$750 Collings mandolin case at elderlys

[Scott Tichenor]

Just saw one; The fit and finish are lovely, there is multi-density foam used throughout, and the velvetine has a really nice hand. That said, I think there are other cases on the market at this pricepoint (or lower) that have some better qualities for a flight case.

It is NOT a flight case. Read posts above.

[Canoedad]

Looks mighty nice. But it could do without the unprotected alligator teeth latches, IMO.

[BrianWilliam]

I'm getting one for my loar...

lm600

[Ron McMillan]

It is NOT a flight case. Read posts above.

Read the thread before posting? Are you new here?

Oh, hang on......

[Ivan Kelsall]

Mandobar - You must have been unlucky with the TKL case you had. Despite it's relative flimsiness,the 'shaped' TKL case that i have (not in use), has latches that close easily & they're fitted very solidly.

Usuallypickin - what exactly IS a ''flight case'' ?. You can fly with any case. Some cases may be allowed on board an aircraft,some may not be. No case that i know of is made specifically for being carried in an aircraft's main baggage hold. Any case carried in the baggage hold will be subject to the rigours of being handled & may come through unscathed or not. If by a 'flight case' we simply mean size & weight,then there are several case which meet that criteria, & one of the very best is the lowly Travelite case (IMHO). I'm not being pedantic or prickly here,but ''flight case'' is a very loose term,which seems to mean different things to different folk. For me - it means a case which would be strong & tough enough to withstand the rigours of being placed in the aircraft main baggage hold & come out unscathed & with the mandolin undamaged. Realistically,if you take the mandolin on board (if you're allowed to), a strong paper bag would do the trick as long as you place the mandolin carefully in the overhead locker (not really,but you might get my drift).

Having worked in aircraft plastics & composites design & manufacture,i could design a 'flight case' that would withstand almost anything - however,you wouldn't like the cost or the weight. A well designed,5mm thick, reinforced Lexan Polycarbonate shell would cost close to $1,500 US (at least) for the raw 'shell' material alone,then there's the cost of tooling & manufacture = mega bucks !.

All current cases,regardless of material used,are a compromise IMO. To try to reduce weight to a minimum,but retain strength,some makers have gone the F/glass or C/Fibre route. Collings seems to have found another route to produce a really nice case,but if it's roughly handled,you'll end up with a roughly handled & maybe damaged ''really nice case''. So,'flight cases' - who's definition are we using ?. The only case that i think might fit my own definition,is the now defunct 'Mark Leaf' case,& even one of those might require a bit of an internal re-hash with regard to mandolin support & cushioning against being dropped or thrown about,& they were pretty heavy. https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/prod...ght-case-42166
Ivan

[Mandobar]

Ivan, I have had at least 4 mandolin cases from TKL that had to be returned due to the latches. One dealer told me that returning cases to TKL has become a regular ordeal. I have also had to return two guitar cases. I wish that I could say that it was "unlucky", but it is a fact of life with them. If you have a TKL case with the bronze latches consider yourself lucky. These work well. The silver latches bend easily and are ill-fitting. The tabs do not line up.

As for flight cases, it is my understanding that only Calton was approved for airline travel.

[JeffD]

Whether it meets the standard definition or not, I would feel a lot more comfortable with that case checking my mandolin or shipping it.

And it looks so cool. Not like the pelican boxes we use to ship sensitive electronics around the world.

[doc holiday]

I have one & a guitar case & they're great. A 21st century version of the 1920s Gibson cases....light, great fit, & great latches.

[JeffD]

When I purchased my 1923 Gibson A2 snakehead for $1000, back in the 80s, I spent an extra $250 for the original hard shell case. I kind of balked at the price, but the seller asked me if I really wanted to save money on the case...

So similarly, considering how much better protection this promises, and the cost/value of my stuff, I am not sure the price is out of line.

I have spent more, on less, a few times. Ummm, more than a few I guess.

[foldedpath]

Usuallypickin - what exactly IS a ''flight case'' ?. You can fly with any case. Some cases may be allowed on board an aircraft,some may not be. No case that i know of is made specifically for being carried in an aircraft's main baggage hold. Any case carried in the baggage hold will be subject to the rigours of being handled & may come through unscathed or not. If by a 'flight case' we simply mean size & weight,then there are several case which meet that criteria, & one of the very best is the lowly Travelite case (IMHO). I'm not being pedantic or prickly here,but ''flight case'' is a very loose term,which seems to mean different things to different folk. For me - it means a case which would be strong & tough enough to withstand the rigours of being placed in the aircraft main baggage hold & come out unscathed & with the mandolin undamaged. Realistically,if you take the mandolin on board (if you're allowed to), a strong paper bag would do the trick as long as you place the mandolin carefully in the overhead locker (not really,but you might get my drift).

