What do you know about Marcus Bonna cases?

[tbdana]

Do you know these bags?



https://houghtonhorns.com/collections/m ... 6447853814

I want a very lightweight but very safe gig bag/case. Someone said these carbon fiber cases are very light and very protective. Are you familiar with them? Are they really light? They look heavy.

They're all backordered or special order. And they are $800. Worth it?

[Burgerbob]

The double cases are not light and are very big. But they are as protective as it gets bar the Tank.

[spencercarran]

Bonna cases are extremely light, excellent shoulder straps, and as protective as it gets. Whether it's worth the premium or not is up to you and your budget, but it should be noteworthy that even at the asking prices they tend to be immediately sold out everywhere.

[bitbckt]

I regularly use a double tenor/bass, a baby tenor, a baby bass, and a euphonium bag. So… I like them.

The adjustable padding is important to get right for whichever horn you’re toting around, but it’s not rocket surgery.

[greenbean]

Marcus Bonna cases are the gold standard in the French horn world! They are great.

[harrisonreed]

In terms of construction, that looks exactly like the $250 "Bob Reeves" case I bought years ago. Still going strong. It also looks nearly identical to the Edwards Alessi case.

Bet it's made in the same facility. $650 of the $800 dollars they want for the Marcus Bonna must get ethered into the brand name.

20240604_104447.jpg

[JohnL]

...but it should be noteworthy that even at the asking prices they tend to be immediately sold out everywhere.

and it's been that way for something like 20 years (that I know of - it may date back farther).

Having recently returned to the trombone world after a long absence, you've missed the ongoing drama surrounding the limited availability of Marcus Bonna cases.

There's lot of cases that look like Marcus Bonna; not sure it they're made in the same factory as MB or if they're knock-offs. Maybe there's some of both...

[spencercarran]

...but it should be noteworthy that even at the asking prices they tend to be immediately sold out everywhere.

and it's been that way for something like 20 years (that I know of - it may date back farther).

Indeed; when I bought a Bonna case nearly 20 years ago it was, as best as I could tell, the very last one available for sale in the whole country.

[Burgerbob]

In terms of construction, that looks exactly like the $250 "Bob Reeves" case I bought years ago. Still going strong. It also looks nearly identical to the Edwards Alessi case.

Bet it's made in the same facility. $650 of the $800 dollars they want for the Marcus Bonna must get ethered into the brand name.

They are a totally different design, the horns go on top of each other in the MB. Bonnas are all made in Brazil.

[harrisonreed]

In terms of construction, that looks exactly like the $250 "Bob Reeves" case I bought years ago. Still going strong. It also looks nearly identical to the Edwards Alessi case.

Bet it's made in the same facility. $650 of the $800 dollars they want for the Marcus Bonna must get ethered into the brand name.

They are a totally different design, the horns go on top of each other in the MB. Bonnas are all made in Brazil.

Referring to the construction of the OP case, not the double case. Obviously the OP case is a single. Materials and construction looks identical to mine.

The MB double case looks impractical, though it does look very protective. I usually want one or the other horn, not to have to take both out.

[Matt K]

I love mine. I had an MB about a decade ago that I didn't like very much. Their standard design lets water drip out of the mouthpiece receiver and bell receiver over the bell. They now have a new "Baby" design that has the slide on the other side of the bag and a layer separating the two of them. I have one that fits up to 8.5" bells that barely takes up more than 8.5" at the widest. Extremely compact and lightweight yet also seems to offer a really high degree of protection

[bitbckt]

The MB double case looks impractical, though it does look very protective. I usually want one or the other horn, not to have to take both out.

When I tote around the double case, it's because I want both horns out of the case and on stands. If I only need one horn, most often that'll be the tenor on top. Rarely, I do find myself in a situation where I want a bass but not the tenor - you're right, it's a bit of a pain. But it's just a prick and doesn't last long.

The designs with the two horns side-by-side seem like the obvious choice for those that carry two horns often but usually play just one. Different strokes I guess.

[harrisonreed]

Yeah, I get it. I don't want to keep moving stuff in and out of different cases, so the one I have is a great space saving solution. On concerts, I usually need both at once. But for rehearsals, I only need one, and I can grab whichever one I want.

Anyways, I am definitely detracting here at this point. For the subject of Marcus Bonna, they are good but way over-priced. If you have the scratch, go for it!

[tbdana]

I don't need or want a double case. Maybe if I was doing a bunch of studio work. But these days I know which horn I'm playing when I go to the gig, and usually bring just that horn. And I leave my horns out on stands in my studio until it's time to put them in the car, so I wouldn't be juggling horns in and out of cases. If I leave them out, there's a chance I might actually play one.

[hornbuilder]

Harrison. Check your facts. Bonna are made in Brazil, by a company owned by Marcus Bonna. The other cases you mentioned are made in China. "That" is why they're cheaper, not because they don't have the Bonna label on them. As as for them being "over priced", the saying holds true, you get what you pay for.

[kirbygalbraith]

Love my Marcus Bonna bass case! Super light, tons of storage, and fits overhead on every flight I've taken it on (mostly Southwest). Pricey, but 100% worth it, IMO.