Best case

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi Almeria - I'm assuming that you mean that a similarly made mandolin case made by ''Kingham'' would cost quite a bit of cash ?. I can't even find a photo. of a 'Kingham' guitar case. At the time i bought my ''American Vintage'' case from First Quality,13 years ago,they cost $129 US + UK tax + Post Office handling fee,around £150 at the time,which was a pretty good price by comparison with today's prices.

I still wish that the Travelite cases were freely available over here,without the hassle of importing - although the Amazon price,does include shipping & duty cost = £85.56 - currently unavailable !!.

If US postal charges hadn't rocketed so much,importing a TKL 'Vectra' case might not have been out of the question. I like this one very much,
Ivan

[mandroid]

I have a mandolin much less valuable than a Gil 3, in a Pegasus, I got used ..

I can carry it with the strap across my chest , on my back, riding my bike..
they are on the heavy side like Calton, but the shape works better.


My lighter, walkaround case, is an Eastman fiberglass, It has 3 D rings on its backside,
to clip backpack straps onto..

I got an A5 only, case, used, they made, years ago ,

As I see the pictures, NOW they're made to take F5 and F4..
(May take a ToneGard,[IDK]
The Peg does,
the A5 is a CF Mix doesn't have a TG)





..

[Bill Clements]

I've had TKL, Hoffee, and most recently a Kingham mandolin case that came with my Brian Dean mandolin.
Hoffee cases are terrific if you need a flight case. And I like the thinsulate lining option Jeff offers. The case I owned had latches that scratched easily (I believe alternative latches are available) and was heavy, on the downside. Still, a great case. Jeff is very good to work with and nice guy.
TKL cases are fine but the one I owned briefly had some imperfections on the outer surface. Better than a gig bag, certainly.
Someone posted earlier in this thread Kingham cases are expensive, but understand that these are custom cases made to order for your instrument. My Kingham fits my mandolin like a glove, has decent latches, and is very light weight. Would I drop it from a second story window? I think not. Here are some photos, as Kingham's website is very basic.

[mjh]

I've had TKL, Hoffee, and most recently a Kingham mandolin case that came with my Brian Dean mandolin.
Hoffee cases are terrific if you need a flight case. And I like the thinsulate lining option Jeff offers. The case I owned had latches that scratched easily (I believe alternative latches are available) and was heavy, on the downside. Still, a great case. Jeff is very good to work with and nice guy.
TKL cases are fine but the one I owned briefly had some imperfections on the outer surface. Better than a gig bag, certainly.
Someone posted earlier in this thread Kingham cases are expensive, but understand that these are custom cases made to order for your instrument. My Kingham fits my mandolin like a glove, has decent latches, and is very light weight. Would I drop it from a second story window? I think not. Here are some photos, as Kingham's website is very basic.

I paid about £280 for my mandolin case from Kingham a decade ago, but it was a one-off mandolin and I needed a custom case. I've been happy with it.
It's a bit annoying if Hoffee cases are heavy - I assumed that carbon fibre would be the way to go for a very light case.

[Edit for price]

[almeriastrings]

Super lightweight:

Travelite and Gator (foam model).

Pros: Light....very good protection from shock, drops, etc.

Cons: Zippers. Not much use in 'crushing' type incidents. Not weather-proof. Not much use in case of sharp objects..

All of the other cases offering significantly more protection also come with a weight and/or size penalty....

The perfect case would offer the protection of a Mark Leaf with the weight of a Travelite. We're still waiting..

[Ivan Kelsall]

Almeria - My Travelite is the case i use to take any one of my 3 'out to play' & it's been in some of the UK's very worst weather. As a non-driver,i'm forced to walk the 200 yards to my nearest bus stop & it's proved to be 100% waterproof on those occasions. As for ''sharp objects'' - i stay clear of 'em !.

