anyone know where those cases come from that have the Gator Skin? on the outside and plush lining on the inside.
i saw one a few years ago when i tried out Russ Dickman's Rudy before it left Lee's place.
beautiful case... anyone got a picture of those or know where they come from?
did some searching, but got nothing...
thanks!
Alligator Skin case?
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USStuba04
- pro musician
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Alligator Skin case?
Getzen G-50
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Yamaha Jim Self mp
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Tom
- 5 valves
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Re: Alligator Skin case?
The only cases I know of that were (are?) alligator skin (fake, of course) are Alexander cases and some Rudy Meinl and Meinl Weston cases intended for the European market. I do not know who actually makes them, but they seem to still be "available," as I've personally seen several newer Alexander horns (not tubas) with such cases.
I have an original Alexander 163 tuba case said to be from the 1950-60s that is alligator skin. It was actually Wade's old case that I talked Mark Jones into selling to me instead of including with his 186 he sold several months back. The case is in excellent condition and it looks as though someone (Wade, I'd guess) did an excellent job of replacing the hardware. Mark added wheels on the bell end and a small handle of the other sideto make it easier for him to transport. The alligator skin is old and a little crumbly these days, but really seems to have held up pretty well over the years. It appears that the alligator skin cover is some kind of plastic/vinyl/rubbery embossed contact paper that got stuck on REALLY good. You could probably recover a standard woodshell case with this sort of material and get similar results for a lot less money than seeking out a new case.
I don't know where they are readily available from. Lee Stofer could probably at least get you pointed in the right direction though. My only other thought is to talk to Ferguson Music since they deal in Alexanders and might know something about the cases.
If you just want to see one, I'll take some photos of what I've got and will get back to this thread later.
I have an original Alexander 163 tuba case said to be from the 1950-60s that is alligator skin. It was actually Wade's old case that I talked Mark Jones into selling to me instead of including with his 186 he sold several months back. The case is in excellent condition and it looks as though someone (Wade, I'd guess) did an excellent job of replacing the hardware. Mark added wheels on the bell end and a small handle of the other sideto make it easier for him to transport. The alligator skin is old and a little crumbly these days, but really seems to have held up pretty well over the years. It appears that the alligator skin cover is some kind of plastic/vinyl/rubbery embossed contact paper that got stuck on REALLY good. You could probably recover a standard woodshell case with this sort of material and get similar results for a lot less money than seeking out a new case.
I don't know where they are readily available from. Lee Stofer could probably at least get you pointed in the right direction though. My only other thought is to talk to Ferguson Music since they deal in Alexanders and might know something about the cases.
If you just want to see one, I'll take some photos of what I've got and will get back to this thread later.
The Darling Of The Thirty-Cents-Sharp Low D♭'s.
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Wyvern
- Wessex Tubas
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Re: Alligator Skin case?
They are made by Kariso in Germany and can be ordered for any size tuba. I have just got one for my Neptune with plush blue lining from http://www.MrTuba.com.
They are not cheap, but very well made with moulded wood panels. They can be obtained with extra large wheels to aid moving
http://www.thomann.de/gb/kariso_272_bbtubaetui.htm
They are not cheap, but very well made with moulded wood panels. They can be obtained with extra large wheels to aid moving
http://www.thomann.de/gb/kariso_272_bbtubaetui.htm