TubeNet

We bought a used rotary tuba for my son. It didn't come with a hard case. The bell is 16.5 inches and it is 36 inches tall. We are looking to get a hard case for it. One case that was recommended was the MTS 1207 which fits bells up to 19.5 inches. My concern is the room around the bell. Has anyone had this problem? Would getting foam to put around the bell help? Thanks.

Where are you located? If you are within driving distance of the bay area, you could come by and try out our MTS 1209 case.

My son's tuba is also in a hard case that would fit a much wider bell. That doesn't seem to be a problem at all; the tuba is held very firmly in the case (the long axis of the tuba fits snugly, between the bell and the bottom bow). There is no way for the instrument to wiggle sideways.

In your case, I think a lot depends on whether the tuba is also loose in the left/right direction, and whether the valve pack is held firmly.

By the way, we find that the soft case (Altieri gig bag) gets used more frequently than the hard case. For taking the tuba to the tuba teacher, or to a repair shop, or directly to gigs (school band concert), with mom or dad along and the tuba being transported in parent's car, the gig bag is perfectly sufficient for protecting the tuba. The hard case is only needed when the tuba has to stay in school or at camp unattended, or if my son has to transport it, or when it goes into a bus or takes a long ride in the back of the pickup truck.

FWIW, I am selling an Altieri bag that would fit that tuba perfectly. I have tried lots of bags and cases, and really like how the Altieri rides as a backpack; it sits a littler higher up on the back than some other models and is very adjustable. If the tuba is going to be in his possession the entire time (as opposed to being under a band bus) and he is very responsible, I would definitely suggest a pro quality gig bag. After dragging a hard case the length of the Atlantic City boardwalk once, I have become a firm believer in gig bags (and most of the damage that has ever occurred has been while the tuba is outside of the bag, anyway.)