TromboneChat

I picked up a Yamaha 613G for a reasonable price, in pretty good shape, but the case looks like it had an accident at some point. I'd like to find a decent case (used would be fine) but I'm finding that a lot of what's out there will only accommodate a 9.5 inch bell - this has a 10" bell.

I figured I'd find out what others have used and found to be a good choice for a horn like this Yamaha. I have a MB case for my large tenor, and that's great, but the only one of those I've found at all with the larger bell is a brand new Leather case at Dillons - way too much cash for a horn that will be an infrequent double.

Thanks!

Jim Scott

PS - You can send me a PM if you have something used that you want to sell - I might be interested.

I think it'll be find in a standard Bonna. I have my B&S Sarastro in one at 9 7/8" and it has some wiggle room.

Thanks Aiden!

JS

Not much of a case but my Benge fits into a Protec Explorer (?). About $100.

The Protec Max will accommodate a 10" bell if you want to keep the price down but not have a cheap bag. It held my old Besson sovereign that had a 10" bell. I think they're about $150 now.

Or for about $300 you can get the stronger pro PAC. Same shape, but a hard shell, not hybrid foam, and a different interior.

I have a Courtois case which was made by Bam, green with "Courtois" scripted in yellow on the outside. Since my Courtois came with a 10 1/2" bell, I'm sure a 10" bell will fit. Not sure about the rest of the horn, though.
Are you in NJ by any chance? I'm about an hour south of Dillons. If you might be interested we could meet at Dillons.

Sorry - like the online moniker says, I'm in Calgary, Canada. I used to live in NYC, but that was over 40 years ago. I was wondering about the Bam's though. Do you know if it's a standard Bam (except for the branding on it) or is it a custom make for Courtois?

JS

CalgaryTbone wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 7:42 pm Sorry - like the online moniker says, I'm in Calgary, Canada. I used to live in NYC, but that was over 40 years ago. I was wondering about the Bam's though. Do you know if it's a standard Bam (except for the branding on it) or is it a custom make for Courtois?

JS

I'm not sure, nor do I know how generic their bass cases are. I don't think I have found a tenor that hasn't fit in the tenor Bam case, except the King 1480.

To bump this and to maybe ask the question in a different way, what aftermarket cases have others used and been happy with the fit for a 10" or larger bass bell? Most Holtons, the Conn 110/112, Yamaha 612's and earlier 613's are all 10", and some Bachs are 10.5".

I'm curious about experiences with the standard Bonna,standard Bam, and for my purposes, the cheaper Bonna lookalikes that are often stamped with Shires, Edwards, Getzen, etc. I'm pretty sure those cases aren't fibreglass (plywood or similar), but they are relatively protective and light. I'm not looking for an old-style hard case - the shipping alone is completely prohibitive. I don't need a gig bag either.

There's a partial comparative list of cases on the Hickeys site, but it's not that helpful. I'm interested in real-life experiences, so I don't spend a bunch of money (particularly w/shipping) getting a case that won't fit the horn. Also, I'm definitely interested in used ones, since a brand new MB case (if you can even find one in stock) is overkill for the horn that I have.

Thanks!

Jim Scott

At Shires, we carry the standard MB Bass case, designed to hold up to a 9.5 inch bell, as well as the Bass XL, which is designed to fit bell up to 10.5 inches. Without identification on the cases, standing next to each other, they are very difficult to tell apart.

Here are the specs on both cases from Bonna.

Standard Bass https://mbcases.com/portfolio/cases/tro ... s-trombone

Bass XL https://mbcases.com/portfolio/cases/tro ... rombone-xl

Thank you!

JS

Cases for German bass bones have more space for the bell, most are at least 25 centimeter bell.

This one https://www.thomann.de/gb/kuehnl_hoyer_ ... ombone.htm fits my 10" Conn 112H with Hagmanns perfectly. Enough space for your Yamaha 613G

Will not hold my 10" Holton with Thayers, this valve section is just a few centimeter for thick.

They have an 11" version too here https://www.thomann.de/gb/kuehnl_hoyer_ ... ombone.htm

Thanks!

