I'm just wondering what people do/have done with regard to cases for violins (although I guess the same for any string instrument really). At the moment I just have a beginners violin which came with a soft case which is most definitely not waterproof, I do travel back from Uni on the train with it so it doesn't need to be that strong but walking to lessons one day it could get a bit wet for example! Also I don't think the case is that strong either, and although the violin isn't majorly expensive I would like it to remain in one piece until I eventually upgrade it!
Plus if I carry it on the plane and it has to go in the hold it isn't going to last long there! It is also too small for carrying much inside, e.g. my shoulder rest doesn't fit in!

Would people go out and buy a good hard case that is water resistant/proof or just make do with the soft standard one? I'm thinking over the course of a lifetime unless you lose it or it gets severely damaged you could make do with just one good hard case?

I have seen some strong and pretty cool looking fibreglass cases , unfortunately my bank balance has too!

if i could afford it, i would definitely buy a nice hard case with room for everything. as it is, i make do with my soft case... the small stuff just about fits in the pocket, and the shoulder rest fits in the space around the neck/scroll.

I think a hard is really essential. Hiscox do good ones and they are roomy too!
Violinma

I really like the Bam Hightech ones. In orchestra over the weekend i saw a girl with the oblong one and another with the contoured one. I really liked them both, looked at them on the internet and they're over £400 As nice and sturdy looking as they are, if i was going to spend that amount of money on a case i'd go for a Musafia one
I wish i could afford one Though to be fair... i only bought a new case last December... but it broke within a few months. (£130 it cost me!) And my dad fixed it Which leads me to be very wary of how it's protecting my violin


If your main worries are it getting wet and not enough space for things, and you don't have hundreds of pounds to spend on a hard case, you could buy a fairly decent oblong case (lots of room ) (on thestringzone.com they start at under £50) which often have rain flaps over the zip. If that's still not waterproof enough you can get rain covers for them

What violin do you have? (just wondering what the case it came with is)

Daughter has been travelling with her violin a lot and thinking of long term we've just bought her a carbon fibre violin case (Baccello). It was painfully expensive for us but we're hoping that it will last for a long time unlike some of her violin cases. Its actually quite lightweight and has plenty of space for accessories.

In my experience, the biggest problem with cheap hard cases is the plastic or metal fittings. Broken hinges or handles can sometimes be fixed with wire, and a snap open D-ring style keyring will save a broken strap fastening.

At home or in the car, a cheap case is enough, though I never leave a violin in a parked car (too hot/cold). If you are backpacking or carrying your case 30 mins or so, a better case will likely be a better buy in the long run.

For aircraft holds and real protection against shocks, rain, heat and cold etc., prices and specs are in a different dimension (one we have yet to enter).

The current case is a soft one made of styrofoam with virtually no space inside. The shoulder strap is just connected to the material and not the case which makes me think one day it might fall off! As I've only been playing a month or so the violin is just a basic <£100 one. Obviously it wouldn't make sense to buy an expensive case as it would be worth more than the violin, but then saying that if you only ever had to buy one case....

At the moment I carry an emergency black bin liner in my pocket (thankfully haven't needed it) and if it starts raining a lot I'll put the case in that!

The other thing is if I upgraded the violin later on, I'm guessing it would come in a better case anyway?

I quickly shifted from the standard soft case to a hard one for my cello. I have a silver BAM case on wheels and whilst it was costly, it is an extremely beautiful and relatively lightweight case that should last forever. I recommend making the change unless you don't travel far to lessons/concerts/elsewhere. I actually found it very stressful transporting my lovely cello in the soft case because it felt inadequate as protection making my instrument seem vulnerable which is why I invested in a hard case.

I have an oblong Gewa case for my violin and shaped Gewa case for my viola. Both very hardwearing and light. Although there is plenty of room in the oblong case I'm thinking of getting a shaped one for my violin as its much smaller and space just invites me to fill up the case with junk...
x

The BAM ones are not as good as they look from the outside. There's not much protection for the violin (although apparently the cello ones are really decent quality). I have a Musafia, although I originally wanted a BAM because they're pretty. The Musafia cost £350ish and it's perfect.

I've been looking at the Bam cases and i do agree - there's not much inside the case in terms of protection etc. =/
You have a Musafia? Lucky! When i get my new violin i may then look at getting a nicer case (the case i have is pretty nice but...). Which Musafia model do you have?

