never use soft cases especially the protec ones, a tenor player I know used one and the bell was always messed up around the bell even though he got it fixed 3-4 times in 6 months.

Save yourself the money and pick up a Hiscox if you want protective, If you want light then BAM Soft pack or the Cabin series cases

 

If you don't have the money for the Hiscox, SKB makes a very light compact contoured case that doesn't cost too much. I've got one for my tenor and it's very nice and seems to keep the sax nice and cozy. I believe it is ample protection for just about everything but flying. If you have to leave your sax in the rough hands of airport baggage folks, you should probably buy the Hiscox or similar.

Here a links for the SKB case. And you can probably beat this price for a new one on eBay:

http://www.music123.com/Woodwinds/W...ags/SKB-450-Professional-Contoured-Tenor-Saxophone-Case.site7prod544716.product

 

There is no such thing as a good soft case, period. I count on soft cases though. As an instrument tech, I have a lot more repair business because of soft cases. I just got a The Martin tenor in with severe damage due to a soft case. Buy a Hiscox case. That's all I use.

 

As Bill said, soft and protective don't go together, and the bigger the horn, the greater the potential damage.
Besides those mentioned, Maestro (fiberglass) is also an option, or Berkeley of London.

 

Using a soft case is like using a soft motorcycle helmet!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I use one of those old school vinyl bags for my back-up horn when I ride my scooter to gigs with no helmet. I know, stupid, but light. Nothing more fun than parking right in front, jumping off the thing and sliding the horn out of the bag and playing. In fast, out faster.

 

I use one of those old school vinyl bags for my back-up horn when I ride my scooter to gigs with no helmet. I know, stupid, but light.

I've always thought that if you can't be bothered to protect your brain, you don't really deserve to own one.

I know... you already know it's dumb, and you didn't come here to be nagged. Fine. Just make sure your donor card is in your wallet, okay?

 

Hi
thank you for sharing your invitations to caution.
In the fact, I've been using the soft helmet until 2 years ago, when a stupid home accident damaged my horn as you can see in the attached picture.

Since then, "better safe than sorry".

The protec hard case is very protective, as as heavy as the hiscox one. The problem is the weight, very uncomfortable for walk or train. That's why i was looking for a compromise. But if the middle way does not exist, then I maybe should buy me a car!

Cheers
Marco

 

The only "soft" cases I've found that are built well enough so that I'll use them on my custom guitars and my alto are Ritter.

A friend used to protect his rifles from damage in soft cases by opening the lining and inserting a sheet of perspex between the padding then sewing it back up. Although the Ritter isn't reinforced all round it has a sturdy spine which keep the bag from deforming under preasure.

Of course a hard case will win out every time, but if you're looking for peace of mind and easy transport on foot you could do worse than having a look at them.

 

Marco, a better choice over a soft bag, and one what is very light (you can hold the case with your little finger) but which still gives your horn some protection (not as much as a Protec and certainly not as much as a Berleley or Hiscox), is a Gator. They are really good, light and quite inexpensive cases.

This is the case I am talking about: http://band-orchestra.musiciansfrie...nd.com/product/Gator-GL-Lightweight-Tenor-Saxophone-Case?sku=545839&src=3WGTWXX
They seem to have been discontinued and maybe replaced with this: http://www.gatorcases.com/Default.aspx?Section=Products&Page=Details&CategoryID=4473&CatalogID=11559

I can't tell whether or not an older version has been replaced with a newer version, or if simply some merchants just seem to be out of stock with the first version, but for what you seem to be looking for, I would say that they are definitely worth looking into.

 

Not really the lightest, but comes with a very comfortable backpack strap set, I like this Bam case. Selmer was sending these french-made cases customized with Selmer logos, etc. along with the Reference 36 horns they were making as of 2003. I just love this case! The one with the outside accessory pockets would hold my recording equipment, iPod and cables for Open Mic Night at the coffee house downtown. :mrgreen:

 

As with the above opinions, soft cases are asking for damage to your sax...even from minor incidents.

My preference is ProTec, but there are other hard shell cases out there that are protective and don't weigh as much as a traditional hard shell case (what I consider my Vanguard case to be). SKB does make a few good sax cases that could work...BAM might be better in the weight category, although with a higher price tag. I've never tried Gator so I couldn't comment on them.

I really don't understand how a hard tenor case is so difficult to carry (hell...I carried my bari around in its hardshell case through middle school and I never thought it was that bad). Granted I never have had to deal with the train situation, but most cases come with shoulder straps...and many cases that are made now have the option of backpack straps also.

Unless you place a low value on your sax (which you obviously don't!) or just really like talking to your tech on a regular basis...why increase the risk of hurting your sax just to make it weigh a tiny amount less when you're carrying it?

 

As with the above opinions, soft cases are asking for damage to your sax...even from minor incidents.