Designing a very strong but lightweight case shell could be done using a plycarbonate honeycomb ie. inner outer shell of P/carb,with a honeycomb material sandwiched in between for rigidity. The inner / outer shells would require vacuum form moulding to a very accurate shape. The h/comb would then be tailored to suit,& the whole thing assembled with a suitable bonding adhesive & allowed to cure under pressure. All that plus assembly / finishing etc = more cash than you could ever imagine paying,but it could be done. It's simply not worth it - unless it's going to be fitted to an aircraft ,where saving even ''ounces'' is important = they all add up to POUNDS !!,
Ivan

[Mandoplumb]

Super lightweight:
Travelite and Gator (foam model).
pros: Light....very good protection from shock, drops, etc.
Cons: Zippers. Not much use in 'crushing' type incidents. Not weather-proof. Not much use in case of sharp objects..
All of the other cases offering significantly more protection also come with a weight and/or size penalty....
The perfect case would offer the protection of a Mark Leaf with the weight of a Travelite. We're still waiting..

I would always go with significantly more protection. We're carring a mandolin, not a banjo, even the heaviest are lite compared to banjo.

[yankees1]

I think it all depends on your use of your mandolin. My mandolins rarely leave my home except for my weekly gig at a nursing home. No airline traveling with it and not a professional musician so I don't need a Hoffee or Pegasus. A Travelite would work fine.

[DougC]

https://www.bluegrassmandolins.net/bobelock-cases

Best case? This one.
(And you could get three of them for the price of the others.) $240

[sblock]

https://www.bluegrassmandolins.net/bobelock-cases

Best case? This one.
(And you could get three of them for the price of the others.) $240

Different strokes for different folks. All cases have their advantages and drawbacks! Many of us dislike the placement of the accessory compartment in Bobelok case, beyond the peghead region. This makes the case very long (4"-6" inches longer than most), and it therefore doesn't fit very well into some overhead compartments on aircraft, in my experience. Fine for ground travel, not great for air travel.

[sblock]

Almeria - My Travelite is the case i use to take any one of my 3 'out to play' & it's been in some of the UK's very worst weather. As a non-driver,i'm forced to walk the 200 yards to my nearest bus stop & it's proved to be 100% waterproof on those occasions. As for ''sharp objects'' - i stay clear of 'em !.
...
Ivan

Sorry to disagree, Ivan, but I've had a Travelite case out in the rain, and its zipper is most certainly not waterproof. In fact, it is an inexpensive, continuous-coil plastic zipper, not backed by any type of seal. Also, the canvas exterior can get pretty soaked, and it, too, is not waterproof. The hard foam is indeed waterproof, but it's not sealed shut! Overall, the Travelite does an OK job of protecting against rain, but not a great one. The water-resistant, full perimeter seals found on cases like Calton and Hoffee do a better job, IMO.

Also, as I recall, you do not travel regularly by air with your mandolin anymore, and I suspect that your enthusiasm for the Travelite case is colored by your relative inexperience. Those of us who travel by air much more than you are specifically concerned about crushing forces on the case, which certainly occur whenever the mandolin gets taken from us (albeit more rarely these days!) and stored in the airplane's luggage hold, rather than inside the overhead stowage. Pegasus, Hoffee, Calton, Price, and some other hardshell flight cases deal much, much better with these sorts of crushing forces than a Travelite. So please don't scoff at folks who test cases by standing on these. That's actually a pretty good test for crushing forces -- and the Travelite fails that kind of test!

Yes, we all know Mike Marshall puts his Loar in one. He has probably not been forced to check his mando into the luggage hold very often. For all that I know, he travels in first/business class, or he may have frequent flying privileges that get him access to a closet. Maybe he buys a ticket for his Loar? He may even use a different case for some types of air travel, for all you know. Or, he may have just been lucky so far. His endorsement does not carry much weight with me, and he's definitely among the minority when it comes to the top traveling mandolinists, who tend to invest in stronger cases.

