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I'm thinking of replacing the hard case for my Sterling euphonium. It appears that my options, short of paying $600 for a MB which is never in stock anyway, are:

MTS - 1201V
SKB - 375 Universal Euphonium Case
Hiscox - Liteflite

The SKB is rather new. I like the presence of a second handle on the top (bottom bow) end. I checked with SKB and learned that it has no storage compartment.

The MTS appears to also be a newer model. Either that or the pics onthe WWBW site are wrong. The older model was rectangular and had a mp holder and a storage compartment with lid, but was quite heavy. The "newer" version is not listed on their web-site buy seems to be lighter in weight. No info on the storage options. There is no top handle. Folks at MTS don't return phone messages.

The Hiscox is an ABS case made in England. I owned one with my first euph. It was quite light for a euph case (3.8kg) and appeared to be well made. The two down sides for me were the lack of any compartment for storage, other than a small "hole" near the bell, and somewhat sparse padding at the bell end.

Does anyone here have more recent experience with these, or other, HARD cases.

We often have the Bonna in stock at The Horn Guys, but yes it is pricey. The cool thing is that it includes a strap to hold the euph by the bottom bow, thus keeping the bell from touching the other end of the case in the event of rough handling. Also, the cover is removable, so if you need repair or replacement, it's easy.

I think the MTS cases are too light. The plastic is thin and can flex a bit, A little of that is good, but too much equals damage to your instrument. We just had a tuba shipped in an MTS 1205V small tuba case destroyed by DBSchenker.

The SKB is new, and it looks to be pretty tough. It's weighty, enough that some folks wondered why they didn't add wheels. But te shell is super tough, with lots of ribbing so there's no flex. There is no storage inside, except for a small hole for a mouthpiece shank. It's hard to find. The cases we received didn't have the fabric cut for the hole, so I sliced it with an X-acto knife and all was fine. The latches are TSA style and are replaceable by the user, and the case comes with a lifetime guarantee. You'll get repair or replacement for free if it ever fails. Ever. Ft can be a problem in the SKB. The Kanstul 975 didn't quite want to go in, but I pressed in the Styrofoam here and there, and then squeezed the case closed and left it for a week. Now things seem to have gotten acquainted, and the fit is fine, but beware, as the first insertion of your horn may take some tinkering.

I don't believe any of these cases are a good fit for the Miraphone M5050, which is a bit larger than others. For that one, the Miraphone hard case works very well.

For rugged travel, Diversified made a euphonium road case that's burly, but fairly light compared to a similar Anvil case. We have a demo model here. I don't know if there will be any more, as the company seems out of business. They hope to return, but they've had a tough year, so I can't say.

Best,

Steve Ferguson