Tuba Cases... arrrgg!

[Dan Schultz]

I just received a fairly nice horn with a super-trashed bell! I occurs to me that the damage is mostly the fault of the case. Why in the heck do the 'mainstream' case manufacturers put the wheels on the bell end of their molded plastic cases?

Don't try to tell me that it's the logical place to put the wheels just because the bell is the widest part of the horn. Take a look at most any molded plastic case and you'll see that the width of the case where the wheels are is no wider than the bow end of the case. Plus... the weight concentration of a tuba is toward the bottom bow... Not the bell end.

[TubaRay]

I just received a fairly nice horn with a super-trashed bell! I occurs to me that the damage is mostly the fault of the case. Why in the heck do the 'mainstream' case manufacturers put the wheels on the bell end of their molded plastic cases?

Don't try to tell me that it's the logical place to put the wheels just because the bell is the widest part of the horn. Take a look at most any molded plastic case and you'll see that the width of the case where the wheels are is no wider than the bow end of the case. Plus... the weight concentration of a tuba is toward the bottom bow... Not the bell end.

At first I thought this was a post from the pirate section of the TNFJ. Then I realized it was Dan, and, as usual, he seems to have it right.

[windshieldbug]

Actually Dan, I took that flat-sided case that came with my Marzan and put furniture wheels on it just that way, length-wise. 2 static wheels, 2 swivels with a bar handle to pull the sucker along with.

Never had any trouble with it, including one unwise (but thank-god, safe) tour to Europe.

[Dan Schultz]

Actually Dan, I took that flat-sided case that came with my Marzan and put furniture wheels on it just that way, length-wise. 2 static wheels, 2 swivels with a bar handle to pull the sucker along with.

Never had any trouble with it, including one unwise (but thank-god, safe) tour to Europe.

Yeah.... I've done the same thing with some of my horns. However... the problem comes in when the horn is being pulled along by the handle on the two wheels on the bell end of the case.... and the 'puller' thinks that it's safe to 'bump' the case up or down a few steps or off a sidewalk curb. You and I know NOT to do this. But... young players who haven't torn up their fair share of stuff learning what NOT to do would do far less damage if the wheels were on the end opposite the bell.

A horn in a case is far more likely to survive a thump or two if it's directed on the bow end of the case.

[pgym]

I believe that people who do not own or did not pay for anything-in-particular (who have access to publicly-owned equipment - particularly if they are under the age of consent and living in our post-Orwellian world) often can and will tear up anything - no matter how cleverly and durably something is engineered.

I believe that people who are determined to care for things (anything[s]) can and will do so.

Both beliefs may or may not be true, but neither addresses the issue TubaTinker raised, which is why a "mainstream" instrumet case manufacturer, who presumably knows better, would design a case in a manner that simple physics dictates would increase the probability of damage to the bell unless they're receiving kickbacks from tuba repair techs.

[Kory101]

I shipped my Yorkbrunner to Toronto via Purolator in it's Walt Johnson case and I went into school to check it out today and the 3 out of the 4 latches were opened (two of which had locks on them) and the bell has a nice crease in it.

[windshieldbug]

why a "mainstream" instrume[n]t case manufacturer, who presumably knows better, would design a case in a manner that simple physics dictates would increase the probability of damage to the bell

Problem 1: You presume that instrument case designers are acquainted with simple physics.