Go for a good lightweight model, such as Gewa or Bam (althought there are other makes too). Many of the others, especially those which are sold as being particularly strong, are extremely heavy by comparison. You can easily repair or replace an instrument but your back has to last you a lifetime. If you travel regularly enough with an instrument to be thinking you need something stronger then consider the weight very carefully too - not just carrying it about but lifting it out of awkward places (backs of car boots, luggage racks, storeroom corners). Also remember that a lot of the time you will be carrying not just the instrument and case but probably also music, lunch, gig clothes, shopping....... I could go on.

As to rectangular or shaped it is very much a personal choice and how much music you really need to keep in your case on a regular basis. As a teacher and performer I am lucky to have both - my day-to-day teaching case is a Gewa Lightweight, which, even with all my clobber and current orchestral parts is still very light and well balanced when I put the violin over my shoulder because my hands are full of music bags and other materials. When gigging and especially when I need to take the viola and a change of clothes as well I use my (old) lightweight shaped case for the violin. Nothing on earth would persuade me to buy a double violin/viola case!

Hi, I can recommend the rigid version of the GigBag case; I started with one and found it convenient, lightweight, comfortable and pretty well constructed. They aren't too expensive (£60-£80 I would think), and are waterproof. It makes sense to upgrade when you buy a better instrument I think. I have now upgraded to a Gewa, which I like very much, but I wouldn't have bothered if I had kept my original violin.
N

It's worth investing in a good strong case - and that doesn't mean it has to weigh a ton!

A good case will last the lifetime of most musicians, both professional and amateur, so spending a few hundred quid will ensure that when you upgrade your violin, you still have a decent case to carry it in.

Personally, I would recommend Musafia. They make some very good, competitively priced lightweight cases that are very suitable for students or amateurs on a budget and they also (regularly) sell off ex-demo and prototype cases at cut prices. Their website is worth a regular visit.

It's a dart-shaped fairly bottom-of-the-range one (I don't remember the name, it doesn't bother me ). I figured when I got my first expensive violin that properly belonged to me that carrying it around in a wooden case strapped up with bungee ropes wasn't really going to cut it any more. Although it did look sort of retro-cool for a while, but not so great when it rained since it leaked. Musafia is pretty much the other extreme. I know they're expensive, but I will never ever have to upgrade or replace it (they repair them) so it probably works out better value than buying a new case every 5 years. Besides, what's £300 to protect a valuable instrument when you pay £50 for a set of violin strings or bow rehair and probably not far off £1000 a year on lessons? Doooooo it

Actually the comparison with the cost of lessons is a good one! £300 odd points once off isn't all that bad, especially compared to the cost of other activities e.g. buying a new set of skis or new bike, plus it should be a one off investment so over the course of a number of years not as expensive as it might seem!

Oh dear, I feel myself spending money....

Crikey. Bam and Musafia cases being recommended for a sub-£100 fiddle on the basis that the original poster might upgrade instruments in the future?
I'm sure you could get a perfectly serviceable hard case at your local music shop for about £30-£40.

I bought a hard case for my first classical guitar - before I bought my first classical guitar. I just felt it too risky to buy an expensive instrument without somewhere safe to store and transport it. I wish I'd spent a bit more and got a lighter one though.

I think this has quite obviously turned into a more general discussion about cases...

I think spending £300 on a case for a £500 violin isn't unreasonable, assuming the violinist has some desire to progress to a better instrument later on. Below that, well it depends whether you feel you can afford to potentially lose your instrument, bow and case in one go if it suffers an accident. And on your insurance.

Yeah. Quite obviously. But you know me. Thick as two short planks.
BTW didn't we have an almost identical discussion a few weeks ago? Doesn't the "search" function work?

Actually not very often! I did search but then got a message about "search flood control"...

Maybe the useful thing would be to link to the thread in that case, rather than making sarcastic comments, helpful though they are...

OK, boss. In penance for my descent into the lowest form of wit:

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopic=34415

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopic=32637

(for example)

I so agree
I was saying that i love Musafia and Bam cases but would certainly not reccommend a Musafia case for a beginner Have a look around on the internet and you don't really wanna be spending over £100 on a case at the moment - i currently have a £600 violin, and am upgrading to a £2000+ violin over the next month or so (SO EXCITED ) and i'll continue to be using a case that cost me £120. This one:
http://www.arc-verona.de/arc-verona-classi...hwarz.2055.html It's a lot nicer than in the picture
BUT it is very heavy and i have a bad shoulder from carrying my violin around. I take it to school pretty much every day (free lessons = practise time) and i get such a shoulder ache from carrying it that it hurts to write.

