Hisscox Case opinions?

[McIrish]

I picked up a Northfield F5M Big Mon a couple weeks ago and plan on doing a lot of travelling. The case it came in is adequate for local stuff but when I need to pack it up with 7 other instruments, I'm afraid of it getting damaged. Calton, Pegasus and Price are all out of my price range. I'd also heard of headstock scrolls getting busted off in calton cases. I'm not sure if that is all true but I need to keep under $300 for a good case. I am looking at the HISCOX LITEFLITE "PRO II" MANDOLIN CASE. I will be near Elderly tomorrow and wanted to get some opinions before I pull the trigger on this.

BTW: The Northfield F5M Big Mon is an amazing instrument. Just beautiful to play and look at too. Very clear and sweet sounding.

Thanks

[tnranger]

See my review here: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ox-case-review

(Remember, it only has one "s".)

Congratulations on the Northfield.

[mandroid]

Shell is Spec'd as ABS so it's a vacuum molded Thermo Plastic , interestingly ...
White priced(Full SRP) higher than Black (-$50) http://www.elderly.com/accessories/n...HPMC1-IV-S.htm
http://www.elderly.com/accessories/n...HPMC1-BK-S.htm






Gator is another brand making a shaped case that way.. ABS shell

Eastman are offering a Fiber glass case .. single layer so not as rugged as the multilayer ones you mentioned but It's OK..

http://elderly.com/accessories/names...case--EMC1.htm

I have an A5 eastman case ( I Paid more)... now theirs fits F4 and 5 & A4&5

[McIrish]

Thanks for the replies. Spelling was never my strong suit tnranger. Funny how I copy and pasted it correctly but did the title wrong. doh!
I'll check out all the cases that Elderly is carrying. I'm glad the black one is cheaper. That's what I wanted anyway. I wonder why there is a price difference though. I would assume both are made of the same stuff.

[mtucker]

I've carried my Brit bred Wal bass in its original Hiscox for nearly 30 years and it's held up extremely well. Same materials and basic construction as the mando case.

[BBarton]

Haven't seen the mando case, but I have a Hiscox Pro II (ivory) case for my guitar, and it's a great case -- strong and light. There was another thread on Hiscox cases here not too long ago.

[almeriastrings]

They are a highly protective case. Really very tough and hard wearing.I have several of their guitar cases, and have used them for over 20 years without incident. I also have one of the mandolin cases. They are very versatile and take both A and F-styles with no problem.





Lots of impact absorbing padding (not soft foam) and a tough shell. They can take a beating. Only downside is that they are bulkier than, say, a Calton:



The Ivory cases are better in hot, sunny climates as they make a big difference to the amount of heat absorbed if exposed to the sun. Black cases are the absolute worst for this.



The Gator ABS case is also very good, but not built to quite the same standards as the Hiscox. Despite that, it is an excellent case offering really good protection and the value-for-money is incredible. Here's one with my 'Big Mon' inside:

[Ivan Kelsall]

I had a Hiscox case & while it was very good indeed,i did find it a bit bulky. I gave it away to a fellow Cafe member who's own Hiscox had been badly damaged by being dropped from an aircraft baggage hold while being un-loaded. It fell on it's most vulnerable part , the corner, which was demolished. I use a Gator case for my Weber "Fern" & it's a very good case indeed. However,i have to say that in all honesty,for all round, well padded inside & out protection,my Travelite case is the best i have & mine currently holds my Ellis "A" style. The great beauty of the Travelite's,apart from being the very lightest case,is the extremely tough outer covering,which is also padded,& the well padded inside. There's plenty of space around the headstock area which for some folks is extremely important in protecting the headstock scroll.The inside bits & pieces compartment is deceptively big. Mine currently hold 2 sets of strings,a small pair of pliers,a small pair of wire cutters,a string winder & an elec.tuner.
The Hiscox cases are good,but for me,a bit bulky. A similar ABS case,but smaller & neater (IMHO), is the Gator case. But my Travelite is the one i use if i take out any mandolin to a club etc. Unfortunately for me,the Travelites are virtually impossible to buy in the UK,or all 3 of my mandolins would be in one (each),
Ivan
Cafe member Ron McMillan's Travelite (a better pic.than mine)

[dan in va]

Had Elderly Inst send a black one to Chris Stanley to ship one a new A5 From WI to VA. It did a great job and couldn't imagine a better mouse trap...except it's a little on the large side. Would buy again for a high end mandolin.

It would be great if Hiscox would make something smaller, similar to the Calton. The side by side pic of both says it all. Never did have to stand or sit on it, but would so with confidence if the situation called for that. The white is a looker, but forking over an extra $50 for a color that would show dirt more easily didn't suit.

So, i strongly agree it's the best bang for the buck, if size doesn't matter.

[tnranger]

When we say bigger we mean only in thickness. The width and length are the same as my rectangular TKL.

Yet, it is 2lbs lighter even with all the same stuff I have to lug to all our gigs.

[McIrish]

Thank you for all the responses. I did pick up the Hiscox case this afternoon. My Big Mon fits it perfect. I feel much better about this case than the original case it came in. It feels much more protective.

BTW: I had a great visit with Adrian today when I took my mandolin up there to have them check it out in Marshall, MI. Very nice people. They answered every question I had. I didn't feel rush or like I was intruding. Adrian gave me a tour of the place and shared some of their history with me. Great company to work with. I even got a chance to play what will be their 3rd model F5 design. That was a seriously great mandolin. It had more punch and bell like highs than I've ever heard from any mandolin. As it was a prototype, he made sure I didn't walk out with it. :-) I really might have bought it on the spot if it were possible. It was that good. I played a lot of great mandolins at Northfield and then at Elderly. Fortunately, I can say that for my taste, my #267 Big Mon was the second best I played today. The best was their new prototype but that design won't be out for a while so my bank account is safe. ha ha
Thanks again everyone.

[Ivan Kelsall]

From dan in va - "It would be great if Hiscox would make something smaller, similar to the Calton,,". Dan - ''Gator'' have already made one.(see post #7) They're excellent in every way & quite a bit less expensive compared to the Hiscox as well. A Hiscox case discount price in the US is around $269 US,a Gator case around $100 US. I suppose the higher price for the Hiscox is partially due to import duty / tax etc.
Ivan

[dan in va]

Thanks very much for your post, Ivan. Yes, the gator is a nice looking unit. i wonder if it will withstand what the Hiscox will. i'm not one who likes to over pay, but sometimes we get what we pay for. Nice pic.

dan

[Jordan S.]

I wonder if it will withstand what the Hiscox will.

I'd also be interested in an in-depth comparison between the Hiscox and that Gator cases if someone happens to have experience with both.

[plexi]

I'm going for the hisscox case. The only experience I have with gator cases is rack cases for power amps I have a shock proof Gator.
My SKB cases put the Gator to shame in quality and durability. My humble opinion is the Gator I have is the oat's that have been run through the horse. The lowest quality hardware warped plastic just junk. Not road worthy. As far as a Mandolin case I don't have a clue.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Plexi - Someone posted on here exactly the same thing about an SKB "A" style mandolin case that i mentioned. My own Gator case is rock solid,no warping & the catches on it work exceptionally well.It fits my Weber perfectly with no chance of any movement.
I remember that when the Hiscox cases first came onto the market,one Cafe member bought one & the catches didn't work very well. I suppose that not every case is going to be 'perfect' for some reason. It's up to the individual to look to see if any item suits them. I still maintain that ''for me'',the Travelite cases are the best for all round protection. In a well designed case,you don't need weight,you need 'padding'.Any additional weight above what's required,only adds to the inertia of any impact = not good !,
Ivan

[almeriastrings]

I have both, and have used both quite a bit, the Gator ABS shown above and a Hiscox. My own conclusion is that the Gator is a tremendous value, and the padding inside is very good. The shell thickness is also good. However..... build quality on the Hiscox, and particularly the quality and durability of the hinges/latches is quite a lot better. Outside of the US the 'financials' are that you can pick up a Hiscox for (currently) £99( $140) equivalent while the Gator is around £58 ($86 US). In the US, the Hiscox is considerably more... both are very good cases in the low to mid-price case bracket. Both would protect a mandolin from everything except a really, really nasty incident - and no matter how much you spend, no case is totally indestructible.