I really don't understand how a hard tenor case is so difficult to carry (hell...I carried my bari around in its hardshell case through middle school and I never thought it was that bad). Granted I never have had to deal with the train situation, but most cases come with shoulder straps...and many cases that are made now have the option of backpack straps also.

eheh sure, when I was younger, I was traveling by train with my tenor sax, bass clarinet and bags. ;-)
I am just getting tired of being uncomfortable and looking forward to alternatives.
But I am very sensible to the safety issue, since I already had an accident some times ago, so I want never give up the hard protec unless the changr is worthy AND safe, which seems not so easy.
Maybe hitching up the hard case on a trolley could be the solution. Or do you think vibrations would be bad? well, not different then drive it in a car...

anyway thank you everybody for your precious comments.

 

Again, those little contoured SKB hard cases are very light. I went from having to "wag" my tenor around like a heavy suitcase in it's original case, to being able to effortlessly carry it under my arm like a football. And that's a tenor. The SKB is very light. I have the SKB450 pro model.

 

As others have said using the words lightweight and protective in the same phrase is an oxymoron . I love Protects for most uses and the option to have backpack straps, I do not find them heavy and they are, in my view, very protective, but you find them too heavy so a solution has to be found. The Berkeley of London are very lightweight and they are protective enough but they offer little padding, the horn can still rock around quite a bit, not to mention the fact that, on impact, they would bend therefore bending whatever there is inside. The Hiscox are probably a better bet, light and very protective, I would go for that as a protec alternative. JW are also good and a litle better than the Berkeley but they tend to fit only certain horns.

By the way, a guy who reads the funny stories by Italo Calvino has analysis capabilities enough to make up his mind!

 

I use protech unless I'm putting my sax on a truck or plane. I gig regularly and am not especially careful once it's in the case - just sensible. My protech tenor case is coming apart at the seams a bit after two years of regular use, but it seems to get the sax from point A to point B just fine. I wouldn't reccomend tossing a sax around in one, but for normal travel they seem ok to me. I reccomend regular adjustments anyway if you play a lot.

 

I think protec (no H :bluewink: ) cases are quite safe , once I dropped one (was standing against the counter of a Bar) with my super 20 in it and another one I fell on my case while I was walking up the stairs.......my super 20 has survived , I nearly had two coronary attacks..........but lived on

 

nooo, it really survived in a not hard case? two times?
wow, which kind of religion are you following?
I want to join it ))

 

Protecs ARE, as far as I am concerned , hard shell cases! They have top bottom and around a wooden inner core in the lining, they also have some light gigbags but I' would never use it.

Lots of people think of the Protecs as soft gigbags but they are most definitely not! Bam has a soft model /and very heavy) but I didn't even bother to mention those

 

Protecs for me are a little bendy,dont trust them,great extra storage bags but sold mine.Had alot of cases but my best 2 are Jacob Winter fibreglass cases and Berkely of London which i must say have very sparce padding so i added loads of new padding and velvet and now my berkelys are great,very safe and look cool.For the price though you cant beat the winter cases.

 

as I said I fell on one (120Kg of me that is) and it doesn't bend even a little, which cannot be said of the Berkleys (I have 2)

 

.......the Berkleys (I have 2)

You selling?

 

only together with a B&S baritone and a Conn tenor that I am selling ......... but it is not too difficult to find them!

 

It's not? I tried finding one two years ago, and had no luck whatsoever.

 

I find them every now and then on the secondhand market , they are easier to find in England on ebay or try the Pete Thomas forum

 

Thanks, I will.

 

Theres a alto and tenor Berkeley cases on Junkdude.com,black 1's.

 

Just to add my bit...Recently, I sold my soft alto gig bag and gave away my soft tenor gig bag. I bought 2 very good Protec bags...sort of a cross between hard and soft. I then had an accident which has put me on crutches for an indefinite time, (could be six months, maybe for the duration). I found that my Protec bags were too awkward to carry over my shoulder, so I've reverted to the soft gig bags again. I know they are hazardous to my saxes, but seem necessary. I would never let any baggage handler near them! I now have the original hard cases, the Protecs and the softies. I'm ready for anything.

 

Mauriatyboy, do the winter cases have a special slot for the neck and the mouthpiece? They look like really sturdy cases though.

 

They have a little side pocket inside that fits mp,reeds and strap etc,neck inside the bell.Very good padding inside.

 

I really don't know what would be soft in a Protec case ! Underneath the canvas (or leather) there is a wooden shell

 

Milandro is right here - The protech cases are hard cases with a soft outer shell. There is a backpack strap available too since you ride. My alto case is still like new. Somehow I must have got a tenor case made on a friday though..The loop for the strap came apart, the seams are splitting and now a few screws have come out and the interior is pulling away from the wood (This is how I fornd out it was a wood case with a soft cover.) That being said I will probably buy another. They are good cases based on my alto case and how well my failing tenor case actually protects the sax. I am playing the same sax (SA80II) and it fits well. Putting the pad saver on top make it perfectly snug all around. The trick with any case is to get a good fit. If the sax moves around at all inside, you'll have troubles - no matter how tough the exterior is. The exterior pocket on the Protec case is roomy enough for a small stand. I keep my wireless rig (transmitter, receiver, mic, and a half dozen batteries) in it with room to spare for an extra MPC, straps, reeds, assorted "stuff", and a small flask of "disinfectant".