious about the handle as well. I currently use the standard Weber case. Its very nice on the inside,padded in the appropriate places. However when I installed D rings for a shoulder strap I found the case was constructed with a hard paper like material. Other than that I can't really complain too much about the case. Lp


I just purchased one. Mike thanks for the extra pics and review. Lp

[Lane Pryce]

I received the above case today. Well made, quality components. Great case for the money. Plenty of storage space too. I purchased mine from the eBay seller Mike linked to. Lp

[bnmartin54]

Sorry that I'm a little late to the party. #However, I just received one of these Breedlove cases (for a Breedlove mandolin, too) and I certainly agree with previous sentiments regarding the quality of the cases. #I was surprised, though, that the lid is not arched. #In addition, it doesn't appear as though much of the felt material on the inside of the lid makes any contact with the instrument. #So far as I can tell the only place the lid touches is the bridge which brings me to my concern - that the lid is pressing down too much onto the soundboard - via the bridge. #My comfort level indicates that the mandolin should rest another 1/4-3/8" down into the case. #The overall thickness of the Breedlove case is the same as the TKL case my mandolin came with. #So, either the bottom padding is too thick or possibly the cut-out where the neck rests is too high. #Anyone else experiencing something similar with this case? #I'd appreciate anyone's $0.02 worth.
Thanks,
Bob

[bnmartin54]

A quick update - even removing the pocket brace (where the neck rests) doesn't allow my Breedlove Alpine to sit low enough in the case. The lid is still pressing down on the bridge - certainly a little bit less but not enough for my comfort level. I'm sending the case back for a refund. Bummer as the case is so nice looking that people naturally think, "Wow, what a great mandolin player!" Ah well, the truth will hurt but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the sake of a better fit.
Bob

[Lane Pryce]

Bob I purchased two of the cases and have had no issues with either one. My Mowry fits perfectly in either. I thinks its a very good general purpose case. Could be you purchased a second? Just a thought. Lp

[EdSherry]

One posibility: #different mandolins are shaped differently, with different body depths, etc. #Even if the Breedlove fits JLP's Mowry "perfectly," that does not mean that it will fit Bob's Breedlove Alpine. #

Who knows? #Maybe the reason that Breedlove is selling off these cases so cheap is that they don't fit Breedlove mandolins, even if they DO fit other makers' mandolins.

[MikeEdgerton]

They may have been built for a specific Breedlove model or they may have been ordered but didn't fit the Breedlove model they were ordered for. It is obvious that Breedlove closed them out. It appears to be plywood but I'm not going to tear out the insides to check.

[bnmartin54]

The pocket braces were plywood covered with felt. No surprise there, I guess and I presume that the rest of the case is also plywood. Earlier comments about these cases fitting specific Breedlove mandolins (and other A-style mandolins) might be right on. My Alpine has a pronounced curvature on both the soundboard and the back of the instrument. I don't know if this is also true of the Quartz and Premier series of Breedlove mandolins. Here's what I do know from this case and my Alpine:
a) Total ouside case thickness is ~110mm (4.3")
b) Inside maximum thickness is ~90mm (3.5")
c) My Alpine thickness from the back to the top of the bridge is ~93mm (3.7") and that explains the previous comment I made about needing another 1/4-3/8" for the lid to close.

Perhaps others can use these dimensions in determining whether this case will fit for their mandolins. I'm only out the shipping ($25 total for both ways) so I hope that my loss is everyone else's gain. But even though I'm new to this group, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make because I can say with confidence that you're all worth it! Well, there might be some slight reservations regarding a talented noodler living in Rosemount MN who plays a 50's Epiphone. I know Jeff reads these postings and he isn't a registered user of this group yet so feel free to encourage him to jump in.

Cheers!

Bob