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Thread: Euphonium bags Christmas 2022 edition

  1. #1

    Euphonium bags Christmas 2022 edition

    Hi All, I'm thinking of getting a gig bag. It probably would be to go with my Mack Brass in the US, but possibly with the XO when I'm abroad (has a 12.2 bell). I'm thinking of doing the cronkhite canvas bag. I think they have a special now (always) where it's 20 or 25% off one item for new purchases. However, I'm interested probably in anything in the $200-350 range. Any thoughts? Are special deals you have seen lately?
    Jupiter 462 & 470, XO 1270
    Stork 4.5 mouthpiece

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853
    I like the Miraphone gig bag. It offers good protection with its 1 inch thick padding and has back straps. Also decent size external pockets for storage. A horn with 12.2” diameter will have no problem fitting in that bag because my Miraphone 5050 fits fine.

    Miraphone gig bag:
    ….
    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. #3
    Those Cronkhite bags certainly do seem nice. I love my Altieri large euphonium gig bag. They are currently $268.50 which is in your price range. It has survived the last 8 years with very little sign of wear, still works great, and has protected my horn well. I have used it with a Schiller Elite and a Besson New Standard. The biggest drawback I would say is it is a bit roomy, so if you want something sleek it may not be the bag for you.

    I have no experience with the John Packer case (JP852 Pro Euphonium Case), but I have read good reviews on this forum. You may look into that. From what I have read it is kind of a "budget" Marcus Bonna-type case. A very fast Google search looks like they are around the same price as the cordura Cronkhite bags and availability may be an issue right now.

    Good luck!

    Edit: Also, caveat that the JP case is not exactly a gig bag, but from what I understand it is at least "low profile", I think in some cases smaller than some gig bags.

  4. #4
    These are both very helpful. I have kind of three tiers I'm looking at:
    1. Cronkhite leather/JP (~500)
    2. Miraphone or Altieri (~$250--probably what I should do)
    3. On the local market they also have the brown and black Chinese bags and what a shop one that looks like basically the same design as the "Tom and Will Euphonium" bag ($90-120). These both have an inch of padding and appear to be canvas bags.

    All of these are still just padded bags. My XO case is really heavy so I want something lighter but am nervous that padding won't be enough. I took it on the subway recently and almost knocked someone over. I wish that there was a lightweight plastic/wood case that offered a little more protection. I'm still kind of thinking it through.
    Jupiter 462 & 470, XO 1270
    Stork 4.5 mouthpiece

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    San Diego, California
    Posts
    460
    Don't go cheap with a gig bag and protect your investment. I've had a Cronkhite for many years and it's served me well with it's thick leather and ample foam padding. The quality of the build is magnificent.
    Euphs:
    Miraphone 5050 Ambassador
    Wessex Travel (Tornister) Euphonium 'Maly' ER154
    Yamaha 201 Baritone
    Mp: Wick SM4 Ultra X
    Groups:
    The San Diego Concert Band

  6. #6
    Just to add my two cents' worth, I think the leather Cronkhite is the best choice. The Cordura version is the same design, but the heavy leather adds even more protection. That was my thinking when a bought mine a few years ago, and I have not been sorry.

    Disclaimer: this is based on my 30+ years of general gig bag experience and my own evaluation of the bag's design. There is surely no way to really do a scientific test on the protection because the angle and type of impact could affect the outcome and be better or worse on one bag or another, even if other angles favored a different bag.

    Best advice: don't drop it ever!
    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

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