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I have always avoided gig bags for fear of the dreaded bell crinkle or worse, but I'm now in a situation where I need to use one for a while.

Any opinions on which one gives the most protection? The horn, an older B&H Sovereign with a 12" bell, will have to travel at least once in an airplane overhead bin.

Sadly I will have to be away from my trusty Holton 345 (and my wife incidentally) during the several months that this situation endures. No doubt I will have to be more disciplined in buzzing my tuba mouthpiece than in the past if I am to keep up what skills I have on big horns.

I've tried SO MANY gig bags, and have to travel via plane quite often with them, so here's my analysis/opinion. The ProTec is a good quality bag, especially for the price! The Soundwear is good, although it's a little big, and pricey. I've had a alot of success on planes with the Altieri bags, although for protection, they're not really the best unless you get them custom made to fit your horn. Even then, they're just not the best for protecting your pride and joy. For me, the Glenn Cronkhite bag is FAR AND AWAY the best way to go all around. It's compact, WELL PADDED, and looks great. You can get a cordura bag for around $200, and the leathers are around $100 more. BUT, it's REALLY worth it. If you want a cheaper alternative, you should probably go the ProTec route, as the newer ones really are a good quality bag. They're a bit on the big side, but they do protect quite well. Hope I could be of some help, and if you have any more questions or anything, feel free to email me, and I'd be glad to try to help out as much as possible! Choosing a case is a big decision, as you want your horn to be protected as much as possible without the hassle of the hard case.

I second Glenn Cronkhite. Short of having structural support, I don't see how these bags could be improved. They fit the horn perfectly, have super durable straps, comfortable handle, and they look great. Glenn is also a really nice guy with a fast turnaround time. He doesn't keep anything in stock, makes everything to order, so it will be exactly what you need.

Brandon (et. al.),

I just ordered a Cronkhite bag off of Steven Mead's web site. Unlike ordering direct from Cronkhite (which are made to order), Steven has them in stock. In any case, it is good to get your feedback. I plan on taking my new Prestige to the UK this summer for the IBBSS in Wales.

Doug

MichaelDenney wrote:The horn, an older B&H Sovereign with a 12" bell, will have to travel at least once in an airplane overhead bin.

Good luck with that one. The last couple of times I had to fly with my euph, it had to be checked. Since 9/11 they have really tightened up on size of carry ons. It used to be no problem to carry on a euph in a gig bag - some overhead openings were not large enough for the horn, however, but they allowed it in the storage closet. But lately, no such luck. Lucky for me I came prepared just in case and had my hard shell in the car. A quick switch and a prayer and off it went with the checked bags. Please let us know if you were allowed to carry it on - and which airlines.

I never flew before 9/11, and I have always kept my horn in the cabin. But I have a Willson 2900 (I think that's an 11¼" bell), and it just barely fits in the overhead. You may want to check on the size of the bell.

The first time I flew, I put it in the hard case, and they put it in the closet for me, after a little persuasion. Ever since then, it has gone in the overhead in the bag (Protec), and I have NEVER had problems with that. Only once, someone I was picking up my ticket from said my horn was too big, and when I (politely) explained it fits in the overhead and I have flown with it many times before, she said nothing else. The trick is to not look like you're unsure if what's on your back won't fit. Confidence is the key. I have friends with the bigger bags that fit like a backpack and the bell sort of sticks over the head. I can see that causing trouble, because it looks bigger than it actually is. My case is slung over the shoulder, and I sit it towards the back to hide the size. For all they know, it's a collegiate style book bag. In short, the bag has to look discreet.

If you're only worrying about flying, I wouldn't spend too much money. The more expensive ones just have more compartments and can most likely deal with more wear-and-tear. No gig bag is going to protect much from dents. I remember a bari sax player I used to play with. He had a strap for his hard case and would lug that thing on his back everywhere he went. When I said he should get a soft case, he said something very wise. He said that no matter how careful you are, that horn will be bumped in its case, and depending on that case, you may just get a dent. So he never put his horn in a soft case. A good thought has kept his horn safe all these years.

I do remember a trick where if the horn won't fit overhead, people have asked for a blanket immediately upon getting on the plane, and would put the horn on the floor between their legs and cover their lap to hide the horn.

Nick

If you have a window seat you can scoot the bottom bow end under the seat in front of you, and then do the blanket trick to hide the bell end. They don't like things sticking out from under the seat in front if people have to climb over them, for safety reasons should there be an emergency exit.

Once we flew with two expensive (french) horns in Bonna cases, and we should have put them under our seats but chose to put them in the overheads a few rows back. We got to watch while some lady took them out and dropped them on the seat to get her stuff when the plane unloaded. Neither was hurt but the anxiety level was quite high for a while. (The Bonna cases we had, while hard cases, did not protect the instruments very well.)

You could put your clothes in a flight case and have the horn in its soft case, and then if you run into a nasty airline employee you could switch them and not have to send the horn through baggage in the soft case.

Good luck.
MA