JS

Kariso in Germany (quite a few European makers use their cases as standard options) also have cases for various size bells. Thomann offer them as well.

Mamaposaune wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 7:07 pm I have a Courtois case which was made by Bam, green with "Courtois" scripted in yellow on the outside. Since my Courtois came with a 10 1/2" bell, I'm sure a 10" bell will fit. Not sure about the rest of the horn, though.
Are you in NJ by any chance? I'm about an hour south of Dillons. If you might be interested we could meet at Dillons.

I had a Bam bass case around 20 years ago, I think they are still made in the same style. I think I used it with a 9,5 inch bell dependent Kühnl&Hoyer, so not much info regarding the 10 inch bell.

However what I did not like about it - if I remember correctly - was how the slide was held in the case. It seemed to put quite a bit of pressure on the slide tubes in the moment you put it in.

Thanks, that's the kind of info that I'm looking for!

Has anyone had any experience with the Eastman cases? What bell sizes fit? Are they protective and user-friendly?

JS

CalgaryTbone wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 11:24 am Thanks, that's the kind of info that I'm looking for!

Has anyone had any experience with the Eastman cases? What bell sizes fit? Are they protective and user-friendly?

JS

Which age of Eastman?

I didn't have a particular one in mind - did they change their design at some point? Like I said in another post, I'm mostly scrolling through sites looking for used cases, but I don't want to buy something that either won't fit, or isn't protective.

JS

The older hardshell ones I would skip. They will fit a 10" but are not good cases. Can't speak to the new ones.

Thanks! Good to know!

JS

I have been using a BAM Trekking and a BAM Softpack for some years now. Both will take a 10in bell and both have the questionable slide holder. I have not had any problems with it.

Cheers

Stewbones43

Thanks!

JS

MStarke wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 9:17 am

Mamaposaune wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 7:07 pm I have a Courtois case which was made by Bam, green with "Courtois" scripted in yellow on the outside. Since my Courtois came with a 10 1/2" bell, I'm sure a 10" bell will fit. Not sure about the rest of the horn, though.
Are you in NJ by any chance? I'm about an hour south of Dillons. If you might be interested we could meet at Dillons.

I had a Bam bass case around 20 years ago, I think they are still made in the same style. I think I used it with a 9,5 inch bell dependent Kühnl&Hoyer, so not much info regarding the 10 inch bell.

However what I did not like about it - if I remember correctly - was how the slide was held in the case. It seemed to put quite a bit of pressure on the slide tubes in the moment you put it in.

I have to agree with you. I have one of the Tenor cases, and I'm very uncomfortable putting my TW47 slide in it because the press fit feels like its putting way too much tension on the slide. I feel better putting my T25NLW in it because it's narrower, but it's still tighter than I'd like.

I should wind up this thread since I started it (not saying that others can't keep posting their thoughts).

I ended up buying a used Bags (of Spain) case. Fits the horn perfectly, and seems to be both protective and light. The cost was in the right range for use with a used instrument that is not a primary horn for me.

The choices that I found out there to fit a larger bell bass were : Bags (of Spain), Bam, Edwards (not sure about any of the Getzen cases), Marcus Bonna (the larger version), Eastman and some European cases that aren't easily found in North America.

It might be a good project for someone to put together a data base with some "what fits what" info on cases. There's a little bit out there, but I was not finding a lot of info for larger bell basses. Yamaha, Holton, Conn and Benge all have 10" models, and Bach has some 10.5" horns. Then, there are some European horns with larger bells. Anyway, hopefully my short list above will be useful for someone else looking for an aftermarket case for their horn.

Jim Scott

While I really appreciate the Marcus Bonna XL case I have, I found that it is a thin case at the top and that it could be too short.

I first bought the MB XL case for my Conn 62HCL, but however I placed the horn in the bag, the compartment was too short so that the bell section hit the small upper compartment even with all tuning slides all the way in, and the compartment was too thin so that the lid wouldn't close - when I had pressed the wall of the mouthpiece compartment to bulge.

It fits my Yamaha 421 very well, though the slide short so it has to be propped up with a bunch of those velcro pads that came with the case.

The Conn is now housed in an Accord flight case, which fits very well and feels really safe.