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What the heck is going on with Walt Johnson Cases? Anyone have the inside scoop on when they will be back in business? It seems to be taking quite a while to move, retool, and train and whatever else is going on.

At slidebone.com the store/site owner states he talked to Walt, and that they weren't going to produce trombone cases in the future.

http://www.slidebone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=64

I don't know if this has any relation to his tuba cases... but things are definitely changing there. I certainly hope he continues making tuba cases. Trombonists have many choices for flight cases, tubists don't.

Uh, Trombonists now have three choices:
Anvil, Marcus Bonna, or Accord.

Still 3 more than we have if Walt stops making tuba cases.

Bill

Yeah, I guess you're right, but they are always over size and overweight on airlines, sometimes I can get my f on the plane in the Walt Johnson without the extra cost. I've gotten the CC on once or twice without paying, but I know those other cases (anvil, MW and protec {? the big grey furry ones }) are always overweight and oversize (kinda like me!)
Bill

jacobg wrote:Uh, Trombonists now have three choices:
Anvil, Marcus Bonna, or Accord.

All the rage with many trombonists now seems to be putting your gigbag inside a golfbag flight case.

MartyNeilan wrote:

jacobg wrote:Uh, Trombonists now have three choices:
Anvil, Marcus Bonna, or Accord.

All the rage with many trombonists now seems to be putting your gigbag inside a golfbag flight case.

Saw this more than once in Sacramento, it's the way to go for the bone players. I only wish we had it so nice.

Tubadork wrote:Yeah, I guess you're right, but they are always over size and overweight on airlines, sometimes I can get my f on the plane in the Walt Johnson without the extra cost. I've gotten the CC on once or twice without paying, but I know those other cases (anvil, MW and protec {? the big grey furry ones }) are always overweight and oversize (kinda like me!)
Bill

Are the Walt Johnson cases really lighter than those others?

The lightest cases I know of are the accord cases, made of fiberglass (http://www.accordcase.com/). They seem great, but are super expensive.

Does anyone know of other cases strong enough to put on an airplane without having a heart attack from worry, yet light enough to get by under the fees, or close enough to hope that you can get by with some flirting, or other tricks of the trade?

Alex Reeder wrote:Are the Walt Johnson cases really lighter than those others?

They are lighter because they are smaller. The Walt Johnson case does not have square corners, and so had a lot less material surrounding the tuba shape.

Anvil cases and similar designs are made from flat sheets and therefore have square corners. This makes them measure bigger on the girth measurements for a given maximum length and width, and they also intimidate the airline workers more, which makes them more willing to insist on the surcharge.

The large WJ case I borrowed from Chuck to ship home the York Master weighed 40 pounds, empty. I know that because Amtrak weighed it for the trip back to Chuck. With that very heavy tuba and one or two other items, the case weighed in at 71 pounds for the trip to me.

Anvil-style cases are substantially heavier, and they are substantially bulkier.

My beef with the Johnson design is that it puts stress on the rim of the bell, where my own design sense suggests the rim should float in free air. That said, accounts of tuba damage in a Johnson case are rare enough so that I wouldn't be paralyzed with fear.

But bad things can happen when you fly with a tuba. Get good insurance.

Rick "glad he doesn't fly with his tuba" Denney

I also have a post in the 'For Sale' section for my HB2 with the '4/4-6/4' walt Johnson case...

Jon Schultz
schul207@msu.edu
(517) 316-6898