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Thread: Gig Bag Options

  1. Gig Bag Options

    Looking to the near future, I am wrapping up my junior year of high school and getting ready for my senior year where I will be doing college auditions. Since I will have to travel by plane for a couple of my auditions I will need to invest in a gig bag. I play on a school owned Yamaha Neo and that’s what I will be traveling and auditioning with. I am not certain of what instrument I will buy after graduating, but I don’t plan on it being a Yamaha Neo. I want to buy a gig bag that will fit the Neo, as well as whatever other euphonium I get after graduating.What is a good bag that would fit any instrument and last a decent amount of time?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
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    3,853
    My first concern would to make sure that whatever gig bag you decide on getting that the horn in that bag will fit in the overhead compartment. There have been many nightmares about damaged horns that had to be checked as baggage at the last moment. All overhead compartments aren't the same size so you could stuck with checking it.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  3. From personal experience what airlines have been unsuccessful or successful for people?

    Also, I mistakenly created this thread under an incorrect category that I was viewing, so if I could get some help correctly placing it that would be great.

  4. #4
    The bag of choice for serious travelers seems to be Chronkhite, and if it were me I would go with the leather version.

    HOWEVER, Chronkhite makes a special case for the Miraphone 5050 because of its large size. That could be true with most cases, so I'd either:

    1. Make sure you would not choose the 5050. Try and it and see if it is something you might like.

    2. Find a nice bag, perhaps used, that is not too expensive and figure on getting a better bag when you get your "final" horn.

    Then again, if you take care of it, you could sell a Chronkhite later to buy the 5050 size if you want to keep that option open.

    Sorry this is wishy-washy, but I'm not sure there is a 100% safe answer.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  5. #5
    You should look at this thread for anecdotal stories about airlines:

    http://www.dwerden.com/forum/forumdi...-and-Your-Horn

    There is no good way to test protection of gig bags. A lot will depend on just how the horn falls or gets hit - i.e where on the gig bag is the majority of force?

    In general a leather bag probably has more protection because it is a bit stiffer, and the leather itself absorbs a wee bit of the shock.

    Be aware that sometimes airlines change equipment from what is scheduled for a flight. You could have expected the overhead bins to be large enough and end up on a plane where they are not. In such cases, you have to sweet-talk the flight crew into putting your horn in a closet. On some flights that simply may not be necessary.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  6. Strictly speaking from my own experience flying with a horn:

    I've been flying with my euph (a York Preference 3067, basically a Besson Sovereign 967 for the purposes of this discussion) for about 5 years now. I have a cordura Cronkhite bag that I've been using to carry the horn on, and I've only flown on Southwest airlines as I have their rewards program, and I know for certain my horn will fit in the overheads on both the newer 737 aircraft and the slightly older models you sometimes still see.

    My horn's bell is about 12 inches in diameter, which is slightly bigger than the Yamaha Neo 642 you have (Yamaha's website lists it at 11 4/5 inches). So, if you use a Cronkhite case with your horn it should fit in the overhead on Southwest's aircraft. They also only use those two models of 737s regardless of the flight distance.

    As a side note, the newer 737s have a bit more space in the overhead compartments, so my case fits even easier on them.

    Regarding the Cronkhite case specifically, in general the normal (non-M5050 design) should fit most models of pro euphoniums you would probably be in the market for, and if it turns out to be too small you can sell it like what Dave mentioned and probably make a fair amount of what you paid for it back so you could get the M5050 size.
    Willson 2900 TA-1 Euphonium - Denis Wick 4AM
    Yamaha YSL-643 Trombone - Bob Reeves BrassArk 5G "Gladstone"
    Yamaha YSL-8440 Trombone - Denis Wick 5BS
    VMI 3301S BBb Tuba - Schilke Helleberg

    Past:
    York Preference 3067 Euphonium - Denis Wick 4AL
    Benge 165F Trombone - Benge Marcellus
    Wessex BR140 Baritone - Denis Wick 6BS
    F.E. Olds Special Trombone (ca. 1941)

  7. +1 on the Cronkhite. I have two bags, both cordura. One for my Sterling and one for my Adams. Since 2007, I have traveled all over the US (Southwest exclusively) and to England (British Air) and never had a problem getting my horn through security or on the plane. On Southwest, I always purchase "early checkin" for $15/flight. This pretty much assures I board in the "A" section and can get overhead space.
    Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
    Concord Band
    Winchendon Winds
    Townsend Military Band

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