Pegasus Cases ??

[Pete Jenner]

+1 on the Hiscox. This is what happened when my mandolin fell out of a cargo door in Cuba. The mandolin was fine.



Ivan Kelsall kindly gave me a new case (what a great bloke) and the Hiscox factory effected a repair on the old one for free. I'm a lucky chap.

[AlanN]

Hey, Ivan, I could use a new car!

[Mike Bunting]

the new Caltons are not the Canadian design. they are made using Keith's equipment. he has retired and turned things over to Jon Green. The case is a lot lighter, a lot leaner, better hardware, bumpers around the latches, (they will not open if you bump them a la Hoffee), the case is more balanced weight wise, no more little rubber bumpers to break off and have to be repaired (yeah, where were you going to get this done?), it's the perfect marriage of hard case with gig bag. I carry mine over my shoulder like I carry my Chronkite bag when I use it. I have a Pegasus case. It's heavy and not very well balanced and the placement of the D rings for the strap make carrying it over the shoulder awkward.

That's funny, what I like about the Peg is the positioning of the D rings. They let the case lay vertically under your arm which is really handy going through doors and boarding aeroplanes.

[brent1308]

the new Caltons are not the Canadian design. they are made using Keith's equipment. he has retired and turned things over to Jon Green. The case is a lot lighter, a lot leaner, better hardware, bumpers around the latches, (they will not open if you bump them a la Hoffee), the case is more balanced weight wise, no more little rubber bumpers to break off and have to be repaired (yeah, where were you going to get this done?), it's the perfect marriage of hard case with gig bag. I carry mine over my shoulder like I carry my Chronkite bag when I use it. I have a Pegasus case. It's heavy and not very well balanced and the placement of the D rings for the strap make carrying it over the shoulder awkward.

Mary (or anyone), do you know the weight difference between the new Calton (do you have the brand new with the rubber latch protectors?) and the Hoffee?

[Mandobar]

yes, i have a brand new one for mandolin and two for mandola. I'd say they are at least 25% to 30% lighter. My older mandola case, (which is fitted for a mandolin) is extremely heavy. It is sitting in the storage room right now. You can easily hand the newer mandolin case over your shoulder and feel quite comfy, (and I have shoulder issues). The Hoffee is light, but I don't trust the latches unless I have a case cover on. I am thinking about selling at least one of my Hoffees and replacing it with a new Calton. The Hoffee is lighter, but the carbon fiber marks very easily.

I have not intention of selling the older Calton cases, but my preference is for the new cases, and I love those rubber bumpers over the latches.

[Iron]

Well damn! That thing sold in 2 minutes!

Actually I think it was more like minute and a half

[mandroid]

what I like about the Peg is the positioning of the D rings. They let the case lay vertically under your arm ..

I sling the strap across my chest and I can ride my bicycle to Jams that way .. Peg on my Back..

[tburcham]

Perception of cost vs. value is a funny thing. I can more easily justify $10k for an instrument than $700+ for a case. Which is weird, since wouldn't a quality instrument deserve protecting?

Does a case at this price point afford commensurately greater protection?

If there is a next tier down price wise, what cases would those be?

Thanks,

The Hiscox mandolin equals or exceeds all of the other premium cases discussed, albeit in a slightly larger size format. My cream exterior/blue interior Hiscox is easily the favorite case I've owned. Not excessively heavy, great storage, accommodates a strap, and is extremely strong.

From the Hiscox website:

The products are always manufactured with the primary objective of instrument protection and on average carry a crush resistance rate greater than 500kg.

The outer ABS shell material is chosen not only for its high impact resistance, but critically for the ability to chemically bond to the inner moulding during the manufacturing process creating an extremely strong yet light weight COMPOSITE structure.

The inner moulding of the cases is manufactured from a blend of polyurethane insulating foam which has been developed and is UNIQUE to Hiscox cases. It is a closed cell semi-rigid low weight design which gives the following qualities, all of which are included to protect the instrument within the case:-
High level of shock protection;
Excellent structural rigidity when bonded to the outer shell;
A high level of thermal insulation protecting against rapid temperature changes. ( More information > )
It is developed to bond directly to the fabric case lining during the manufacturing process, with no use of secondary adhesive.

[mandolirius]

The Hiscox mandolin equals or exceeds all of the other premium cases discussed, albeit in a slightly larger size format. My cream exterior/blue interior Hiscox is easily the favorite case I've owned. Not excessively heavy, great storage, accommodates a strap, and is extremely strong.

I own one and really like it. It's strong and protects well. The thing I like best is the amount of accessories I can easily fit in the case. Right now I have a K&K preamp, a condensor mic, a patchcord, the strap for the case, pliers, a stringwinder, strings, a cloth, some wipes for sticky fingers an eyeglass case with screwdrivers, capo, batteries, sharpies and various other things. It's big and heavy but everything I need is in there. If I need to carry the mandolin a lot, like at a festival, I have a Travelite.

That said, I wouldn't place it in the same category as the high-end cases. Over the years a few gaps have appeared where the two halves meet, so I wouldn't trust it in a downpour and recently the spring on one of the latches has broken. The latch still works but doesn't feel as solid and will eventually fail altogether. It's a two-hundred dollar case and a great value at that, but I don't think it rivals the $600-700 cases.

[tburcham]

Mandolirius,

I agree with your comments. I am saying that the Hiscox offers similar or better crush protection and I'm confident it has superior thermal properties. Hiscox does not claim their valence seal is waterproof. I agree with you on the latches and while mine are still in perfect operation, I know some day the internal spring will break. It's the only thing I would change in the Hiscox design...non-spring cam style bucket latches (like those used on Calton, etc.) would definitely last longer. Of course we have to member, you can purchase three Hiscox cases for the price of one of the premium cases being discussed. That being said, as an engineer, I hold to the saying, "you get what you pay for!" Regarding the Hiscox, I think you get more than you pay for.

[mandolirius]

The latches could be better. Some rubber around the edges would add a bit of moisture protection and neither should contribute significantly to the cost. Other than that, I wouldn't change anything.