How do you measure for a flight case?

[bort]

I'm starting to shop for a flight case, and naturally, I want to save some money by getting a used one.

When buying a flight case, how close to the actual size of the tuba should it be? For example, my tuba is 38" tall (with the bag, it's probably 39", but not really much longer). When talking with people selling cases, I've run into one that's 37" foam-to-foam on the inside, and one that's 40 inches foam-to-foam on the inside.

I could jam it in the 37" case, but it would compress the foam and defeat the purpose of such a protective case. I could easily fit it in the 40" case, but I'm concerned that it leaves too much room, and wouldn't offer enough protection without adding reinforcements to fill the gaps for the other 1" to 2" of space.

Is that usually how it goes? Adding material to keep it from moving around? Or do most people either custom order cases or get lucky that their horn is the right size? Or maybe I'm crazy, and that extra bit of space really isn't as significant as it seems, but I think that any movement is a bad thing.

Thanks for the help!

[ldine]

To me, a snug fit is much better than a loose fit. A snug fit will dissipate kinetic energy from a blow to the case more evenly around the instrument via the foam.

A loose fit risks doing more damage. When the case is struck by something, the tuba can slide around on the inside, causing the instrument to shift its weight inside. Instead of the blow to the case transferring all the energy to and around the tightly packed foam, the instrument will move inside and will be slammed into the inside walls of the case.

Another analogy that might help would be the difference between firing a rifle with the stock pressed into your shoulder versus firing the same rifle with the stock 6 inches away from your shoulder. If the stock is going to hit you, it will do less damage to your shoulder if it is snug against it to begin with. Otherwise, the recoil will cause the stock to jerk back into your shoulder at greater velocity, causing injury.

tl;dr To me, an inch too small is probably the perfect size for a snug fit.

[bort]

Thanks for the information! I agree, extra room is probably a bigger issue, just not sure if I should try to add foam around the sides of a small case, or jam the tuba into a smaller case. I can't imagine that people ever have custom made flight cases, so just trying to get an idea of which is the "better" way.

[bort]

Thanks... yeah I'm sure that's the best way to do it. Honestly, I have no plans to fly with it either. I'm moving long-distance, and want to ensure that my tuba has the greatest probability of surviving the trip in the moving truck. (Trunk, car, and car-towed trailer are not options.) It will be insured and protected... but neither is a guarantee. Once I land on the new homestead, I'll likely sell the flight case, as it's served its purpose.

Would be ideal if I could just borrow a case, but flight case logistics are just messy all around.

[ppalan]

Maybe save the expense of a single-use flight case and try this:
viewtopic.php?p=277419#p277419
Pete

[bort]

That's a good idea about reusing the box that the case comes in.

I've thought about the shipping packaging method too, but having just spent 4 months of insurance claims and repairs due to shipping damage, I'm kind of off that idea. Thanks though. The appeal of buying used is that I could avoid too much additional loss in value if I can use it and re-sell it pretty quickly afterwards. And who knows, maybe I'll like having the case around anyway, so there will be no chance of damage from dogs or kids.

I'm leaning towards the "fuzzy" Unitec cases. Seems like a good balance between protection and cost, but probably heavy as lead. That's okay though.

Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming!