Bowlback cases

[Aya]

bratsche,
It's very roughly 70cm L x 24cm w(at the widest point)x 25cm D.

[bratsche]

Thank you, Aya. The Eastman mandolins must be quite larger than my Vega. Seems like it would work in a pinch, with some extra padding...

I'm jealous of all the options you have in Japan!

bratsche

[Aya]

Yeah, we have many options for ridiculous price!
The low-end, factory-made mandolins for $800...big threes at least 4 figures

[Jim Garber]

One caveat: the Euro mandola is the equiv of an octave mandolin. The American mandola equals the European mandoliola, less common.

I also have an American Conservatory bowlback mandola and still have the semi-soft case with it. I don't know what I would use otherwise.

For the Calace I was thinking maybe a bouzouki case or even a lute or oud case but I would have to try it out in person.

[btrott]

One caveat: the Euro mandola is the equiv of an octave mandolin. The American mandola equals the European mandoliola, less common.

Thanks, Jim, I had not considered that point. I'll let you know if I can locate anything that might work.

Barry

[Schlegel]

Thank you, Aya. The Eastman mandolins must be quite larger than my Vega. Seems like it would work in a pinch, with some extra padding...

I'm jealous of all the options you have in Japan!

bratsche

Bratsche, that's the external dimensions, the internal void is more like about 20cm wide and 67 cm long. They fit all the american mandolins I have tried in them just fine... Graupner&Myer, Stahl, Martin, Washburn, Maurer were all ok. I think your Vega should have no padding needed.


Schlegel

[bratsche]

Thanks for the clarification, Schlegel. The seller of the ebay cases has still not responded to my questions, so this is looking like the best option. I wish someone had the Eastman in black right now. I am not a "color case person". And white will show the dirt too much. If push comes to shove, I may go for the silver. But I am still somewhat balking at the price. I didn't even spend that much for my viola case. (I am a cheapskate, actually. )

And Aya, I meant that I was jealous of the options for cases that you have in Japan! Bummer about the instrument prices, though... I think I only paid $250 or $275 for my Vega, but it was a "buy it now" price on eBay from someone who actually lived near me (so I didn't have to pay shipping), and I was one of the first ones to see it go up! I got lucky, as it is in pretty good physical condition!

bratsche

[bratsche]

Just an update to say my 99 year old Vega is now happily ensconced in its spanking new black Eastman bowlback case, and to publicly give thanks and kudos on great service to Steve and Gianna at Gianna Violins in Friendsville, Tennessee!

After looking and inquiring all over, I found that the place with the lowest price was inexplicably out of stock on everything with no known delivery date, several places only wanted to sell me the blue or red case they happened to have in stock, and some wanted my order, but at the way too high list price PLUS shipping on top of that. But Gianna and Steve came through for me, and very reasonably. Even though all they had on hand when I wrote them was a pink case, they offered to get me whatever color I wanted, and it arrived today, complete with two peppermints inside the case! (Now that is service - how did they know I liked peppermints, when I balked at a pink case? )

So I heartily recommend these fine business people. It's just a case, but they truly went the extra mile for a first time customer!

bratsche

[Aya]

Hey, what's wrong about a pink case? I love my pretty pink one!
Just kidding...

Congrats on your new case and happy shopping experience with wonderful people

[Jim Garber]

I don't know if this is the same seller I mentioned uptopic, but on eBay VIOLIN KING has two bowlback cases: one the hardshell Korean type and the other looks like a lightweight foam one. With shipping under $100.

[Fliss]

I just checked the Hobgoblin site and that foam Ashbury case looks similar to the one that Carlo uses but I highly doubt that the Pandini will fit. You can see it here: Ashbury bowlback case. It actually does look pretty decent. You could possibly ask the folks at Hobgoblin what their return policy it and maybe you could try it. I would think it may just cost you the return shipping but it might be worth it if it is what you want.

I've just bought one of these Ashbury cases for my new (old) Calace. Here is the case, with the Calace for scale:



It's quite a big case, I'm sure it's bigger than the older Ashbury cases and there is a lot of spare space at the headstock end, I'd say a good 10 cm spare. Here's a close up:



Fliss

[Jim Garber]

I don't know if this is the same seller I mentioned uptopic, but on eBay VIOLIN KING has two bowlback cases: one the hardshell Korean type and the other looks like a lightweight foam one. With shipping under $100.

