Can't afford Calton

[Doug Ezell]

Looking for a good protective case for a Nugget A5 but can't afford a Calton. What do all you experienced people recommend?

Thanks for the advice!!

Doug in Montana

[Chris Biorkman]

Aren't Nuggets more expensive than a Calton? ;)

[JEStanek]

Do you need a case to withstand being checked in an airplane hold or just a good case? If you travel with it and you're worried about it having to be stowed below, you need to get a Calton (or similarly protective case). If you just want a good protective case for use, I know of people on this forum that keep their Gibson Master Models in Travelite cases. Maybe not as crush protective but good for drop and much lighter than a Calton... Lotsa choices. can you be more specific about what you want it for?

Jamie

[jim simpson]

One of these should do:

[Tim2723]

The vast majority of playrs never really need all the protection the top end cases provide. Heck, even a lot of Calton users probably don't really need that much, but a high-end case is a great thing in its own right and very desireable.

What do you need the case to do? Are you traveling by air? Working a lot of festivals? Touring Europe?

If you're like a lot of us, a $30 hard case will suffice. When it wears out, get another one.

[Bigtuna]

I take it you spent all your money on the Nugget. I've had my case take some nice blows and my mandolin has been fine and it's just the standard Saga case my KM-1000 came in. One of the most memorable incidents was when I went to LA last June and the flight attendant was determined she was going to fit one more bag in the overhead with my mandolin. I think she hit the case one or two times with a wheeled overnight bag before I could get out of my seatbelt and stop the madness! Needless to say the mandolin made it, and I didn't get the best service after our little talk.

[Michael Cameron]

Don Steirnberg carries his Nugget in a leather gig bag(Reunion Blues?) at least sometimes.

Unlesss you have to stack your mando with a bunch of other stuff in a cargo hold,something less than a Calton might do.

It is nice to have a really solid,crush-proof kind of case when traveling. Still no guarantees that headstock scroll won't break off. Oh,you said A5...

I use a couple of Levys CM21 padded gig bags:plain and functional. I carry mando in it when just going to local jam.

To the *BBQ* jam, I have a much nicer Levys leather gig bag. Nice.

I think it's always a good idea to use a case cover on a nice hardshell case(any hardshell case). Extra protection and keeps the case looking good too.

I recommend keeping it in something like a fireproof gunsafe. Be careful transporting it. Don't fall on it.

Just enjoy it!

c

[Don Christy]

I believe Mike Marshall still uses a Travelite for his Loar.

Don

[sgarrity]

I have two Caltons and they are probably overkill 98% of the time. but those 2% when they're not overkill sure makes up for the expense! Travelites are nice cases for the money. Reunion Blues gig bags are really nice too but approaching Calton prices.

[doc holiday]

Hello Doug. Just to add a quick story. I stretched to get Caltons for my mando & guitar....mostly for the unexpected...And it did happen. I was in a two car wreck that destroyed 2 vehicles. Thankfully only minor injuries for the passengers after the ambulance rides. The instruments weren't even out of tune. I could not have afforded big repairs on the guitar and mando. Say do you know Fed Buckley down there in Billings? He's got a Nugget A from the '70s era just after Ti O'Brien's I believe. Best of luck on the case decision.
~o)

[mandroid]

Hi doug My F came in an Arch topped TKL wooden rectangular case. those are sturdy, but I missed the shoulder strap D rings.

gator's ABS cases aren't bad , also well spoken of Eastman's lighter fiberglass cases except for the storage inside..

[JEStanek]

I would try your mando in the Eastman fiberglass case before you settled on it. I love my Eastman yellow case but the tuners on my 805D 2 point get a little close to the sides. Not real close but nervous close, for me. They are a cool case.

Jamie

[Brad Weiss]

I believe Mike Marshall still uses a Travelite for his Loar.

Don

Yep - every time I've seen him with it, at least. If a Travelite held every kind of mandolin (2 points and bandolim don't fit...) it'd be the only case I'd use.

[Kevin K]

What about Saga new fiberglass case?

[cwtwang]

Travelite and I recommend them from at mandolins.net

[recon]

Will the Travelite case accommodate a mandolin with a Tone-Gard and Armrest?