Having worked in an industry that uses the term "flight case" (professional video/photography), I can tell you it's a common term and yes, it does mean something made specifically for being carried in an aircraft's main baggage hold. The fact that they're basically custom orders and not sold through the usual music gear outlets might be confusing things.

What we're talking about are cases that meet the A4A (formerly ATA) Spec 300 Category 1 requirements for materials, G-load shock resistance, recessed handles and latches, water resistance, etc.

Basically, something like this in a smaller size for a musical instrument:

http://www.anvilcase.com/products/products/ata/

Here's an earlier version of spec 300, for anyone interested (PDF file):

https://law.resource.org/pub/us/cfr/...a.300.1996.pdf

Touring bands use this kind of case every day for their gear including musical instruments. The most valuable guitars might make it onto the cabin, but it's simply impractical to do a large international tour without shipping almost everything in cases like this.

I hope I'm not being pedantic here, but this term "flight case" does mean something, although it's more clear if we call it an ATA flight case. Safety wouldn't be 100% guaranteed for a musical instrument shipped this way (which is why pro tours carry insurance), but it's one way to go if you need to fly with more than one instrument, and can handle the weight and size of a true ATA flight case.

Me, I'll just carry my Pegasus onboard as hand luggage. If I had to travel with more than that one instrument, I'd probably pack it carefully and ship it ahead to the destination rather than deal with an ATA flight case. As I mentioned earlier, I did that for years and those things are a real PITA to carry around unless you've got assistants doing it for you, which I did at the time.

[Spruce]

A style to follow-no time line yet.

Oh goodie...
I got time to build a 74003 copy...
It's only been like, 15 years...

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi FP -I agree with your idea of a 'flight case',it's basically the same as mine. Hiscox advertise their cases as 'flight cases',but Cafe member Peter Jenner had the end of his Hiscox case shattered when it was being unloaded from an aircraft. It's unfortunate that many thermoformable 'plastics' loose their original properties after forming,which i think might be the case with ABS,the material that Hiscox (and others) use. Under normal circumstances,the materials are fine,but 'shock loading' ie. dropped or hit very hard is something they won't withstand.
Polycarbonate material is something that i have a lot of experience with. Back in 1995,my department at work manufactured some prototype interior sidewall panels for the Japanese Mitsubishi company, to be used on a revised Shinkansen high speed train. They sent a group of reps. over to view that panels & we demonstrated their toughness by beating the daylights out of them with a very heavy hammer - the hammer didn't even make a mark !.We sent the panels & a prototype 'nose cone' for the train to Kobe in Japan,just in time for the earthquake - end of story.
Mandobar - You're seriously unlucky to have had 4 duff TKL cases. I've had only 1 & it's fine (as far as it goes). My TKL 'recangular' case is the American Vintage model that First Quality had TKL make for them, & it's as strong as in need be for normal use.
Here's a couple of pics for you - my wife's new suitcase damaged by the 'handlers' at Paphos airport in Cyprus a week or so ago.I took these for insurance purposes,& i suspect that the makers thought that their cases were 'flight worthy',
As for the Calton case being 'approved' for flight,it might very well be,but how many posts have we seen where a mandolin headstock scroll has been damaged inside a Calton case,simply by being dropped ?. Admitedly,as a % of Calton cases in use it's probably very small - & they were the old Caltons as well. Hopefully the new US made ones have addressed that point.
Ivan

[Neoclinus]

Here's another aspect to consider regarding "flight cases". I fly for work on a very regular basis, and I never check my instrument, and haven't been forced to yet - at least not after a bit of sweet talking. Because of this, for me the ideal travel case is as small, light, and fitted as possible, while offering the most protection possible for the size. Something that will raise the fewest annoyed eyebrows and can fit into the most odd corners, but can stand up to being crushed by that one person's bag we all know doesn't belong as carry-on or falling out of coat closets because the well-meaning flight attendant didn't secure it properly (it's happened). I've gone through a couple cases just from this kind of constant use/stress, and were I in the market for a high end case right now I wouldn't hesitate to go for one of these. Just gorgeous vintage styling, and I would love to have a traditional case that wouldn't start to come apart after two years of travel.

[pglasse]

Bill Collings showed me two earlier prototypes of these mandolin cases and talked to me at length about this project.

Scott's comments about these cases are spot on. You won't get it until you see these things in person. These are insanely high quality cases -- very classy in fit and finish, built with great structural integrity and attention to weight, balance, and detail.