I noted this seller on ebay. Try this search. I may order one of the foam ones to see how it is. The other does look like my Korean ones. Shipping is a little high but I may ask about combining esp if I buy a few.

[Jim Garber]

Here are the violinking cases. Has anyone ordered one of these? The foam one looks like it might be a decent for travel. I might try one and will report back. I am not sure why but some of these foam ones are listed at $45 and some at $39 but the same photo is used.

[mandobuzz]

Jim, I have the case on the left. It's a decent, sturdy case. Nothing too luxurious, but it's solid, well-built and does what it is supposed to do. But then again, i'm pretty careful with my instruments. I'd give it a thumbs up though for an inexpensive bowlback case.

[Jim Garber]

Buzz: I have about 3 or 4 of those Korean cases -- I use one for my DeMeglio tho it does need padding, it does do the trick.

That same seller, violinking, now lists another "pro mandolin case", sort of a copy of an Eastman. At least it looks like fiberglass and with shipping is about $100. Of course, NFI on may part. Just providing the info.

[Martin Jonas]

Speaking of cases, as I currently have Fliss's Calace with me, I also have her new Hobgoblin case. What is perhaps not immediately obvious from her photos up in this thread is that this is built like a (much) deeper A-style case, i.e. the case is exactly as deep at the headstock as it is at the bowl. Because of this, there is no shaped bowl support at all, which I would be uneasy about, but loads of space around the bowl and (especially) under the headstock. I've attached a few photos showing this.

I prefer the more shaped cases, but one advantage of this one is that it should be possible to fit one of the fancy Embergher/Pandini headstocks in, although I think this would require some surgery to lower the neck support in the case.

Martin

[Fliss]

Observant readers will also notice that since acquiring the Hobgoblin case, I've now added that essential accessory without which no self-respecting bowlback case is complete - a Mandolin Cafe case sticker

Not easy, either, given the textured finish on the case!

Fliss

[Jim Garber]

That case is similar to the old American-made Harptone cases. I have two of them but they are quite sturdy and there quite heavy as well.

A friend of mine had a custom case made by cedar Creek for his Embergher and that one is very similar to these with the depth uniform. I think it does have t5o do with the way they are made and might be a lot more expensive (like Kinghams) otherwise.

[mandobuzz]

Jim, thanks for the information on the "pro" case from violinking. Looks like an interesting option.

[Jim Garber]

I just ordered one of the foam cases from violinking. I will report back on its quality and fit upon arrival. I may use it for shipping my Embergher for restoration.

[Jim Garber]

I got my violinking foam case today and it is quite decent for the money. Certainly lightweight and with a handy shoulder strap and even a subway strap. It also has a nice little accessory pocket inside.

I just tried my Demeglio in it and it is a little on the large size for that but would probably work fine with a little padding. Frankly, the Demeglio swims in the korean hardshell as well so I have a cloth in it. The big surprise is that the Pandini fits in it very nicely. Man, I could have saved a big bunch of money of this was available when I bought that case. Oh well.

Of course, I don't know how it will weather the vicissitudes of travel, but for the price it seems like a decent deal and, of course it is readily available. The seller shipped it out on receipt of payment.

Now, I just searched again for the same case and I don't see them in their ebay store. And they had quite a few of them available last week. I would contact the seller in interested.

[Dan Hoover]

thank's jim,i'm going to be contacting violinking myself..i've been looking at these,i just keep putting it off,and i shouldn't do that..

[Margriet]

I got my violinking foam case today and it is quite decent for the money.

Jim, do you mean a soft bag with a "foam case"? I looked at violinking and did not find the term "foam". I have a kind of soft back, called Rockbag Premium RB20636. It is very light and thick, I think the mandolin is well protected. Is yours like this?
Margriet

[Jim Garber]

No, it is a hard case but made of foam and would be protective. I would think it was similar to the foam in a bicycle helmet. A small child could certainly sit on it without breaking it tho an adult would crush it, I would think. I have probably a good collection of bowlback cases and have a Rockbag as well but that is a gigbag and not all that protective.

[Margriet]

maybe it is made like violin cases: the light and cheap ones ( from China?). I have one like that for my viola. It stays well. The weakest parts are the shoulder bands and the zippers, I suppose.
I am interested, but could not find them at violinking and maybe for me it would be better to buy such in Europe. Do you have a kind of name, number, by which I can find them?
Margriet