Posted by Lee Stofer on January 11, 2003 at 09:56:28:
In Reply to: Questions about cases posted by Needs advice on January 10, 2003 at 00:08:27:
Hard cases vary a lot, but are always a calculated compromise between being light enough to get around with, and heavy enough to protect the instrument and be durable.
Unitec cases are not my favorite, because of the weight issue. Yes, you could stack a ton of freight on top of one and your horn would still be OK, but I wouldn't want to carry one around on a daily basis, particularly getting it into/out of vehicles any smaller than a tractor-trailer rig.
I have limited experience with Walt Johnson cases, but I know they are a bit lighter, if slightly more bulky. The hardware is warranted, and is very heavy-duty - so is the case price. It is quite good, but not my favorite, either.
The MTS Case Company has been coming on strong with development of their line of cases, and I have bought MTS cases for trumpet, saxophone, trombone, etc., and they are really well-made cases. I just saw an MTS tuba case for the first time recently, and liked it. I'm not sure if the exterior is some sort of black plastic or if it was fiberglass, but it had good reinforcements throughout, heavy-duty handles, semi-recessed casters on the bell end, and seemed to have a good balance between a lot of padding on the inside without being excessively bulky on the outside. I'm considering having one made for a York CC restoration.
For European tubas, I really like the Jakob Winter cases. They have black molded plastic on the outside, foam padding on the inside, aluminum valances and four latches. With two handles, and semi-recessed casters, these cases are relatively sleek, and I've flown more than once with my Rudi with no damage to the case or instrument. If I were to fly with two tubas, I'd either buy a ticket for one and have it in an Altieri bag, or both of them would be in J. Winter cases - that is, if I wanted to be able to play when I got to my destination!
As for plastic/fiberglass/wood, each has a slight edge over the other in some way, but none really stands above the rest without having some major problem associated with it. The Unitec, I think, has a stronger box than any of the others, but in a reasonably lighweight case, wood is no better than plastic or fiberglass. At that point, the padding is the main issue. Finding a case that fits the instrument really well is more important, and stuffing the inside of the bell with padding so that the bell rim is kept away from the end of the case, will do the most to prevent damage, which is the bottom line.
Hope this helps,
Lee Stofer