Re: High End mandolin cases... and theft
I painted some of my cases white to reduce heat absorption. Additional benefit was that they stood out like sore thumbs, but also looked scruffy enough with rattle-can white paint on them, to make prospective thieves think they weren't holding top-end instruments.
Most of the time when I'm playing out, my instruments are in gig bags rather than their hardshells, which may or may not imply that they're not expensive. And some of my antique instruments are in chipboard cases -- the only ones I could find to fit them -- an even more obvious clue that they're not worth stealing. And, lowest on the list, are my few home-made cases, which look as if a dyslexic carpenter, with six drinks under his belt, made them. They hold an old Washburn mandola, a National Triolian mandolin, a Polk-A-Lay-Lee (don't ask!), and a bowed psaltery. Sturdy enough: the mandola and the psaltery made it to Phoenix and back in the baggage hold, happily. Not easy to find bowl-back mandola cases; built my own, for better or worse.
Voting with the "distinctive cases are more a deterrent than in incentive to theft" group. And, knock wood, never had an instrument stolen in 50+ years of playing out.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
Bookmarks