Bev20 Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 Hello all, I'm looking for advice... my g.grandfathers violin has now been restored and I need a case to keep it in (its original case is broken). What Cases do you reccomend? What factors do I need to consider? Is soft case or a hard case better? How should the violin fit in the case? Etcetera... greatly appreciate any advice :) Many thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GeorgeH Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 Depends on your usage. Are you going to be traveling with it? Opening and closing much? Or is it mainly for storage and occasionally opening? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stephen Fine Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 Hi, Bev. With cases, you get what you pay for. If you want to have a professional level case, you're looking at somewhere between $600-$3,000. For a while there, everyone had a BAM Hightech Contoured. Nice cases, lightweight. Some friends have had problems with the latches though. I'm using a Musafia case. They sell cases at a few different (expensive) price points. A friend had a Jakob Winter case that I thought was fine considering how inexpensive it was (under $200) I used an American Case Company case for years before it was stolen with my violin, that may be a mid-range case ($450) Check out GEWA and Bobelock too. As George says, you'll want something different depending on how you're using it. I fly with my cases, so paying attention to size is important. I carry my case for hours sometimes, so weight is important. But size and weight tradeoff with safety which is the most important. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 7 hours ago, Bev20 said: Hello all, I'm looking for advice... my g.grandfathers violin has now been restored and I need a case to keep it in (its original case is broken). What Cases do you reccomend? What factors do I need to consider? Is soft case or a hard case better? How should the violin fit in the case? Etcetera... greatly appreciate any advice Many thanks As already pointed out, a lot depends on how you will use it. and how much storage for accessories and music you need. In a modern case, get one with suspension cushioning. Suspension cushioned cases have a raised shelf (or shelves) that suspends the back of the instrument approximately an inch over the bottom of the case. I personally prefer oblong cases. Slings are a good thing to have, too. Here's a good intro to cases: https://blog.sharmusic.com/blog/bid/90432/What-Should-You-Look-For-In-a-Case BTW, like violins, price is not always a valid predictor of performance in cases. The Musafias are an exception, but, among case manufacturers, so is Dimitri. Cases I have used include a Bobelock, a Gewa, an American Case Company, a Sky, and (my pet go-to) a prewar custom Jaeger alligator-hide case that I got with a violin I bought. IMHO, Bobelocks don't hold up. I beat the heck out of one in under two years, so that the nylon covering unstitched, and couldn't be repaired. The Gewa was rugged, but the hardware rusted. Who wants to pay over $200 (wholesale) for rusty hardware? Can't they find stainless? The ACC canvas-covered oblong case is still humming along. It looks to be what the Bobelock was copied from. I found it for $36 at an estate sale (with two good bows). Heaven knows how old it is. The Sky is an oblong nylon covered plywood-over-foam hard case that has survived over 10 years with me. I got it new on eBay for under $50. The gatorskin, velvet-lined with python-lined compartments, leather sprung-handled, pre-WW II custom Jaeger is flipping incomparable, but stuff like that is rare. It came with an antique violin I gave around $500 for, that I found in a guitar shop that was clueless about the case and the fiddle both. Thing's a very durable case. Sometimes you just get blessed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
deans Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 The choices are almost infinite, and everyone has different experiences. Something like an American Case Co. continental would be a good middle of the road choice. Check the dimensions of the instrument. Some cases are not friendly to slightly over or undersized instruments Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Merkel Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 I agree with deans. also, consider that you aren't going to be flying on planes with it and lugging it around for hours. hard, probably wood, maybe used, suspension system, decent known brand or lucky unknown brand. should be able to get satisfaction for not much more than $100. shaped is smaller and easier to stick somewhere but expect tommy gun remarks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
outofnames Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 I have a Bobelok case but don’t travel with it. Biggest thing for me was ergonomics of unlatching and unzipping the case and enough room for the shoulder rest. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bev20 Posted February 20 Author Report Share Posted February 20 Thank you everyone for you replies - very helpful! @GeorgeH unlikely to be travelling with... but will be used more than for just storage @deans should the case fit loosely or should it be tight... how much movement should there be or none? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GeorgeH Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 Measure the length of the back as described here: https://www.wikihow.com/Measure-the-Body-Size-of-a-Violin,-Fiddle,-Viola,-Cello-or-Upright-Bass If it is between 348 and 360mm, it should fit properly into any well-made full-size case. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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