Cases - what do folks like other than Calton

[Tjc]

Really just wondering what everyone like to use. In the market. Have had a Calton in loan but it has to go back to the owner.

Thanks in advance!

[Richard Moore]

I owned a Calton for around 30 years and was very happy with it. I now use a Hiscox, which is somewhat cheaper that a new Calton, and am very pleased with it. It's a little bulkier but is still very strong and has good storage.

[Tim2723]

Since I don't fly or ship the instrument around the world I just use plain old TKL cases. When they get torn up I get a new one.

[J Mangio]

I use a Hiscox as well; great case for a good price.

[Larry S Sherman]

I have some Caltons, but if I were buying a flight case today I would get a Hoffee. My friend just showed me his and it is lighter than the Calton with similar protection and more room for the headstock, and better padding IMO.



I'm also quite happy with my Hiscox.

Larry

[Mandobar]

Larry, I like that color.

I am old and have a bad shoulder. Hoffee or a gig bag.

[Cheryl Watson]

I use a Colorado case cover over a Travelite. It's a lightweight, protective, and insulated combo but I would not check it to fly. If I had my choice, I'd go Hoffee, but they cost a lot of dough.

[Mike Bunting]

I also have a Pegasus.

[MikeEdgerton]

If you can control where it's stacked and what's stacked around it all the time a Travelite is a great option. If you can't then you need to get a harder case. I have a Calton and you can stand on it without destroying the case or the instrument. Other than the Caltons I use normal TKL formed and square cases. It would help if you could tell us what type of use the case will get. Are you planning on checking it on a flight? Is it just one of dozens of cases that will be stacked in a van?

[Ivan Kelsall]

'Travelite' for the sheer lightness, & it's strong enough for almost everything. 'Hiscox' for it's lightness,the space inside & it's good 'impact strength'.TKL - ''First Quality - American Vintage'' rectangular case for the room inside it & there's plenty of all round protection,but at the expense of additional weight. I have all three types & use the Hiscox & TKL for everyday use.If i was going to 'carry onboard' a case,then i'd use the Travelite for it's compact size. Mike Marshall apparently uses a Travelite for his Lloyd Loar,so they must have something going for them,
Ivan

[Tim2723]

I just noticed you registered in January of last year and that this is your first post. Welcome from the world of lurking, glad you decided to join in!

Why not give us a little more to go on? What do you need the case to do for you? There are plenty of options besides the ultra high end cases that serve many players perfectly well.

[John Duncan]

I really like my Fiberglass Case from themandolinstore.com; it doesn't have much storage room inside but, the fit of the case is really nice, it is very protecting and it is light.

A good friend of mine has a bobelock arrow case which is also awesome. If I had to get another case ( I don't, but you never know when CAS will strike) I'd get the bobelock. I think Dietze music has them the cheapest: http://bit.ly/LqFuhL

Jazzmando did a review of that case, too.

[Pete Martin]

Pegasus!!

[foldedpath]

I received my new Pegasus case a few months ago, and I'm very happy with it. It seemed like the best alternative to Calton at the time, and I had a good experience chatting with Sam via email during the order process.

[nobullmando74]

Waiting on a Hoffee. My last Calton had some issues with the interior. Nothing terrible but a couple spots the pile pulled away and that was less than a year old.

[Rick Crenshaw]

I own a Travelite, a Calton, and my favorite of all... the discontinued Modern Supercase. I love that case. A little bulkier than the Calton and almost as heavy and plenty of protection... maybe I'd rather have the Calton if a car was to back over the case. The Supercase is heavier than a Travelite but just as comfortable to carry. It beats the pants off either one for gigging. Carries a TON of stuff including my iPad, my StroboFlip, extra strings, a banjo capo (so he isn't forced to use a pen and rubber bands like once before). I know there are reasons not to like this case, but I can't find a better overall case. Mine is still in great shape after gigging and jamming with it regularly for 7 years or so. I have a brand new, unused one in storage for when I tear this one up. But it looks like that won't happen for many years.

