Tuba Bag or Hard Case

[sweckman]

I am planning to purchase a tuba and am trying to decide what kind of case to get. Are bags or hard cases going to work better? I am in high school so the case is going to get a lot of back and forth use. Thank you!

[barry grrr-ero]

Most tubas for sale, used or new, will usually come with a case or bag. If you're buying one w/o a case or bag, then post again with the exact make and model. That way you'll get more specific input. In general, cases offer more protection. However, how much you wish to spend can be a factor too. Good luck to you.

[rkirkconnell]

In high school, a hard case is almost certainly the way to go. If you take a trip to a performance with your program (not sure when that will happen again, but still), you'll want that tuba in the hardest case possible before you load it on the truck. Gig bags are generally recommended for people who keep their tuba with them at all times.
If you're already a senior and will be heading to college with it next year, it's a tougher choice, but I'd says that if there's the slightest chance you'll be leaving that tuba on a U-Haul with your classmates' instruments, hard case 100%.

[greenbean]

The OP is probably going to buy my B&S Musica BBb. It is 43" tall with a 16.5" bell. If someone is familiar with the sizing of MTS and SKB cases, you could probably help him out.

[Rotaryclub]

Gig bag all the way. You will need both perhaps. If you are carrying your horn between home & school, a gig bag is the best-you can carry on your back and fits in car easy. If you have events where a crew will transport your horn for you in a truck, then you must have a hard case.

[CaptainNemo]

The Gard wheelie bags are a decent compromise. They are hard on 2 sides (a wooden panel over the bell and aluminum beams along the length of the back) but soft on the rest - however, "soft" here means a solid inch of somewhat stiff foam plus mid-suspension blocks. I have no qualms loading my gard wheelie into a car or truck, but I wouldn't stack anything on top of it. However, it's a heck of a lot better than the fragility of bags and the bulk of a full hard case (my comparison here is the MTS flight case).

Perhaps not for your specific needs, but definitely something to consider.