[Bob Stolkin]

Will the Travelite case accommodate a mandolin with a Tone-Gard and Armrest?

I would look at the Concord. Nice case.

[Steve Perry]

Will the Travelite case accommodate a mandolin with a Tone-Gard and Armrest?

Yes it will. It'll be a snug fit, but it will work. The trick is to not use the metal clasp lock. The zipper close and the velcro flaps are plenty to keep the case closed.

[Ray(T)]

Exactly how much is a Calton in the US? I've just ordered a UK made one and its costing me around £185 + shipping. At the current rate of exchange that works out at $277. They seem to be selling for nearly twice that 2nd hand in the US.
Ray

[MikeEdgerton]

How much would the freight to the US be?

[sgarrity]

A new Calton is ~$580 I believe. People seem to be snatching up the used ones for anywhere between $400-550 depending on age and condition.

[Lawn Jockey]

The Ameritage Shaped Case (http://ameritagecases.com/details.php?sku=AME-82&cat=Gold_Series&line=Mandolin&pname=Shaped_Mandolin_(fits_both_A_and_F_styles)) (AME-82) is built like a tank. I have less than $285.00 in a brand new one.

[Ray(T)]

Anyone interested can ask them - sales@caltoncases.co.uk - they currently have a 5/6 week wait.
Ray

[John Malayter]

I had a Calton for a while and all the talk about the headstock clearance made me nervous, plus I thought it was seriously over kill for my uses. I can see 2% of the time you really need one but I sold mine just the same, sometimes I wish I still had it although I don't really "need" it. I think a Travelite would be perfect, and yes Marshall still uses his last I saw him.

I've always wondered why its hard for me to spend 5K on an instrument but can't dish out $500 bucks on a case......................anyone?

[Skip Kelley]

A TKL should do the job nicely while you save up for a Calton.:)

[AlanN]

Log me as another Guy-who-sold-Calton-and-got-a-Travelite (although I still have a *large* Calton).

For festival shlepping, can't be beat.

[Steve G]

I should sell my Calton and buy a Travelite. It always goes on the plane with me anyway. The guitars another story. I check that but only in a Calton case w/ case cover to protect latches.

[Jim MacDaniel]

aren't nuggets more expensive than a calton? ;)

lol!

[Jim MacDaniel]

I don't own a Loar, but I much prefer to carry a StewMac Litecase or Travelite, to a HSC or even fiberglass. At least for my far less expensive mandolins, these light cases seems to offer ample protection. Of the two, I prefer the Travelite since it has a neck-block built in to the lid to minimize neck movement, while I was compelled to add a velcro strap to to the StewMac for the same effect.

[Jim Roberts]

I've had two Travelite cases and with both of them the padding that cradles the neck of the mandolin wears out, rather quickly I might add, so that the neck of the mandolin is resting not on the padding as it should but rests on the compartment case (for holding picks, tuners, strings, etc.) that appears to be flimsy covered cardboard. Total bummer that companies like Modern Case Company are out of business as they built great cases.

For now, I am sticking with the Calton I have as well as the after market Collings case I recently acquired for my F5.

Cheers.

[Emmitt Sanders]

call Dennis Vance at the Mandolin Store in AZ.
he runs Fiberglass cases on sale on occasion.

~DaddyO

[Michael Lewis]

There are lots of choices out there, and depending on your personal needs and preferences you should be able to find something to satisfy you.

The Concord mandolin case was designed for use with a ToneGard, and has a set up in the lid to stow the Gard if you prefer not to leave it on the instrument. Comments from other folks can be helpful or sometimes unintentionally misleading, so you should check out the cases for yourself since everyone's opinions are not the same.

[AlanN]

I've had two Travelite cases and with both of them the padding that cradles the neck of the mandolin wears out, rather quickly I might add, so that the neck of the mandolin is resting not on the padding as it should but rests on the compartment case (for holding picks, tuners, strings, etc.) that appears to be flimsy covered cardboard.

You made me go look and I see what you are talking about, I will do something about that, like shoring up the 2 little pillow cradles with a fabric, or glueing a length of padding along the neck travel on top of the lid.