Travelites are terrific for festivals, or whenever you need to carry the mandolin long distances. They're just fine in car trunks that you get to pack yourself (or have a friend pack). They are not fine on aircraft when the mandolin goes into a luggage hold.

When faced with the grim prospect of getting off the plane and finding another flight (if that's even possible!) or allowing my mandolin to go into the hold, I will -- very reluctantly, after protest -- hand over my instrument and take my seat. This happens very rarely (thank goodness). But when it does, I am grateful for my Hoffee or Calton case!! So far, no issues...

[DougC]

I would guess that Mike Marshall uses a Travelite case around town (on the ground). I've been in some rain with my Travelite violin case and it did an Okay job. I was not looking for much and was relieved that it was 'just enough'.

What we are discussing are the comparative qualities of mandolin cases. And I did not know that my favorite Bobelock case is longer than the others. That is quite important for a number of people who consider airline travel.

Here is my favorite foto. I believe it is a Musafia violin case. It really makes a point. Don't you think?

[Ivan Kelsall]

Almeria - I don't know if it's possible,but maybe your Travelite is built to a different spec. to my own. I've been out in torrential rain,& mine hasn't leaked once. If it had,i'd use another case. If your Nylon outer covering is soaking up water,then a light application of waterproofing spray,the sort used on suede shoes would do the trick. Or,there's always the black bin liner trick ?.

As for not travelling with my mandolin by air - i never have & never will do. The mere though of coming across a check in clerk demanding that i put my mandolin in the baggage hold is enough to prevent me from doing that. I wouldn't put my mandolin in the baggage hold in anything other than a Mark Leaf case.

Realistically,who would WANT to stand on a musical instrument case in the first place ?. For me,that argument doesn't hold water.You most likely could have driven a bus over my Mark Leaf banjo case without damaging it - but why would you ever do it ?.

As for the oft mentioned ''having to put your mandolin in it's case in the baggage hold'' - how many mandolin cases would you get in this overhead locker ?. More than a few. I put my banjo in it's Mark leaf case in such a locker flying home from the US back in 1992. There was enough room for 2 more & ME !,
Ivan

[Robb Todd]

My Gil A3 (a grand old lady) is in an original case (square/wood/heavy/worn). I had thought about a new case for it but it didn't seem right and now I cant imagine it in anything else.

[fatt-dad]

I hesitate to chime in, but. . .

I bought a Gilchrist Model 1. It was shipped in its Calton (mint green) and double boxed with peanuts. The whole box (must have) fallen from a plane. Corrugated sides were the only evidence (outer cardboard box). Mandolin in Calton still got damaged. It slid against the side foam, compressed the foam and the back of the instrument hit the underlayment of the accessory pocket. Resulted in a separation of the back from the sides. I had to cancel the purchase and the seller took a hit - had to manage the shipping insurance claim and send the mandolin back to Australia. I think it would have done just as well in a TKL.

So, I'm not sold on Calton. I'm not sure any of them really protect against the shipping monster!

f-d

[Mandolin Cafe]

Interesting commentary on Travelite from 2011. Ahem...



Had one once, zipper crapped out within a week. I don't care who has one or why. The acronym POS comes to mind, just my opinion. YMMV. Talk amongst yerselves.

[HoGo]

A captain owns 26 sheep and 10 goats. How old is the captain?

Some questions just don't have "correct" answer...

Disclaimer: I've got Travelite for 15 years and it is still working well, I've got few otheer cases as well. I love the new Collings cases as well...

[foldedpath]

Those of us who travel by air much more than you are specifically concerned about crushing forces on the case, which certainly occur whenever the mandolin gets taken from us (albeit more rarely these days!) and stored in the airplane's luggage hold, rather than inside the overhead stowage. Pegasus, Hoffee, Calton, Price, and some other hardshell flight cases deal much, much better with these sorts of crushing forces than a Travelite. So please don't scoff at folks who test cases by standing on these. That's actually a pretty good test for crushing forces -- and the Travelite fails that kind of test!

