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1,313 Posts
Cases I've do or have owned in the past: Hiscox Pro II (current), SKB flight, Selmer original (70s)
Why a Jakob Winter? I know that people swear by Hiscox, and I do like the case--but I find it cumbersome, and wanted a case that I could carry as a backpack, and was lightweight. My other criteria were a) latches, not zipper b) had separate room for a neck c) decent padding/cushion d) relatively compact.
Pros: Given how light this thing is--a bit over 3 lbs--the immediate concern is durability. Well I did unwittingly test that! One day, I was riding a bicycle while carrying my guitar on my back, my sax strapped in front. While wearing flip flops. Yeah, not the smartest configuration. The longish flip flops were a bit too long up front, and it snagged on the ground when pedaling down, causing me to fly off the bike head first. I tried my best to have my arm/body to take the brunt of the fall, but instead the weight of my body and the guitar all fell on the case. I slammed hard to the ground, to the point where people nearby came running to me asking if I was okay. My foot was sprained, but all I was thinking was if my sax wasn't bent/mangled.
Opened the case, and aside from the G# key needing a bit of adjusting everything else seemed fine. No dents or other damage I could notice, and the surface saw only light scuffing in a spot that's barely noticeable. Actually, its padding is partially what drew me to the saxophone. Material property discussions aside (polystyrene vs polyurethane), some other cases I looked at, like the Manning case or some other big-name cases, had very thin padding at certain points in the bow area. Other pro was it had space for a neck and mouthpiece, as well as being able to carry it as a backpack.
Oddly the Hiscox is technically slightly shorter and narrower at their longest dimensions, but the Hiscox dimensions are more awkward, and putting a shoulder strap on it I nonetheless tend to bang it against doors/walls.
Cons: By far, the two latches are the biggest drawback. They're plastic, and can be undone by flicking the underside. Hence it's entirely plausible that your sax can spill out if somehow both get undone at the same time. No such danger with the Hiscox, and I don't know why they couldn't put another latch on there for sake of redundancy. Many put a third strap as a backup, and I have a fanny-pack like pouch that I affixed for extra storage and peace of mind.
I wish the bottom of the case had plastic feet, in case you're carrying it standing it up, which happens often if you're carrying it on the train.
So far the finish has been pretty durable, but the fabric surface I can see fraying over time.
The top lid, depending on the person can be a drawback. It seems to go back 180 degrees or more when opened, so if it's not leaned against something it could flip over, sending your neck/mouthpiece flying if you first take out the sax body.
It fit okay for my SBA, but it's not as snug as the Hiscox. For added peace of mind I made little cushions for softer padding at key contact points, similar to the Hiscox.
In conclusion: I love the case and I use it the most for carrying around town, but it has its uses, just like the Hiscox. If I'm worried about the sax getting banged up I'd put it in the Hiscox. If I want a light, convenient case to carry around that has decent padding/protection then I use the Jakob Winter. When I'm in the US and traveling by car the Hiscox is fine--but if you're walking or traveling by foot or bicycle it's a bit cumbersome. Also, I'd always want to use the Hiscox when traveling on an airplane, especially with smaller prop planes that don't have large overhead bins. (Now that I think of it, I suppose it's possible to mod the Hiscox and put little mounts for a backpack strap).
In short, I recommend the Jakob Winter Greenline, but it's not the end-all be all for cases.
Why a Jakob Winter? I know that people swear by Hiscox, and I do like the case--but I find it cumbersome, and wanted a case that I could carry as a backpack, and was lightweight. My other criteria were a) latches, not zipper b) had separate room for a neck c) decent padding/cushion d) relatively compact.
Pros: Given how light this thing is--a bit over 3 lbs--the immediate concern is durability. Well I did unwittingly test that! One day, I was riding a bicycle while carrying my guitar on my back, my sax strapped in front. While wearing flip flops. Yeah, not the smartest configuration. The longish flip flops were a bit too long up front, and it snagged on the ground when pedaling down, causing me to fly off the bike head first. I tried my best to have my arm/body to take the brunt of the fall, but instead the weight of my body and the guitar all fell on the case. I slammed hard to the ground, to the point where people nearby came running to me asking if I was okay. My foot was sprained, but all I was thinking was if my sax wasn't bent/mangled.
Opened the case, and aside from the G# key needing a bit of adjusting everything else seemed fine. No dents or other damage I could notice, and the surface saw only light scuffing in a spot that's barely noticeable. Actually, its padding is partially what drew me to the saxophone. Material property discussions aside (polystyrene vs polyurethane), some other cases I looked at, like the Manning case or some other big-name cases, had very thin padding at certain points in the bow area. Other pro was it had space for a neck and mouthpiece, as well as being able to carry it as a backpack.
Oddly the Hiscox is technically slightly shorter and narrower at their longest dimensions, but the Hiscox dimensions are more awkward, and putting a shoulder strap on it I nonetheless tend to bang it against doors/walls.
Cons: By far, the two latches are the biggest drawback. They're plastic, and can be undone by flicking the underside. Hence it's entirely plausible that your sax can spill out if somehow both get undone at the same time. No such danger with the Hiscox, and I don't know why they couldn't put another latch on there for sake of redundancy. Many put a third strap as a backup, and I have a fanny-pack like pouch that I affixed for extra storage and peace of mind.
I wish the bottom of the case had plastic feet, in case you're carrying it standing it up, which happens often if you're carrying it on the train.
So far the finish has been pretty durable, but the fabric surface I can see fraying over time.
The top lid, depending on the person can be a drawback. It seems to go back 180 degrees or more when opened, so if it's not leaned against something it could flip over, sending your neck/mouthpiece flying if you first take out the sax body.
It fit okay for my SBA, but it's not as snug as the Hiscox. For added peace of mind I made little cushions for softer padding at key contact points, similar to the Hiscox.
In conclusion: I love the case and I use it the most for carrying around town, but it has its uses, just like the Hiscox. If I'm worried about the sax getting banged up I'd put it in the Hiscox. If I want a light, convenient case to carry around that has decent padding/protection then I use the Jakob Winter. When I'm in the US and traveling by car the Hiscox is fine--but if you're walking or traveling by foot or bicycle it's a bit cumbersome. Also, I'd always want to use the Hiscox when traveling on an airplane, especially with smaller prop planes that don't have large overhead bins. (Now that I think of it, I suppose it's possible to mod the Hiscox and put little mounts for a backpack strap).
In short, I recommend the Jakob Winter Greenline, but it's not the end-all be all for cases.