[Mandobar]

it ceases to amaze me that folks would spend upwards of $5k on a mandolin and not another $500 on a case.

a few years back i dropped my mandolin case while coming down the stairs- and yes, there was a mandolin inside. i'm still thankful to this day that it was in a calton.

http://www.mandobar.com/pollcall1.jpg

as you can see, my furry friend there has an interest in instrument cases. a calton is impervious to a 75 pound "rowdy" malamute.

[Bernie Daniel]

JJM:I've always wondered why its hard for me to spend 5K on an instrument but can't dish out $500 bucks on a case......................anyone?

Because when you play Jerusalem Ridge on the case it sounds like a $500 mandolin? :)

[MikeEdgerton]

I have a Calton case. You may not need one but I will attest to the fact that I stood on my Calton with the mandolin inside and it withstood 210 pounds. I may buy a Travelite for carrying around a festival (I'd buy a FQMS supercase in a heartbeat) but I'll never say that anything short of a Pegasus will do the job of a Calton. With that said I saved my pennies for a long time before I bought mine.

[LVH]

Grisman uses a TKL for his Giacomel

[mandroid]

the texturized Vinyl covering on wooden cases ,
does not let bumperstickers adhere as well as does the smooth fiberglass.

[Ray(T)]

New Calton arrived same day as the Sierra Hull CD - Bliss! Now who might want a pristine TKL? (The UK Caltons no longer have a smooth finish to accept stickers.)

[PhilTod]

Hey Mandobar-I love the pattern on your Calton! What is that called, where did you get it, and is it an upgrade? Thanks!

[Mandobar]

it is an upgrade...used to be $75 extra. it is a pollock finish (like the painter). i got it at the music emporium this past summer. it was store stock.

[Randy King]

I was fortunate enough to aquire a Calton, and it's the best investment I have ever made, next to the mando I store in it! Those cases are tough!

[jim_n_virginia]

All I've ever used is TKL cases and my instruments get banged around a lot and they do the job. You can get one around $80 bucks.

[mandroid]

I think it was discussed before , color goes into the Gel coat ,
1st layer of resin, after the mold release coating of the shiny interior of the mold,
on Pegasus, and it seems Eastman cases, whereas Calton applies
the finishing coat to the fiberglass after it comes out of the mold

[Mike Snyder]

OHSC TKL and a tennis rackett bag (3 holer) get me by. I have pondered and studied and plotted to buy a better case, but never pulled the trigger. Perhaps someday, but for those of us who do not gig regularly, and don't fly, those prices are just ouchy. If I made my living with my mandolin,(haw haw haw) Calton or Pegasus, for sure.

[Ray(T)]

The first time your instrument/case gets sat on, stood on, dropped or otherwise abused by a third party is the time you'll wish you'd bothered to buy a decent case. You only need to buy one once. I bought my original Calton guitar case in 1976 and acquired a similar mandolin case in the 80's. Both are still going strong; which is why I decided "new mandolin, new Calton".
Ray

[Don Christy]

a few years back i dropped my mandolin case while coming down the stairs- and yes, there was a mandolin inside. i'm still thankful to this day that it was in a calton.


I hope the stairs were carpeted otherwise I feel sorry for the stairs. Seems like everytime I use my Calton, I put another mark on a wall or door frame :crying:

Don

[Mandobar]

the stairs were carpeted and fine. my knee, which was the cause for my dropping the case, spent several weeks in an air cast- ligament tear, was unfortunately not so lucky.......

a few years back someone told me a story about how the cargo hold hatch opened on a flight they were on as they took off. they watched as all the luggage spilled out all over the runway and as their guitar which was in a calton skidded by before their very eyes. the guitar survived unharmed. the calton sustained too much damage for Al at calton to repair, but the case did it's job.

[Stephen Lind]

[QUOTE=mandroid;gator's ABS cases aren't bad , also well spoken of Eastman's lighter fiberglass cases except for the storage inside..[/QUOTE]

i took a chance on the Gator and have been very pleased
Flown with it 4 times, take it with me everywhere, it's been knocked over a couple of times and my Givens hasn't had any problems at all

plenty of storage too

the cheesy straps that came with it didn't make it through the first trip so i use Lowe pro padded strap now

[Bluegrassified]

More info on the Eastman. I have a Collings MF. I would like the waterproofing and studiness of a fiberglass case, plus the d-rings for shoulder straps is very appealing, but don't really need the super case Calton right now. Hopefully no one over 200 lbs will sit on my case nor will I run over it, knock on wood. How is the fit in the Eastman? Is the mando secure or too much wiggle room. my concern is mainly dropping it, getting it knocked over, or my banjo players Calton case falling on it! :-)
I also don't know about NO storage either, but could learn to live with it. Any info you could share would be nice.