NOTE: If anyone has a green one in good shape I'd sure like to have a whack at buying it from you!!! I'm greedy like that I suppose. I'd consider trading my unused one for it IF it was as new. FWIW, I sold two of the M.Supercases made for First Quality. They were nearly as nice as the originals... in fact, nearly identical, but I liked the straps and web latches better on the originals for some reason. There's got to be some of these lying around unused somewhere. Get your hands on one!

[Glassweb]

I had the same experience as "nobullmando" above. My Pegasus interior started coming apart after only a few months. I let it go soon after that. Am still using my Calton... gave up on the company a LONG time ago, but still value the case. The case and I tumbled down a flight of stairs while I was running for my life from a fire. The case was fine, my 24' Loar was fine (no broken headstock) and I was was fine. Would love to get one of those Hoffee cases at some point... they look fantastic. Anyone know how much lighter they are than the Calton mando case?

[Mandobar]

The Hoffee is MUCH lighter. I am about to buy my second.

[Tjc]

Hey everyone. Thanks for the replys. Yes I am an infrequent lurker so thanks for the welcome as well.

I should have said more. I am looking for a case for my new Northfield. I have been using a Calton for everyday use (on loan). I travel a bit and would carry on with it.

I like the idea of a good gig bag that can hold more stuff than a travel case but I hate to take a beautiful instrument to crappy clubs in a bag.

So that's the situation. Not excited about paying calton prices but don't want to take risks with the new Northfield.

Thanks in advance!

[Eric Charles]

I'm a calton fan; I got a good deal on mine used, which made it easier to swallow the price. I see these on the classifieds every so often for a decent price.

[foldedpath]

Tjc, if you'll be using the case frequently as carry-on for air travel, I think a Pegasus should be on your short list, just based on the small size and contour shape. Before getting this case I was using a German molded plastic case (arrowhead shape similar to the Hoffee CF) and a Travelite hard foam case. I wanted something smaller that would be easier to pack between other instrument cases and PA gear. There isn't much space in the back of our mini SUV when we're hauling the full PA system.

The Pegasus is easy to sneak into a space between other gear, and it would also serve well for air travel. It does feel a bit heavy for such a small case, but that's the thickness of the fiberglass shell, so I don't mind the weight. Carbon fiber would be lighter in weight, but I'm not sure you could get the case this small and contoured in shape for easy packing. It's not a huge difference in volume compared to other cases, but sometimes just a few inches here and there make the difference, when you're cramming something into an overhead compartment.

There are more color options with a fiberglass case too, which may or may not matter to you. I decided if I was going to spend this much money on a case, I wanted to personalize it. I have 15 or 20 instrument cases in the house and they're all boring black. For once, I wanted something different. I probably caught the bug from my fiddler S.O. too, who has ordered a couple of fiberglass fiddle cases in different colors.

[Adam Sweet]

I have a Bobelock dual (fiddle/mando) case that I like. It's a little heavy and doesn't have sufficient inside pockets, but I carry a separate book bag for my tools and whatnot because it's nice to have both my fiddle and mandolin with me at gigs

[Kevin K]

I used to use the Bobelock fiberglass and really liked it, never any problems. Now use the rectangle Bobelock mostly cause I wanted more storage. I now can carry my mics inside the case, and mic cable in the outer pocket beside great protection for the mandolin and room for normal mandolin stuff. Very nice and neat.

[hank]

Has anyone with a Hoffee been in rain. How good is the seal?

[Mandosummers]

As far as Hiscox cases go, I ordered one for my Northfield several months back. It was a perfect fit and provided great structural protection, but.... It had gaps in the the seam between the top and bottom of the case at both ends. The gaps were about 1/8" to 3/16". I could press my lips to the cracks and blow into the case with no resistance at all. (The top seam was tight and I couldn't easily blow air through it.) Get caught in a driving rain storm and the water streaming into the case along the ends would not have even slowed down. The same would hold true for extreme cold and heat. I called to try to get a replacement and the rep said that the gaps on the ends were a common problem with some Hiscox mandolin cases? So, my experience with Hiscox is great structural protection but poor environmental protection. I sent it back. I’m still looking for a good case.