Re: Accord Flight Case
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:26 pm
I'm late to the party, but I'll weigh in on how awesome these cases are!
I've owned my 6/4 accord case for almost exactly 3 years now, having flown over 100,000 miles with it. After flying all those miles and coming across all of the baggage handlers, my case only has scrapes and chips in the paint in high contact areas. The wheels are still fully functioning, the handles are as good as new, and the latches are are still in great shape! When I bought the case and a match for my F tuba, I opted to have the Fiedler Backpack System installed on both cases. When traveling with two horns and a suitcase, it makes a world of difference to have this system installed. It's a secure system that provides a great amount of lumbar support and a good deal of adjustability. Even though the cases are light, it feels like you're carrying half the weight with the Fiedler system installed. I would even venture to say It's more comfortable than your standard gigbag. As far as the interior of the case goes, you cannot find a better product. The high density foam is as resilient as the day I got the case, and is most assuredly the biggest reason my tubas have come out of every flight unscathed. The cases are lined with a thin yet effective layer of foam, but the modular padding system is what makes it! You can completely customize the coverage area of your horn, making sure there's no wiggle room when the case is closed. Accord even gladly sent me some extra blocks of padding at my request. My 6/4 case weighs in at just over 15 pounds. I've never been over 50 pounds at the check in counter, and I usually pack some clothes in the bell to lighten my carry-on. A couple of months ago, when curious after a trip, I calculated that since investing in the Accord cases, I have saved over $5000 on oversized/overweight bag fees.
I have all those great things to say about my 6/4 case, but I also have a personal "life-saving" story about my accord case for my F tuba. In the summer of 2012, I was flying United from O'hare to Denver. When I picked up my F tuba in Denver, I was surprised to find a very large open ~6 inch crack in the bottom bow end of the case. I frantically opened the case, only to find my F tuba COMPLETELY undamaged. Like you said in your TubeNet post, you would have to drop these cases from a two story building to damage them. After a huge amount of inquiry, I discovered that baggage handlers at DIA literally dropped my tuba and case off of the the conveyor belt while removing it from the plane, which was a distance of 10-15 feet onto the tarmac. This is a true story, and an amazing example of the strength of these cases.
I hope this post gets a lot of people on board. Aubrey and Aaron are totally awesome for spearheading this!
Tl;dr - If you fly with tubas, even just occasionally, Accord cases should be your new best friend!
**EDIT** to perhaps clear up some skepticism on the previous page... I think the biggest cause of bell creases when using flight cases is the fact that typical flight cases in general are of the "one size fits all" variety, with slight modifications for different horns. These cases often still allow for room for the tuba to shift inside, and that is what causes the crease rather than the case flexing and not being rigid enough. While the accord cases are PLENTY rigid (very much so in the bell end) the advantage comes from the more custom fit design that keeps the horn from moving within the case, thus reducing the likelihood of bell creasing.
Ben Darneille
I've owned my 6/4 accord case for almost exactly 3 years now, having flown over 100,000 miles with it. After flying all those miles and coming across all of the baggage handlers, my case only has scrapes and chips in the paint in high contact areas. The wheels are still fully functioning, the handles are as good as new, and the latches are are still in great shape! When I bought the case and a match for my F tuba, I opted to have the Fiedler Backpack System installed on both cases. When traveling with two horns and a suitcase, it makes a world of difference to have this system installed. It's a secure system that provides a great amount of lumbar support and a good deal of adjustability. Even though the cases are light, it feels like you're carrying half the weight with the Fiedler system installed. I would even venture to say It's more comfortable than your standard gigbag. As far as the interior of the case goes, you cannot find a better product. The high density foam is as resilient as the day I got the case, and is most assuredly the biggest reason my tubas have come out of every flight unscathed. The cases are lined with a thin yet effective layer of foam, but the modular padding system is what makes it! You can completely customize the coverage area of your horn, making sure there's no wiggle room when the case is closed. Accord even gladly sent me some extra blocks of padding at my request. My 6/4 case weighs in at just over 15 pounds. I've never been over 50 pounds at the check in counter, and I usually pack some clothes in the bell to lighten my carry-on. A couple of months ago, when curious after a trip, I calculated that since investing in the Accord cases, I have saved over $5000 on oversized/overweight bag fees.
I have all those great things to say about my 6/4 case, but I also have a personal "life-saving" story about my accord case for my F tuba. In the summer of 2012, I was flying United from O'hare to Denver. When I picked up my F tuba in Denver, I was surprised to find a very large open ~6 inch crack in the bottom bow end of the case. I frantically opened the case, only to find my F tuba COMPLETELY undamaged. Like you said in your TubeNet post, you would have to drop these cases from a two story building to damage them. After a huge amount of inquiry, I discovered that baggage handlers at DIA literally dropped my tuba and case off of the the conveyor belt while removing it from the plane, which was a distance of 10-15 feet onto the tarmac. This is a true story, and an amazing example of the strength of these cases.
I hope this post gets a lot of people on board. Aubrey and Aaron are totally awesome for spearheading this!
Tl;dr - If you fly with tubas, even just occasionally, Accord cases should be your new best friend!
**EDIT** to perhaps clear up some skepticism on the previous page... I think the biggest cause of bell creases when using flight cases is the fact that typical flight cases in general are of the "one size fits all" variety, with slight modifications for different horns. These cases often still allow for room for the tuba to shift inside, and that is what causes the crease rather than the case flexing and not being rigid enough. While the accord cases are PLENTY rigid (very much so in the bell end) the advantage comes from the more custom fit design that keeps the horn from moving within the case, thus reducing the likelihood of bell creasing.
Ben Darneille