That was why I eventually stopped using a Travelite. Not that I travel by air that much, but I just didn't like the amount of flex in the foam when pushing on it from the top. Not standing on the case; just pushing down with a bit of force, I could feel a small amount of flex. Didn't like that.

When I was doing more gigs than I am now, my guitar partner and I would pack a full PA and our instruments in the back of a compact SUV. Heavy powered speakers, bags and cases for mixer, speaker stands, mic stands, microphone case. Lots of stuff, even for "compact PA system." Instrument cases were always loaded on top of the gear, of course, but things can shift around back there when you're on the road. The Travelite packed in among heavy, hardshell guitar cases always made me nervous. I never worried about my mandolin packed in tight with hardshell cases after getting the Pegasus.

When I go to an Irish pub session or house session now with my fiddler S.O., I'm even happy to put her Bobelock violin case on top of my Pegasus if we're carrying other stuff in the back of the car. I would never do that with my old Travelite.

A Travelite (or Gator similar) is a fine case if you can baby it, and absolutely need the lightest weight case out there. The ultra-light weight is the only advantage I can see for it, mixed with a bunch of disadvantages. A fiberglass hard case just isn't that heavy to lug around, but maybe that's the long-time guitar player in me talking, who always had to deal with much heavier cases than anything made for a mandolin.

[JeffD]

I would think that if you are a traveling musician you would want the best protection for your instrument.

It all depends. Of course we all want the instrument protected. But nobody buys a Pelican Box to carry their instrument around in.

For portability, and protection against everything likely to happen except deliberate blunt force trauma or sword play, I would suggest a Reunion Blues Continental case. I love these cases. So light they must be made of helium, and sturdy enough for the bumps and grinds and drops one is likely to experience carrying around a festival or in the back of the jeep or even a motor cycle I would think.

If I am flying, and expecting to have to check the mandolin, a hard shell case might be better. But just about everything else, including shipping in its case and packaged in a FedEx box, the Continental is my recommendation.

[sblock]

...

As for not travelling with my mandolin by air - i never have & never will do. The mere thought of coming across a check in clerk demanding that i put my mandolin in the baggage hold is enough to prevent me from doing that.

...

Realistically,who would WANT to stand on a musical instrument case in the first place ?. For me,that argument doesn't hold water.You most likely could have driven a bus over my Mark Leaf banjo case without damaging it - but why would you ever do it ?.

...

As for the oft mentioned ''having to put your mandolin in it's case in the baggage hold'' - how many mandolin cases would you get in this overhead locker ?. More than a few. I put my banjo in it's Mark leaf case in such a locker flying home from the US back in 1992. There was enough room for 2 more & ME !,
Ivan

Ivan,

Since, as you wrote, you never travel by air yourself, why do you keep recommending Travelite cases to folks who do travel by air? Perhaps you should qualify your occasionally over-the-top recommendations for those people? In my opinion, you're spreading misleading information.

Second, you don't seem to understand that standing on a case is simply one type of a test, designed to to see if the case can resist significant crushing forces. No, people don't "want" to stand on their cases during actual use. That's downright silly for you to write! Nor do folks "want" to run their cases over with cars or buses, for that matter. That is another form of test for impact/crush resistance. I don't know why you don't seem to get this, since it's been explained quite clearly in this and previous threads.

