GEWA Double Case thoughts
- Nemo
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Dec 27, 2025
Hello!
A while back I posted about looking for a double case (bass/tenor) under $800, and I ended up settling on the GEWA case available from Hickey's. This review is also under that post in Classifieds. The website said they were out of stock, but mine still arrived within a week of ordering, costing $452 all in.
I've been using the case for a few days now and taken it to a rehearsal or two, and so far I'm very happy with it. The bell section easily fits two 10 inch bells, and probably up to 10.5 if you wanted. The two bells sit side by side with a thick layer of foam in between them and two adjustable foam blocks to settle them in. My tenor is a little smaller than the space provided, so it has the chance to jostle around a little - I will probably throw a rag or something at the tuning slide end to keep it snug against the end of the case, which has a 2-3 inch foam pad and then hard outer wall.
The slide pouch is hardwood on all sides except the top, which has a foam flap and zipper to fold over. The two slides are separated by a foam strip that I wish was seen to the bottom of the case - if you're not careful it's possible to get it into a weird position where the slides can touch. Otherwise, really nice. Not certain of the exact dimensions here but my XO 1240 and King 4B slides fit fine with room to spare.
There's an accessory pouch with two pockets, which is enough to fit my leadpipes, oils, mouthpiece, grip, and spitrag. There are two Velcro pouches and a mesh pocket on the inside of the larger pocket, great for mouthpieces. The outer pocket is smaller and doesn't fit bulky items.
The backpack straps are hidden under a zipper that is a little confusing - you can rezip the cloth underneath the straps, but it doesn't quite fit right and seems like there's some strain on the zipper when you do this. It works fine, I just can't figure out what exactly they want me to do with it. I haven't used the backpack straps as I prefer to carry my tuba or music bag on my back.
It comes with a shoulder strap that is very robust and has 4 attachment points on the case. I ended up tossing this in with the backpack straps and using two of the attachments points to strap my stand in. The bag is pretty weirdly balanced when carrying, as the handle is centered on the main tube and doesn't account for the slide pouch or accessory weight. It just takes some getting used to, but it's a little more cumbersome than most cases which are slimmer.
The main compartment has a double zipper that I wish was connected, as you can't really get either bell out without doing both zippers. Even when it's fully open, you have to tug the bells out from the foam that wraps around them. I think this is well worth it for the extra support it provides. The main handle of the case is connected with a neat latch that uses magnets to attach a more sturdy metal loop into a closure. The weight goes through the metal, and the magnet is only to make it snap shut without fiddling. The handle itself is super comfortable, it seems like they used a couple inches of the packing foam to make it ergonomic. Easily the nicest handle I've held on any case of any weight.
The case itself is made of cordura and looks and feels extremely robust. I don't foresee any of this fabric or stitching coming apart even with serious abuse. It's light, too. With both horns, all my accessories, and my stand attached, it feels lighter than either one of my old hard cases did. It's a tad more bulky than a regular case, but about the same size as the XO stock hard case.
I'm very happy with this purchase, especially at the price, and I hope this information is helpful to those of us who schlep multiple horns around!
Not sure how to embed photos here, so attached an album:
[url]https://photos.app.goo.gl/87DPw8RxgWpxyDjq8
A while back I posted about looking for a double case (bass/tenor) under $800, and I ended up settling on the GEWA case available from Hickey's. This review is also under that post in Classifieds. The website said they were out of stock, but mine still arrived within a week of ordering, costing $452 all in.
I've been using the case for a few days now and taken it to a rehearsal or two, and so far I'm very happy with it. The bell section easily fits two 10 inch bells, and probably up to 10.5 if you wanted. The two bells sit side by side with a thick layer of foam in between them and two adjustable foam blocks to settle them in. My tenor is a little smaller than the space provided, so it has the chance to jostle around a little - I will probably throw a rag or something at the tuning slide end to keep it snug against the end of the case, which has a 2-3 inch foam pad and then hard outer wall.
The slide pouch is hardwood on all sides except the top, which has a foam flap and zipper to fold over. The two slides are separated by a foam strip that I wish was seen to the bottom of the case - if you're not careful it's possible to get it into a weird position where the slides can touch. Otherwise, really nice. Not certain of the exact dimensions here but my XO 1240 and King 4B slides fit fine with room to spare.
There's an accessory pouch with two pockets, which is enough to fit my leadpipes, oils, mouthpiece, grip, and spitrag. There are two Velcro pouches and a mesh pocket on the inside of the larger pocket, great for mouthpieces. The outer pocket is smaller and doesn't fit bulky items.
The backpack straps are hidden under a zipper that is a little confusing - you can rezip the cloth underneath the straps, but it doesn't quite fit right and seems like there's some strain on the zipper when you do this. It works fine, I just can't figure out what exactly they want me to do with it. I haven't used the backpack straps as I prefer to carry my tuba or music bag on my back.
It comes with a shoulder strap that is very robust and has 4 attachment points on the case. I ended up tossing this in with the backpack straps and using two of the attachments points to strap my stand in. The bag is pretty weirdly balanced when carrying, as the handle is centered on the main tube and doesn't account for the slide pouch or accessory weight. It just takes some getting used to, but it's a little more cumbersome than most cases which are slimmer.
The main compartment has a double zipper that I wish was connected, as you can't really get either bell out without doing both zippers. Even when it's fully open, you have to tug the bells out from the foam that wraps around them. I think this is well worth it for the extra support it provides. The main handle of the case is connected with a neat latch that uses magnets to attach a more sturdy metal loop into a closure. The weight goes through the metal, and the magnet is only to make it snap shut without fiddling. The handle itself is super comfortable, it seems like they used a couple inches of the packing foam to make it ergonomic. Easily the nicest handle I've held on any case of any weight.
The case itself is made of cordura and looks and feels extremely robust. I don't foresee any of this fabric or stitching coming apart even with serious abuse. It's light, too. With both horns, all my accessories, and my stand attached, it feels lighter than either one of my old hard cases did. It's a tad more bulky than a regular case, but about the same size as the XO stock hard case.
I'm very happy with this purchase, especially at the price, and I hope this information is helpful to those of us who schlep multiple horns around!
Not sure how to embed photos here, so attached an album: