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Just curious. Does anyone make a relatively stiff 'top loader' for a big rotary tuba? As many of you know, the Neptune is a PT-6 with a larger bottom bow and bigger bell (20"). The Neptune is heavy, but I think I have something that may work for holding the bag upright while slipping - and hopefully not dropping! - the Neptune inside. Any comments about trying to do just this, would be appreciated.

Barry Guerrero

You should check out Superfine gig bags. It's basically a top loading Cronkhite style bag.

Very, very nice bag. Send me a PM if you want to talk!

Thanks Bort. I did look them up. They look good, but 'ouch' on the price The Gard mid-suspension top loader looks promising and costs less than $300. Any input on that one?

Barry

barry grrr-ero wrote:Thanks Bort. I did look them up. They look good, but 'ouch' on the price The Gard mid-suspension top loader looks promising and costs less than $300. Any input on that one?

Barry

No idea about Gard

Superfine -- not cheap, but really great quality. I think they are offering 20% off for a little while... You are in CA? So are they... Maybe save in shipping? (CA is huge, you may be nowhere near!)

I have a Superfine at my house right now on loan. It is really a great bag, Tom and Adolfo have done an excellent job! And you can even order a top loader in leather? A lifetime bag for a lifetime tuba.

I've owned a crappy gig bag before. Never again. Nothing is worse than constantly taking a tuba you like out of a gig bag you hate. A great tuba in a great bag is so much more enjoyable.

Barry,
Get a tape measure and double check the bell flair of your tuba. I think it should be 21" because when the Neptune came out, VMI was not supposed to offer the same horns as the exclusive to Custom Music line of B&S-Perantucci tubas. To differentiate the Neptune from the PT-7P (which is fatter than a PT-6p or 3198 as it is now called), they made the bell flair an extra 1" wider than the PT-7P's 19-7/8" (50 cm) bell flair.
Before you custom order a bag, make sure there will be enough give to accept the wider bell of your Neptune.

My Neptune had a 20.5" bell, I believe.

I know that the Alteiri tuba bags are no longer being made... but when I got my Neptune, it came with an Alteiri bag... Which was a disaster of floppiness and drawstrings. I'm no fan of Alteiri bags, but the jumbo size (with 2x drawstrings) was just horrid for me.

I like my Gard bag but I carry a cheap Chinese tuba in it!!

Not a Neptune.

I used to use a Tuxedo Bag for my piston Neptune. Too bad those aren’t made anymore. Not “stiff” however.

Thanks for the input, guys. Like Bort's Neptune, I'm pretty certain mine has a 20.5" bell.

I use an older Gard bag for my Neptune. It fits the horn fine but the protection is somewhat lacking. The backpack straps are very sturdy but lack any kind of padding so they aren't particularly comfortable. The newer version might be better.