Third, this is NOT 1992, Ivan: that was 26 years ago! The fact is that you are not an experienced flyer with a musical instrument, and it shows in everything you've written. Moreover, whatever experience you may have had is largely obsolete. First off, overhead bins are not all the same size in all aircraft. For example, just try placing your banjo's Mark Leaf case inside the overhead of an Embraer ERJ-145, a Bombardier CRJ200, or any similar small regional jet. It simply won't fit! Even a single mandolin inside a Hoffee or Calton case will barely fit in one of those. I write from actual experience, not conjecture. Also, a Mark Leaf or other banjo case will NOT fit, either, inside most of the "drop-down" overhead bins still found in some of the largest jets, such as the older Boeing 747 series. Furthermore, a banjo case won't even fit inside the narrow (two-rollaboard wide) drop-down bin of the very much newer Boeing 777! But it will fit inside the much wider luggage bins found on an Airbus 319/320 or Boeing 737/757/767/787. However, if you were to place such a large banjo case in the overhead stowage on one of these planes, it would have to go in horizontally, and it would take up the space otherwise used by 3-5 rollaboard bags. I can pretty much guarantee that you would get the stink-eye from fellow passengers who are thereby denied this space. Again, I write from actual experience. I have traveled quite a bit with a banjo, as well as with a mandolin (but not together).

What you don't quite seem to understand, Ivan, is that -- on occasion, and despite their best intentions to the contrary -- musicians traveling with their instruments DO get asked to place their instruments in the plane's luggage hold. This can happen whenever the overhead space is already filled up. Or when it 's too small to hold their case (e.g., some regional jets and smaller prop planes). Or when the attendant doesn't fully understand the new air regulations that are more "friendly" to travelers with instruments (it pays to have these regs printed out to show them, BTW). And so on. It will simply not do for you to say "OK then, I just won't travel by air with my mandolin under the circumstances." LOL. That's not a viable option for the rest of us who live in the real world.

The bottom line is that a Travelite case is not a viable option for those of us who travel by air a lot. That's because it's bulky and not especially resistant to crushing forces, and it fails many of the crush tests that you're so quick to dismiss. We have many, much better, hardshell options for air travel, including Pegasus, Hoffee, Price, Calton, and others.

[DougC]

Rather than a personal peeve about attitudes and misunderstandings I prefer to talk about aspects of mandolin cases. As a reader I don't have sympathy for long rants among other cafe members.

Instead I am interested in which case would fit into these smaller overhead bins nowadays. And it would be nice if it were a case that might survive a trip to the baggage area.

Would a new Collings vintage case fit?
Is it as strong as the others, Hoffee or Calton or Pegasus et.al?

[foldedpath]

Rather than a personal peeve about attitudes and misunderstandings I prefer to talk about aspects of mandolin cases. As a reader I don't have sympathy for long rants among other cafe members.

Instead I am interested in which case would fit into these smaller overhead bins nowadays. And it would be nice if it were a case that might survive a trip to the baggage area.

Would a new Collings vintage case fit?
Is it as strong as the others, Hoffee or Calton or Pegasus et.al?

I don't have the dimensions of the other cases handy, and someone correct me if this is wrong, but I think the Pegasus and maybe the Collings are the most compact of the tough, high-end cases. Smallest outer dimensions and volume overall, with a curvy shape that makes it easy to sneak in among other baggage in an overhead bin.

If I did a lot of flying with a Pegasus, I'd probably remove the rubber feet on the bottom and replace them with thin rubber pads. They're a bit on the large side, and without them the case would be even more "slippery" for stowing in an overhead bin.

That said, I would still be reluctant to hand over my Pegasus with the Lebeda mandolin inside as checked baggage. I'd have to think long and hard about the logistics (and possible cost) of trying to take another flight, where I might find a more amenable or easily charmed gate employee. Checking a valuable wooden instrument as baggage is the domain of actual ATA-rated flight cases, like the Anvil cases I used to travel with as a commercial photographer. As bullet-proof as you can get, very bulky and heavy. So you just plan your trip arrangements around that, and assume the case will always be checked baggage.

Edit to add: Another advantage of ATA cases is that they don't look like a musical instrument case, so they may be less prone to casual theft off the luggage carousel. Especially if they're really beat-up looking on the outside, like my old Anvil photo gear cases were.