Double cases without wheels

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SamBTbrn
Posts: 128
Joined: Oct 10, 2023

by SamBTbrn »

A rhetorical complaint to all case making companies that make travel Double - Bass trombone and tenor trombone case. (Both fixed bell and screw bell varieties) Could you please stop making the cases with a heavy set of wheels slapped on the bottom.

Make it as compact and light as possible so that we can carry it as a back pack, just like the double tenor cases. Nobody is wheeling these things around through the city and risking damaging the bell on the ground.

It's like when adding a basstrombone to the mix, all thought about minimizing the case size and weight goes out the window.

Thanks,

From a Basstrombonist with sore shoulders.
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Burgerbob
Posts: 6327
Joined: Apr 23, 2018

by Burgerbob »

That's why I use a double bag, not the Bonna.
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SamBTbrn
Posts: 128
Joined: Oct 10, 2023

by SamBTbrn »

[quote="Burgerbob"]That's why I use a double bag, not the Bonna.[/quote]

Yeah, but then you loose the protection from the hard shell. Bags of Spain also make one that's 1/3 lighter then the bonna, but still has big wheels on the bottom <EMOJI seq="1f972" tseq="1f972">🥲</EMOJI>.
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Burgerbob
Posts: 6327
Joined: Apr 23, 2018

by Burgerbob »

The cases are certainly more sturdy, but I'm not sure how much more protection you really get... I'll take the tradeoff for some lightness and price!
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SamBTbrn
Posts: 128
Joined: Oct 10, 2023

by SamBTbrn »

Hahaha well I want the best of both worlds and I want it now!!!! <EMOJI seq="1f923" tseq="1f923">🤣</EMOJI><EMOJI seq="1f923" tseq="1f923">🤣</EMOJI>

Maybe I should hit up who ever made that Y-fort case and start a new line of cases. I heard on the grapevine here in the Netherlands that Martin was working with a Chinese maker on a new Basstrombone case.
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harrisonreed
Posts: 6479
Joined: Aug 17, 2018

by harrisonreed »

The best double case (no wheels, not a bag) was already made and then promptly discontinued. I the the guy running the UK company spent all his capital on cases and then didn't advertise them. He folded a few years back.

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Reeves Brass Double tenor case. I believe they made a bass version too.
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SamBTbrn
Posts: 128
Joined: Oct 10, 2023

by SamBTbrn »

<ATTACHMENT filename="Screenshot_20240623-225348.png" index="0">[attachment=0]Screenshot_20240623-225348.png</ATTACHMENT>

I liked the inside design for sure..... But unfortunately also had wheels on the bass version.
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EriKon
Posts: 636
Joined: Apr 03, 2022

by EriKon »

My Bonna Double Case is without wheels and works pretty well actually wearing it on the back. But ofc the most expensive one too...
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harrisonreed
Posts: 6479
Joined: Aug 17, 2018

by harrisonreed »

Oh lame. I thought the wheeled version was the second iteration of the Bass/tenor Reeves case
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Crazy4Tbone86
Posts: 1654
Joined: Jan 14, 2020

by Crazy4Tbone86 »

I just did repairs for a guy who had his horns in the bass/large tenor double case by Bonna. I put it on my back and walked around for a little while. That thing was much heavier than I expected!

I’m not saying that I would choose a case with wheels over the Bonna. However, it definitively made it so that I would think twice before ordering such a case.
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elmsandr
Posts: 1373
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by elmsandr »

Better yet, just choose actually functional and decent wheels (see: inline roller skate wheels) that don’t add ridiculous weight for not significant functionality.

I’d love a decent double case, but I think I’m more likely to make something than purchase something these days.

Cheers,

Andy
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OneTon
Posts: 757
Joined: Nov 02, 2021

by OneTon »

How is the bell getting damaged when a case with wheela is rolled through the city? What is the problem with with the Marcus Bonna double case?
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SamBTbrn
Posts: 128
Joined: Oct 10, 2023

by SamBTbrn »

Nothing wrong with the normal Bonna double case is terms of design, but it's super heavy, the heaviest of the portable double cases for bass and tenor by far. Even heavier than the bags of Spain case which has a big block of weight added to it because of its wheels....

The new Bonna double case (bass and tenor) for screw bell which is more compact and should be much lighter... has wheels on it <EMOJI seq="1f923" tseq="1f923">🤣</EMOJI>, which requires a more sturdy base so the case doesn't crumple when wheeling it, therefore making it heavier.

How does a horn get damaged when wheeling it around the city in a "semi-hard case". Imagine along with me if you will. Streets and sidewalks are not flat or smooth, in Europe they are also made from cobble-stones. Rolling off a curb or over very bumpy surfaces is going to run the same risk as dropping your case by accident, it just takes the wrong type of pressure on the wrong spot and your bell gets a crease, the slide puts dents in the bell or your solder joints crack.

Just stop putting wheels on travel cases. A full flight hard case like the tank, sure no worries. But the double tenor cases are so light, just make it big enough to fit a bass in as well.
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bitbckt
Posts: 298
Joined: Aug 19, 2020

by bitbckt »

I use the Bonna. It doubles (triples?) as a core workout. :D Wheels seem like a pain to maneuver, and I don’t feel comfortable putting that much money in a lighter case with no shell.

The available options on the market have been well-explored around here, and I sympathize with the OP looking for something different that might work better. There doesn’t seem to be much room/appetite for innovation. Maybe some intrepid golfer has a brilliant idea for moving around our “clubs”.
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MStarke
Posts: 1031
Joined: Jan 01, 2019

by MStarke »

I got a set of Cronkhite double bags a few months ago (one for two tenors, one for tenor and bass). I really like them as they are comparably slim and light.

Protection for the slides is okay as they are in the middle of the cases, but overall they are of course not comparable in protection with e g a Bonna.

As I am not travelling much with the horns this is okay for me. I might add some additional protection, e g clothing when I am going on a longer trip with them. But they always need good care.

What I am really missing is an SKB/Gator equivalent for bass trombone, in the same price range.
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OneTon
Posts: 757
Joined: Nov 02, 2021

by OneTon »

Has anyone asked MTS about an abs plastic bass trombone case? They’re not as light as foam and nylon cloth. But noyt boat anchors. And they may withstand damage to the case before the trombone gets damaged.