Which gig bag?

[kingrob76]

With nothing ever having been in this bag (no stretching, etc.)

My experience has been those bags don't stretch. You can see some compression of the foam, but, not a lot.

[hrender]

With nothing ever having been in this bag (no stretching, etc.), it measures a bit over 44” tall, a bit over 19” wide on the front panel across the bottom bow, a bit over 21.5” wide on the front panel at leadpipe area, and a bit over 18.5” across the bell panel.

It sounds like it's a better fit for a MW 197 than a 195 (Fafner).

[York-aholic]

It sounds like @bort2.0 's tuba would fit fine




with a bit of a bell trim.

[Thomas]

This FMB-Bag linked below should fit your horn well if not perfect. It is a toploader especially made for a 5/4 Rudy. I use it for my 164 which has similar dimensions except the smaller bell diameter. Decent quality and very good protection for a reasonable price. They also ship to US.

https://www.fmb-direkt.de/fmb-bag-b-tub ... ra-schwarz

[bort2.0]

This FMB-Bag linked below should fit your horn well if not perfect. It is a toploader especially made for a 5/4 Rudy. I use it for my 164 which has similar dimensions except the smaller bell diameter. Decent quality and very good protection for a reasonable price. They also ship to US.

https://www.fmb-direkt.de/fmb-bag-b-tub ... ra-schwarz

I've seen that before, but kind of forgot about it as an option. Will check it out!

[Rick Denney]

I had forgotten about this photo I took shortly after receiving a brand new Gotz bag for my Willson 3050 RZ (39" tall, 19" bell... so a little smaller than the Rudy). I love the svelte look and simple function. I think I'm gonna have to get one again... and possibly ALSO find a hard case to use at home and protect the tuba from the kids.

See the seam running around the left side, just under the handle on the side facing you? Make that a zipper. See the part of the bell zipper that you can see in the photo? Make everything on the bell zipper except that a seam. You’d be able to unzip three sides of the panel facing you and lay it back like an open lid.

That’s what Götz did for mine.

Rick “no handy pic until I get back from Tennessee” Denney

[bort2.0]

Thanks Rick! I think I see what you mean. And I also think that the standard top-loader is still going to be my preference. Sounds cool, though, but I guess I like what I like!

[YorkNumber3.0]

.

[York-aholic]

What about Superfine’s “Split Top Loader” bag. Sort of like a clamshell but the bottom bow area stays closed. You load from the “top” but don’t need to lift as high…

https://superfinecases.com/tuba-cases/#jp-carousel-848

[bloke]

What about Superfine’s “Split Top Loader” bag. Sort of like a clamshell but the bottom bow area stays closed. You load from the “top” but don’t need to lift as high…

https://superfinecases.com/tuba-cases/#jp-carousel-848

Your description sounds like the opposite of a Chinese-era Reunion Blues, and a much better idea.

[Nworbekim]

i have never tried a "top load" until this afternoon. i have a rehearsal monday evening and thought i'd use the bag since there's several sets of stairs.

i'm NOT a fan... i like the messina side load i bought for the king better.

[bloke]

I see people putting their bells on the floor, dropping their top-loading bags over them, flipping the bag-and-tuba over (requiring particular care, but - then again - what doesn't require being careful?), and then fastening the top...

...OK, I can see that...but I still like my "clamshell" bags (which I can open/close on backstage instrument tables (again) as if a hard case.

To be doubly-redundant (again, again - again ), I believe I'm seeing myself migrating back to (and which I have, for all of my various instruments') hard cases.

[bort2.0]

I'm seriously considering buying a hard case for the tuba as well, for storage at home.

The tuba spends most of its life in my house, and spending $$$ on a case now is definitely cheaper than potential repairs. A big bell has an awful lot of room to be accidentally stepped on.

Any suggestions for a hard case that won't cost too much?

My high-end is a new Kariso case, through Thomann. Their quote (incl shipping) is a little over $800, which seems like a decent price for that quality of a case. But I'm thinking my goal can be accomplished for less... hardshell case for storage at home. Doesn't need to be pretty or even very portable, honestly.

Any ideas?

[York-aholic]

I'm seriously considering buying a hard case for the tuba as well, for storage at home.

The tuba spends most of its life in my house, and spending $$$ on a case now is definitely cheaper than potential repairs. A big bell has an awful lot of room to be accidentally stepped on.

Any suggestions for a hard case that won't cost too much?

My high-end is a new Kariso case, through Thomann. Their quote (incl shipping) is a little over $800, which seems like a decent price for that quality of a case. But I'm thinking my goal can be accomplished for less... hardshell case for storage at home. Doesn't need to be pretty or even very portable, honestly.

Any ideas?

If you are planning to use a hard case only to protect it at home and aren’t going to take it out of the house, the cheapest one would be a crate made of 3/8 plywood (nice wood if it will be visible) and some padding to avoid scratching the tuba.

If you might occasionally take the horn in the case for a whirl outside, scratch all of the above.

[bloke]

I’ve got an MTS case that fits a 2165. It has some bumps and bruises and could use some work on the wheels (the outer rubber shed off), but is otherwise service-ready.

I can measure it if you want. I’d be happy to let it go for a reasonable price, although I’m not sure how easy it is to ship this thing…

[bort2.0]

I’ve got an MTS case that fits a 2165. It has some bumps and bruises and could use some work on the wheels (the outer rubber shed off), but is otherwise service-ready.

I can measure it if you want. I’d be happy to let it go for a reasonable price, although I’m not sure how easy it is to ship this thing…

Thanks, that would be great! The Rudy has a 500mm bell (around 19.6") and is a little over 42" tall with the keel. I find it comically awkward to measure the height of a tuba!

And @York-aholic, I like that idea, too. I'm not much for woodworking and lack a lot of cutting tools that I'd need... but it sounds simple enough. May be looking for an actual case though, based on my skill and (non)available time.

[matt g]

@bort2.0, here’s a link to an album of pics:

https://imgur.com/a/wyBSM2i

Text on the tuba is to prevent scammers from recycling photos.

The 2165 is shown in the case, an MTS 1270V. The 2165 bell is the same size, at 19.69” (500mm). I want to say that the 2165 is about 39” tall, but I’m not sure. Nonetheless, you can see there is a pad in there filling a gap and plenty of padding at the bottom to alter if needed. I’m pretty sure it would fit, but not 100%.

I also included pics of the exterior and the wheels.

MTS says that the PT-6 and the Besson 994 (a tall tuba) fit. Hope this helps:

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/032e8b ... 9582326216

Edited to add:

The 2165 specs at being 37.5” tall.

[bloke]

A case is supposed to protect something more valuable, more fragile, and (logically...??), heavier than the case itself. (yes...?? or no...??)

- Quality leather of an adequate (for this application) thickness tends to be heavier than woven nylon.
- Quality leather creeps up into the "good-condition/used Jinbao tuba" price range.
- Quality leather requires (not just vacuuming and sticky-roller-ing, but special "leather treatment".

Finally:
- Quality leather (at least, to me) screams, "HEY !!! THE THING INSIDE THIS FANCY SACK IS OBVIOUSLY WORTH SOME DOUGH. STEAL IT, FIND OUT WHAT YOU STOLE, AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO FENCE IT !!!"

Generally:
When purchasing bags and cases, I try to keep in perspective the sober-minded/realistic sales value (not "cost") of the thing the bag or case is designed to carry.

[kingrob76]

This FMB-Bag linked below should fit your horn well if not perfect. It is a toploader especially made for a 5/4 Rudy. I use it for my 164 which has similar dimensions except the smaller bell diameter. Decent quality and very good protection for a reasonable price. They also ship to US.

https://www.fmb-direkt.de/fmb-bag-b-tub ... ra-schwarz

I've seen that before, but kind of forgot about it as an option. Will check it out!

Were money *slightly* more disposable, I would order one of the FMB bags just to see what it's about. It would mean I'd have to flip it, or the bag it would replace. Not quite at that point in mu curiosity. I've tried to figure out who makes the FMB bags by reverse engineering it via Google and I've failed. Gotz makes bags for B&S, Melton / MW, Thomann, etc but there's enough differences to discount the idea that it's a Gotz bag.

[Rick Denney]

What about Superfine’s “Split Top Loader” bag. Sort of like a clamshell but the bottom bow area stays closed. You load from the “top” but don’t need to lift as high…

https://superfinecases.com/tuba-cases/#jp-carousel-848

Your description sounds like the opposite of a Chinese-era Reunion Blues, and a much better idea.

I think the old RB bags that didn’t extend the zipper around the bell opening were made when Glen was making the bags, long before Glen left and RB off-shored production. I have a 186-sized RB bag with a “Brasswind” label that must be 40 years old, and maybe older. I traded for it 30 years ago, and it was well-used then, by its original owner, so I’m sure of the provenance.

The closed bell area is a problem for tight-fitting bells, and I would not use it for a newer 186 with the larger bell (>16”), which might not even fit. It’s great for an older 186, and it also works fine for a B&S Symphonie F and I’m sure also for the 184, though I haven’t tried it yet.

(The 184’s wood case is light enough and compact enough that I will experiment with using that routinely, but I’m going to put some hardware on it to facilitate that. It need a handle on the bottom-bow end and wheels, at the very least.)

Rick “no time for fiddling just yet” Denney