[D.E.Williams]

I use Ameritage cases exclusively for the guitars I build. I also agree that their cases are built like tanks. Rock solid, and have humidifiers in them. The Shaped Mandolin case (http://www.ameritage.com/listing.php?cat=Gold_Series&line=Mandolin) is a real winner from what I hear. It's what I plan on getting for my first F5 that I'm about to build. It won't fit a 3-pointer though...

Don Williams
D.E.Williams Guitars

[mandroid]

Re the Eastman FG cases , lighter .. I sense they are
made: gel coat applied into the Mold with pigment mixed in,
and a single layer of fiberglass Cloth . and catalyzed resin impregnated ..
whereas Cal and Peg are laid-up with a couple layers of cloth .

gasketed edges does keep the rain out .
attention: Boaters, 'not to be used for a flotation device'

[carleshicks]

what about the new Bobelbeck (spelling) fiberglass that Mando Dan is selling? they look pretty nice.

[Bluegrassified]

I also like the look of the bobelock case, but which one??? The one on the bobelock web page (http://www.bobelock.com/mandolinCases/1019.html) looks nothing like the fiberglass one sold on gregboyds web page. The fiberglass one has 2 latches, the wooden one on the bobelock page only looks to have a single center latch. I really like the fiberglass one, except for the cheesy outline of mando in top shell.

[John Malayter]

Never seen the fiberglass one, but the covered one is a pain to get into. I've had people hand the case back to me and ask me to open it. If it was me, i'd go with the fiberglass but heck thats still around 225 semolians. Maybe a travelite will do.......

[Stephen Cagle]

Well here is my 2 cent's worth. I've owned a black teardrop calton, TKL, Superior, Eastman fiberglass (green and yellow). Currently the only one I'm using is the new Golden Gate fiberglass (sea foam) purchased from the Mandolin Store. Everyone at the mandolin store is just great! It was purchased white but with my painting enginuity (Ha Ha:grin:) it is now sea foam color. On a serious note it is THE most durable case that I've owned (well the calton was a little better but MUCH heavier and 350 more) I would not suggest it but I feel like I could stand on top of my case without any issues. They have went up in price just a little bit but they are still under 200 including shipping. Here are a few pic's.

Stephen

[PhilTod]

Stephen-Great looking paint job! What type of paint/method did you use on the case?

[Rick Schmidlin]

Looking for a good protective case for a Nugget A5 but can't afford a Calton. What do all you experienced people recommend?

Thanks for the advice!!

Doug in Montana

?:confused:

[Cara Z.]

If I had a Nugget, I'd put it in a Pegasus. :)

I have a TKL, a Travelite, a Calton w/Boulder cover, and a Pegasus. The Peg I bought on the 'cafe classifieds (2nd hand but unused) for about what the Calton cost w/o the Boulder cover. Otherwise, I probably couldn't afford one.

I like the Peg way better than the Calton. It has 6 latches, which are easier to operate than the Calton ones. I think it's lighter, and it's shaped better so I can sling it over my shoulder and not whack it against every doorway I pass through. There's a little more room around the headstock, so your HS scroll is safe from jarring.

I do enjoy the glue smell inside the Calton. ;)

I did have a cool yellow Eastman. Not a lot of room around the peghead, and I didn't trust the latches. The travelite is good for local jams.

[Stephen Cagle]

Stephen-Great looking paint job! What type of paint/method did you use on the case?

Thanks for the nice compliment. Believe it or not it was a very simple job. WELL:grin:, painting it that is.. My wife actually used painters tape and taped off all the chrome parts and the handle. She has so much more patience than me. I would have been screaming:crying: Then I took it to my fathers shop where I had plenty of light and used KRYLON Interior-Exterior medium gloss and went to town. I put 4 coats on it, it took about an hour. (I'm getting a tap on my shoulder:redface:) It took Tina about 2 hours to tape everything off. She loves me!:grin:

[Don Christy]

a few years back i dropped my mandolin case while coming down the stairs- and yes, there was a mandolin inside. i'm still thankful to this day that it was in a calton.


I bet the Calton beat the cr@p out of the stairs. I've beat up most walls in my house already.
Don

[x_purposes]

I have a Bobelock Fiberglass case for my Grey Eagle. It does a great job of protecting it. It has 2 latches and a good seal to keep the humidity constant. The case comes with a cloth cover. The cover has a large zippered pocket. I had the bride sew 2 seams in it to divide it into 3 smaller pockets. I don't think you can beat the case for the price ($225). Also, mine does not have the molded mandolin in the fiberglass. Much cleaner looking than the one on the bobelock site.

Mike

Grey Eagle #37
Eastman 815

[david blair]

IKA Cases, from Europe, are the best for me. Lightweight, airtight, and very strong. Very expensive too.
I custom ordered a Calton which I absolutely love. Ordering a new shape increased the wait time, three months turned into six, and then three more months for the glue to dry. The glue smell was so strong it had to be left outside!
Boat repair shops sell fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin which could be wrapped around a case. Maybe worth a try?

[woodwizard]

I have a white granite texture with silver interior Calton delux case on order for my F5. Ordered it last week from Andy Williamson (Mandolin Central). Can't wait to get it.
I use to own a Fiberglass boat company and repair shop many years ago and actualy made a fiberglass case for an F model mando I had. I made a temporary mold to build the shells and used a liquid A & B expanding foam to fill the shells, drew a shadow of the mandolin & carved it out. It was the same type of foam I used for floatation under ther floor in the hull of the boats. This was back about 1978. I then glued a thin layer of foam cushion on that with contact cement and covered/glued felt material over that. It was a great case! Although it looked a little like a babies coffin I wish I still had it. I belieave it offered great protection.

[jim simpson]

Stephen Cagle,

I love your seafoam green case! I have an electric guitar in seafoam green that is the envy of a couple of player friends.
I have the same case as yours but in red. It never ceases to draw comments! I think of it as my "poor man's Pegasus"!

Jim

[tburcham]

Will the Travelite case accommodate a mandolin with a Tone-Gard and Armrest?

Yes I place my Loar LM700 with tone guard in my Travel lite.

[MoBob]

I purchased a very nice shaped fiberglass case from the Mandolin Store for under $200, works great. NFI, just info.

[tburcham]

Bobelock makes a very nice fiberglass case...not a Calton. ..but very nice

[300win]

I can't afford a Calton either, but niether can I afford a Gibson F-5 Master Model Distressed, I do have a F-5 bGibson Jam-Master however thats a great sounding mandolin, I traded the flimsy canvas gig-bag out for a Fender travel-lite case when I got it. It seems sturdy enough for my travels, never on a plane, always in a personel vehicle. Sure if I had a very high dollar instrument, i would keep it in the best case I could get. On another note one of the strurdiest cases I have is called a Gator, I have my banjo in that one. If I ever run across one of those for an F-5 I'll get it.

[mandroid]

Gator sells a Black thermoplastic ABS shell case , Calton ish shaped . D rings on the handle side of the case..

maybe a Krylon paint job would make one of those less Schwartz ..

[Paul Kotapish]

I have a Calton, but it is overkill 99% of the time. I think a standard three-ply hardshell case is more than ample protection, and the foam-and-cordura-style cases (Travelite et al) seem fine, too, and are even lighter.

[Mike Snyder]

Shaped TKL in a three-unit tennis racket bag. It's cheap, I'm cheap, we're made for each other.

[Bob A]

Overkill 99%, saves your bacon 1%. Just how much is your bacon worth?

Got time to wait for another Nugget? Got the money for another Nugget? Got insurance on the mandolin? Do you feel lucky?

[Ryk]

I'm with Bob A. Can't afford a Calton? I can understand that ... but can you "afford" the heartache of replacing a treasured instrument? It doesn't hafta be a Loar. The peace of mind of hauling my Rigel I-110 around in its magnolia Calton is worth every penny. And i don't understand the heavy argument. They're not (for a mandolin). The loss would make for a much heavier heart.

Ryk