Hard & Soft Case in One?

[Tubaguyjoe]

So everyone who has traveled with a tuba before knows the problem...how do I get my tuba to where im going safely, but not have to lug around a giant tuba case once I get there. This seems to be an issue(at least for me) during summer programs or traveling on airplanes with horns. Once, I managed to bring my tuba in the hard case, and pack all of my clothes in the softcase and check them both...Although, I would prefer not to do this. I recently came up with a thought...I own an MTS hard case that was modified(more padding) to hold my B&S. I thought if I could take out some of the extra padding...then I could put my horn IN the soft case, THEN in the hard case. Im wondering if anyone has tried this sort of thing before. I dont want to go ripping up my case if I dont have too. Just a thought...

[jdsalas]

I have used this method for the past four years and I haven't had a problem once. I'll pack my PT-10 with its gigbag in my MTS case and I use two luggage straps. Just make sure that your not pushing too hard when you close the case - and let the air push out of the gigbag. I did'nt have to tear up my case tough - I used the MTS case that came with my CC tuba (Kalison DS). Good Luck.

[DaTubaKid]

I know a bass trombone player who bought one of those golf club flight cases, put some padding in it, and was able to fit his gig bag+trombone into the flight case.

[LARSONTUBA]

I live in Milwaukee, and within the past month flew to North Carolina and to Finland with my tuba. I have a Willson F, an Altieri soft bag, and a Unitec flight case. The flight case is basically a coffin with pades around it, not uniform for any specific tuba. I put the tuba in its soft bag in the flight case with two pillows for added peace of mind, and check it as is. No problems at all with the tuba. The case, as is expected got dinged up pretty good, but that is what it is for. Good luck!

[Sandman333]

I did that with my school's miraphone 186 BBb, we were going to the Midwest Clinic in Chicago from Florida, and so I put the tuba inside an awful Protec Gig Bag and then into a big Unitec case that we borrowed from another school. The gig bag wasn't a snug fit on the horn, but it compressed enough to fit inside the case very tightly. No damage was incurred when we FedEx'd it there and back.

[Toobist]

When flying I use my gig bag as my suitcase and put my horn in the flight case. When I reach my destination I unpack and toss the horn in the gig bag and run off to the dress rehearsal. It's also much easier to deal with an oversized backpack when rolling your flight case to the terminal.

Al Carter
Toronto

[tofu]

I've done it numerous times with fortunately no problems. The horn has one of the very first Alteri gig bags which are much thinner and lighter than the one I recently got for another horn. With the horn in bag it fits just right so that there is no pressure on the case hinges. My advice would be to make sure it doesn't strain the case anywhere when you close it.

Definitely makes life easier when you don't have to lug the hard case around when you get someplace.

[drow2buh]

Sometimes you can get your case designed specifically to fit the gig bag and tuba into the flight case. However, then you're kind of stuck ALWAYS doing that, even if you don't want/need your gig bag.