Bill Collings has done something that no other mandolin case builder is doing. In some sense, he's done what he has with his musical instruments: taken a very careful look at the successes and failures of previous designs and used his creativity and engineering genius to make something unique and wonderful.

Will these cases (or any case) be all things to all people? Of course not. That said, I think they're wonderful and firmly believe they hold a unique place in today's market. Check one out in person. Personally, I think they're mind-blowingly great.

[Jeff Mando]

I believe the F style case fits an A as well. There are a lot of vintage collectors buying these cases for their vintage instruments (especially guitars).

I've always found that putting a guitar in a mandolin case was a tighter fit than I'm comfortable with......

[JeffD]

When I fly for work, I have a laptop briefcase in one hand and a bag of personal items (meds, eye shades, book to read, Advil, etc.), over my shoulder.

Most flights now limit your carry-ons to two.

So if I ruled out checking the mandolin, then something else gets bumped or the answer is no.


This case may be an answer.

[darylcrisp]

so Elderlys is out of stock today, so fess up, who bought it(or them)?

d

[doc holiday]

Daryl, You'd enjoy seeing the case build process. It's not hard to see how Bill examined every angle. On the earliest prototypes he even took old Gibson case hardware and had it replated. And yes, the F case is a perfect fit for an A model.

[Mandobar]

I've always found that putting a guitar in a mandolin case was a tighter fit than I'm comfortable with......

Collings offers a dread and OM GUITAR case as well.

[darylcrisp]

Daryl, You'd enjoy seeing the case build process. It's not hard to see how Bill examined every angle. On the earliest prototypes he even took old Gibson case hardware and had it replated. And yes, the F case is a perfect fit for an A model.

that i would, i love watching how things are made. wife and i NEED to take a trip to Austin soon and enjoy the scene.
yes we do.

thanks
d

[Mandobar]

Ivan, I am not the only one with problems with these case latches. It's just poor quality. I have no idea how old you case is, but the ones available branded Cedar Creek are awful.

[darylcrisp]

the last 3 TKL cases that i've had come thru the house, this year, chrome hardware housing Collings mandos, i have had to tweak, bend, reshape the closures. Some line up, some don't, some jam when trying to close. Needle nose pliers and a couple minutes fixes the issues i've had, but in the past the TKL cases i had with guitars or banjos never had these issues.

looking forward to having hands on with one of these Austin made units. So far today, TejonStreet, Music Emporium, Elderlys, Artisans, have no stock available in the mandolin case(some have the guitar cases). Word i got was Collings is building guitar cases at the moment so there will be a small wait for the mando cases.

d

[Mark Seale]

Bill Collings showed me two earlier prototypes of these mandolin cases and talked to me at length about this project.

Scott's comments about these cases are spot on. You won't get it until you see these things in person. These are insanely high quality cases -- very classy in fit and finish, built with great structural integrity and attention to weight, balance, and detail.

Bill Collings has done something that no other mandolin case builder is doing. In some sense, he's done what he has with his musical instruments: taken a very careful look at the successes and failures of previous designs and used his creativity and engineering genius to make something unique and wonderful.

Will these cases (or any case) be all things to all people? Of course not. That said, I think they're wonderful and firmly believe they hold a unique place in today's market. Check one out in person. Personally, I think they're mind-blowingly great.

Probably good enough for a Spaer mandolin.

[darylcrisp]

received this late this evening from an excellent employee at Elderlys-in regard to my question about availability of one of these.
i'm not interested in this style-the latch does sound interesting, but someone out there might like this.

email:

Hi Daryl,

After speaking with Collings, it looks like we can't place a back order for that exact mandolin case right now, as they won't be building any for a while, and are just focusing on building guitar cases right now. That being said, they do have a very similar case in stock right now. The only difference is that instead of the snapping latches, it uses a sliding latch. I was told it uses the kind that opens the latch when you move a button to the side.

If you're interested in that case, it would get to us within about two weeks after ordering, which is much sooner than the 3 to 5 month wait we were looking at on the other style. It would be a special order item, meaning we would require a 50% non-refundable deposit to place the order with Collings. The good news is that the case would cost $715.00, which is a bit cheaper than the other one.

I hope that helps! Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks,

Jeff


--
Jeffrey Renton
Elderly Instruments
(888)473-5810

[Ivan Kelsall]

So - Collings have built an exceptional case which isn't available - unlike Northfield, who released their new cases with (some) stock to back up the demand. Quote - "....as they won't be building any for a while," How long is 'a while' ?. IMHO,this is a poor move by Collings IF they intend to market the case as a regular product - or will they be special order only ?. Maybe Collings could make this one factor clear to prospective buyers,at least then we'd all know,
Ivan