Cases & bags

Material:

Cases are available in the following materials:
1. Solid, they are quite heavy but very decorative 2. plywood cases covered with leather or plastic. Both types are very stable, provide good protection and a long shelf life can be expected 3. Cases made of styrofoam are very light, give better thermal protection but are less stable and durable. Like the foam cases, they are encased in a sleeve with a zipper.
4. Foam cases are also light and have an outer cover with a snap lock.
5. Carbon fiber cases are very robust, light and easy to care for, scratches can usually be polished away with little effort, but they are also more expensive 6. Shaped cases are very compact, so that they can also fit in an additional pocket, but hardly leave any space for notes or additional accessories 7. An interesting alternative is heated and air-conditioned cases. These give the best protection against strong weather differences.
8. Cases on wheels. Variants with rollers are suitable for particularly large instruments. Unfortunately, not all instruments fit in it. A "fitting" should always take place. Alternatively, you can clip the cases onto a foldable trolley. 9. So-called “softbags” are made of padded leather. We have had a lot of bad experiences with these and do not include them in our program.

Color: The most common color for instrument cases is black, but many other colors are now available. Colored cases have 3 often overlooked advantages:
1. You are less stolen
2. You are much more visible in traffic, this is especially true for backpack cases of large instruments, such as bass clarinets or saxophones.
3. Confusion is less common.

Double / triple cases: In contrast to single cases, double cases often offer enough space for music and accessories. An additional coating extends this option even more. This eliminates the need for the second piece of luggage and the risk of forgetting is reduced.

Backpack / Trekking cases: This is a very convenient case to transport when you are walking or cycling. An additional reflector increases the security especially if you should have decided on a dark color.

Lock system:

You can choose between:
1.Zipper pockets: Better ones include built-in rain protection and straps for shoulder or backpack use. You should definitely make it a habit to always close it right away , because you can quickly get away and not see if the case is still open. The case is gripped, the instrument falls out and the damage can be great.
If the zipper does not close properly, it is often too expensive to replace it. In many cases, however, this is not even necessary. With a pipe wrench you only have to press lightly on the rear part of the closer and everything is fine again. The main cause is the overloading of the case. The zipper should never be closed under great tension.
2. Attachéetuis: You usually have 2 closers, which are either equipped with a number or key lock. Theft protection can be considered limited, as the entire case is usually stolen. Number locks can sometimes be accidentally accidentally changed or their number code changed by “nice friends”. No panic. The numbers are usually very close to the original. Just try to set one digit higher or lower once. Usually that's enough. If you have to go through all the combinations, you can do it in 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, these bags are often similar to computer bags and are therefore stolen.
Because of the poor insulation and as additional "thief protection" protective covers are an advantage.

3. Strap system: There are a few instrument pockets that are closed with belt buckles or straps. Some have the option of attaching additional bags.br>
GPS system: For valuable instruments, it may be a good idea to place a GPS bearing transmitter in your pocket, as is already the case with violin cases.

Name plate: Your name and contact information should always be in the case. This not only helps if the case is found, but also if it can be found in a repair shop. Many cases are identical there.

How to store a case:

Cool, medium humidity (50%) and stand upright

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