What is the Best Trumpet Case? Part 2

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Traditional Hard Cases

Almost every professional trumpet came packaged in a traditional hard case and most often these were made with wood panels covered with a leather or leather like material. These are considered very strong and protect the instrument from most abusive encounters.  Some are designed with extra room for accessories such as mutes, music, and valve oil and some are designed to only carry one trumpet. Some manufacturers place the trumpet on it’s side as in the case of the Bach and some secure the trumpet in an upright position as in the case of Yamaha and Schilke. I’m not sure one is any better than the other but as in the case of the latter two cases, the vertical position makes for a more compact case. A two horn Yamaha case will hold as much extra material as the Bach case yet it is 2 inches smaller in width.

One improvement which you may not be aware of is the replacement of the old snap style locks with the newer latch style. The old snap locks were always breaking springs and were a real problem as the case ages. The new latches are equally square and will never break. Some manufactures are still using the snaps and I would avoid this feature. You can see the difference on the follwing examples. Snaps are still used on the Schilke double cases. And a very similar case made by J. Winter is equipped with the newer latches. When making your final selection, you might want to check this feature for a latch will far outlast a snap.

Another very important issue when selecting a single trumpet case would be the security of your instrument. Bach cases do not hold the instrument as securely as a Yamaha or Schilke. How the horn is held within the case is what makes it safe or not safe. You will want the padding within the case to surround itself around the horn when you place it in the case. This is another short coming of a Bach case. The trumpet is allowed to slide back and forth in the case.when the lid is shut. Remember Ken Watson’s experience with his Bach case rolling down the stairs? Now you have heard two opinions about Bach cases. A very similar case made by Giardinelli http://www.wwbw.com/Giardinelli-Trumpet-Case-540285-i1151024.wwbw has the same “lay down” feature as the Bach but has designed the case to hold the trumpet more securely inside. It also had the latches for locking.

If you are interested in a single hard case for your instrument, you might want to consider buying a double case instead. Even if you are not going to add another trumpet to your collection, I would recommend a double case for these reasons-

  • Some day you might want another horn
  • The dimension of the double case is smaller than a single case.
  • Many times the double case will protect your instrument better than a single case.
  • Cost- Bach single case $184.99, double case $180.49

If I were interested in purchasing a single hard case, I would be considering these three possibilities-

Stock single horn cases

(Ratings 1-5 for this type of case only)

Bach single case Price- $184.99/ Material-Wood/Rating- 3 http://www.wwbw.com/Bach-1843-Single-Trumpet-Case-540307-i1151038.wwbw

Gator single case Price- $52.49/Material-Wood/Rating- 3 http://www.wwbw.com/Gator-GW-Trumpet-Hardshell-Trumpet-Case-546214-i1167668.wwbw

Gator single case Price- $45.49/Material-Plastic/Rating- 1 http://www.wwbw.com/Gator-GC-TRUMPET-Deluxe-ABS-Trumpet-Case-545829-i1152360.wwbw

Gator  Deluxe single case Price- $41.99/Material-Plastic/Rating- 4 http://www.wwbw.com/Gator-Deluxe-Wooden-Trumpet-Case-471105-i1420219.wwbw

SKB single case Price- $104.99/Material-Plastic/Rating- 1 http://www.wwbw.com/SKB-SKB-330-Hardshell-Trumpet-Case-544709-i1152111.wwbw

SKB single case Price- $104.99/Material-Plastic/Rating- 1 http://www.wwbw.com/SKB-SKB-130-Trumpet-Case-544586-i1152049.wwbw

Giardinelli single case Price- $62.99/Material-Wood/Rating- 3 http://www.wwbw.com/Giardinelli-Trumpet-Case-540285-i1151024.wwbw

MTS single case Price- $35.99/Material-Plastic/Rating- 1 http://www.wwbw.com/MTS-Products-Replacement-Cases-for-Trumpet-471805-i1411889.wwbw

Yamaha YAC TRC-606 Wood Trumpet Case Price $199.99/Material- Wood/Rating- 5 http://www.samash.com/p/Yamaha_YAC%20TRC606%20Wood%20Trumpet%20Case_-49956222

My recommendation for the best hard double case trumpet case is easy. My choice would be the

Yamaha YAC TRC-606 Wood Trumpet Case Price $199.99/Material- Wood/Rating- 5 http://www.samash.com/p/Yamaha_YAC%20TRC606%20Wood%20Trumpet%20Case_-49956222

Hard Double cases

(Ratings 1-5 for this type of case only)

Bach Double case Price- $180.49/Material-Wood/Rating- 4 http://www.wwbw.com/Bach-Double-Trumpet-Case-467349-i1414744.wwbw

Schilke Double case Price- $227.99/Material-Wood/Rating- 5 http://www.wwbw.com/Schilke-112-Hard-Shell-Double-Trumpet-Case-475623-i1438294.wwbw

Yamaha YAC TRC-606 Wood Trumpet Case Price $199.99/Material- Wood/Rating- 5 http://www.samash.com/p/Yamaha_YAC%20TRC606%20Wood%20Trumpet%20Case_-49956222

Bruce was a member of the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa, School of Music in Cedar Falls from 1969 until his retirement in 1999. He has performed with many well-known entertainers such as Bob Hope, Jim Nabors, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Anita Bryant, Carman Cavalara, Victor Borgie, the Four Freshman, Blackstone the Magician, Bobby Vinton and John Davidson.

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One thought on “What is the Best Trumpet Case? Part 2”

  1. DAVID HARRIS

    Got a Yamaha TR 606 case. Very nice case. My Schilke B2 Bb fits well and there is room for another trumpet or supplies but no room for any mutes. Thanks for your review.

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