[JStevison]

I have never used a case other than the one that came with an instrument from the manufacturer. Is it safe to use cases from 3rd party manufacturers? I'm just not sure about how they would work since saxophones have keys in different places and different shapes such as the palm keys etc.

I want to get a combo case for my alto and soprano but I don't want to damage the instruments by putting them in another case that is not molded to fit my horns specifically.

 

[Borganiboy]

99% of new horns i bought i have changed the case.The best going are Hiscox,jacob winter,Bam,walt johnson,protec etc.With most cases it might need a slight reshaping of inside padding for a snugger fit.Just use your fingers.The important part of a hard case is that your sax has NO movement when inside,nice and snug.

 

[Grumps]

None of my vintage horns are kept in their original cases, though I still keep some of them for purposes of originality. Some third party cases can actually provide much better protection.

 

[Canadiain]

I suspect most of the "1st party" cases for new horns are not actually made by Selmer or Yamaha or whoever anyway.... My B&S horns came with cases made by BAM, I think Selmer uses the same. Ive also seen a B&S in a J Winter too.

I guess Im saying if the horn fits, why worry.

 

[Dave Dolson]

Re-think the double-case concept for alto and soprano (together in one case). Been there, done that - and now one arm is several inches longer then the other from trying to schlep that monster. Well, maybe that is a bit much, but still the thing was HEAVY. Plus two regular cases are easier to store than one large one.

As far as after-market cases, I have several instruments (modern and vintage designs) in after-market cases and they work just fine. DAVE

 

[JStevison]

Thanks for all the great info guys. It's been very helpful.

 

[Honeyboy]

What would a 2nd party case be?

 

[Grumps]

What would a 2nd party case be?

The original one.

 

[dexdex]

I personnaly favor 3rd party contoured cases: you can easily hang an alto and a tenor over the same shoulder. SKB, BAM, Winter or Hiscox (semi-contoured) are all fine. I avoid soft gigbags.

 

[milandro]

The original one.

spoken as a true officer of the court

I put it to OP that having a combined case creates more problems than it solves and provides a clumsy solution to the problem. So, two slick and efficient " third party cases" are way better than one large and heavy one.

 

[dexdex]

spoken as a true officer of the court

I put it to OP that having a combined case creates more problems than it solves and provides a clumsy solution to the problem. So, two slick and efficient " third party cases" are way better than one large and heavy one.

Furthermore, how many cases would you need to handle any combination of 1 to 5 out of 5 horns ? 5! = 120 ?
Gosh, I forgot the bass clarinet. 6! = 720.

 

[Little Sax]

Re-think the double-case concept for alto and soprano (together in one case). Been there, done that - and now one arm is several inches longer then the other from trying to schlep that monster. Well, maybe that is a bit much, but still the thing was HEAVY. Plus two regular cases are easier to store than one large one.

As far as after-market cases, I have several instruments (modern and vintage designs) in after-market cases and they work just fine. DAVE

Several years ago I picked up a Selmer Light Alto/Sop double case off of eBay pretty cheap. I don't use it often (as I rarely play alto), but when I need it, it is great!. As Dave said, it is farily heavy, but the Selmer Light has backpack straps that make it quite useable.

In reality, I'd much rather have a Tenor/Sop or Bari/Sop case as I use those horns together much more frequently. ...instead I just picked up a backpack style Selmer Light sop case here on SOTW before the holidays; it has already helped quite a bit - especially for Christmas Eve when I shlepped sop, tenor, bari, and clarinet to Midnight Mass..

If I were to have a custom case made, I'd probably look at Manning Custom Cases. Since you're worried about "proper fit", all his cases are made to use your exact horn (requiring you to ship your horns for fitting).

Good luck!

 

[Dave Dolson]

Looks like this thread is carrying on after the OP summed it up. But to the weight and bulk of cases . . . case-weight is deceiving, especially for those of us who are in reasonably good shape and have no physical problems. Pack the case with an alto, soprano, and clarinet (like my custom-made case accommodated) or even just two saxophones, then heft it. "Ah, that seems reasonable enough to get to the car, and then into the building where I'm playing."

But I learned my lesson at the Sacramento Jubilee one year when I had to carry that thing a long distance between gigs. Not so much fun then - actually painful. Since that time, it happened more times than I thought it would and now that case is in my attic-storage.

I tried to schlep it with a luggage cart, too, but that just added more bulk and more stuff I had to secure off stage while playing. Plus, if you like sporty cars with small trunks, it ends up being a passenger instead of a horn-case. That's no good when you have someone else with you.

'Nuff said . . . DAVE

 

[JStevison]

So many great responses but no real consensus here. Now I can't make up my mind if I should do the separate cases or combined. I'll have to consider all the posts here to make up my mind.

Thanks again.

 

[Dave Dolson]

Look at ProTec contoured cases for each horn. That's what I use for several of my pro-quality altos and sopranos, modern and vintage. DAVE

 

[JStevison]

Right now I have the new light selmer cases for each and they are pretty streamlined and light. I guess I will just stick with these for right now.

 

[Little Sax]

Right now I have the new light selmer cases for each and they are pretty streamlined and light. I guess I will just stick with these for right now.

If you like the "light" cases, and you can find a good deal on the alto/sop combo, it may be worth looking into. It is fairly heavy when loaded, but wearing it like a backpack is very reasonable.

 

[Little Sax]

[...]I want to get a combo case for my alto and soprano but I don't want to damage the instruments by putting them in another case that is not molded to fit my horns specifically.

This looks like an interesting case. I don't know if it is any good, but it may be what you're looking for.

 

[Downloader]

What would a 2nd party case be?

One made by yourself (-:

 

[dubrosa22]

What would a 2nd party case be?

A 1st Party Case is the case the horn originally comes in.
A 3rd Party Case is the case you buy cos the 1st Party Case kinda sucks.

But a 2nd Party Case is when you sit down in the middle of sales-floor at the woodwind shop and simply stare at the cases on display. You don't touch any of them, you don't buy any of them! If you do buy one of course they instantly transform into 3rd Party Cases. :mrgreen: