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I know this has come up here before, but I thought I'd solicit some current thinking on the subject.

I've got a BAT that I'd like to start taking places more frequently. Looks like I've got three options:

1. J. Winter hard case. About $1,000 new. Has wheels. 38 lbs (with tuba 63 lbs.!).
2. Leather Cronkhite gig bag. About $1,000 new. No wheels. Backpack straps. 16 lbs. (41 lbs. w/tuba)
3. Nylon Cronkhite gig bag. About $600 new. No wheels. Backpack straps. 9 lbs. (34 lbs. w/tuba)

Is the hard case the only real protection? (I remember gig bags in general being referred to a "dent bags" or simply "handles.") I'm not young; would the weight of the hard case kill me, or would the fact that I could roll it (needing only to lift it in and out of a vehicle or on stairs) save me?

When you vote in the poll, please post why you voted for that one. Thanks.

My Martin Mammoth travels in a Big Mouth Brass soft sided bag that happened to fit. It does OK, because I am careful.
If price were no object, I would have it in a leather Cronkhite.

I use a nylon gig bag from Altieri (sp?). The trick (IMO) to successful use of a gig bag with a full size tuba is to secure it when in a car/vehicle. For example: our community band rented a Bus to travel a couple hours to a festival and all three tuba's sat our horns next to us on the bus, rather than underneath.

For my big rotary tuba, it originally came with a hard case (with wheels). Yes, I could move around with wheels, but moving around with wheels is not as same as walking around. This can be exhausting with big tuba.

I later purchased a nylon cronkheit case, and it is much easier to carry around. Of course, it is not a hard case, but it has enough cushion for sufficient protection (I think).

I purchased a nylon case, because I also have a leather Cronkeit case for my smaller f tuba. Leather case provides more protection, yes, but it is heavier as also written on their website. I thought for my small f tuba, leather case is manageable in terms of weight, but I thought that it may be physically challenging for me with my big tuba.

In my case, nylon case was best for me, and my hard case is collecting dust. I think, it comes down to a point whether you will be moving around your tuba on regular basis or not. If yes, nylon may be better choice.

Thanks, all. Solid advice.

I see that there's one more option: the Protec Gold Series C241 would be a good fit for my horn. It's a lot less expensive than the Cronkhite, and I've read some good reviews on it from folks here. Seems like there might be some issues with the manufacturer in terms of availability, though.

The good news is that I'm in no hurry (obviously!).

Interesting thread

Not sure what else they may fit, but I have a Miraphone bag for my 186, and it's pretty decent . . . . carbon fiber disk over the bell to keep it from getting hit on the edge, and seems nicely made overall.