This one was recommended to me http://www.thestringzone.co.uk/concerto-sh...in-case-by-gewa and i SO wish i bought it, and i think i'm going to buy it soon as my shoulder can't take any more

http://www.thestringzone.co.uk/saville-sha...se-by-hidersine This one's more than fine for a student instrument and probably your next instrument too - it's a nice case.

Being a beginner viola player and just about to buy my first viola, well I have it on a weeks approval from Saturday and very much doubt it'll be going back, I will have to buy a case as my current instrument is rented.

The case I chose in the music shop is a soft one, not shaped to the viola, has lots of room inside it (but fits the viola perfectly) it has four bow holders, some type of timer thing and a long cylindrical perspex "box" no idea what that is anyway it looks great and is only £59.

I think this hard case debate really matters on what you do with your instrument, my instrument is in the house or travelling in the car (to lessons and eventually hopefully a local orchestra), it quite frankly goes nowhere that it could get bashed about but if I were to be walking anywhere with the viola or travelling by plane / train etc. often, I do see the point of these hard cases, if not or only very rarely I don't see the expense being worth it.

Thanks

Hmm this one looks quite reasonable and it seems it would do my next instrument too!

As much as I like the musafia/bam cases, I think neither the cost of my current violin nor my playing abilities warrant it! Maybe one day though...

I would only use it walking to lessons (so the straps look quite strong and it has a cover which is good) and on the train when I travel home, although I do fly quite regularly I think if I take the violin I will use the train!

I am rather pleased though, although I didn't think it was possible to get my shoulder rest in my existing case, I had a play around the other day for 5 minutes and if you put it in in just the right way it does in fact fit!

I have a bobelock fiberglass hard case and I love it. This is my first violin case, so when I bought it, I didn't have any comparison with others. I didn't realize that it's significantly heavier than the ballistic ones. But I really only carry it from my car to my teacher's house (30 second walk), from my garage back to my room, and the furthest is orchestra (3 blocks) and it doesn't bother me. I would've love to get a red one, but it was too loud, since I'm a beginner.

Here is a picture of it

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3566/342748...c19d7b05f_o.jpg

That is a cool case!

Oh, thanks!! I put those butterfly stickers on my own!

Sounds great The timer thing is a hygrometer to measure the humidity in the case and the long cylinder thing is a string tube
That sounds a really good price too

I use Hiscox cases for all of my classical guitars (Alhambra 5p (the first), Ramirez AE and a James Lister Hauser model). Light and very strong.

I keep thinking about getting one for my violin but the case it came in has been alright up to now. Must upgrade at some point though (don't want my baby getting squashed).

Cheers,

Matt.

Thanks for everyone's input, my new case arrived today

So much better than the cheap one I have at the moment, it has much more room for things and is more cushioned inside, plus the (2!) shoulder straps feel much more secure.

I did not know soft violin cases even existed! Though I remember the case I had when I moved up to a 3/4 sized violin, which was worse than a soft case! It was the only spare 3/4 sized case the school had. It was made of (if I remember correctly) very thin plywood, and lined with wallpaper. The hinges were broken, so I had to hold it together with string. I do not think I owned that case for more than a few weeks before my mum bought me my own case! My new case was just one of those very basic black shaped cases, and cost very little, but did the job until I got my own violin, and then mum got me a case with a shoulder strap, which I still have. It's a bit tired looking now - rather frayed and the shoulder strap is broken, but it still works!

My viola came in a rather cheap and nasty case and although I don't take it very far (to lessons in the car) I would like something more robust for when (notice I didn't say if ) I join the local orchestra.

This is the one I like http://www.thestringzone.co.uk/concerto-ob...la-case-by-gewa
It's about the right price for me and should be everything I need. By the time my viola is tweaked etc I would insure it for £6/700 (including case and bow) so this case should be adequate.

I'd like a Musafia case for my Dad's violin (worth thousands) because he has it in a £45 cheaply-built case and that makes me nervous!

My current violin case came from ebay and was ex-display and a real bargain - it's nice and strong but doesn't have a makers name.

What do you think of the Gewa viola case? My only worry is that it doesn't seem to have a separate pillow for padding the case for smaller violas (Pan is 15.5")... do you think that matters or should I make my own pad?

It won't need a pad - the part where the neck of the instrument rests will be moveable. In the third photo it shows the adjustable part which can be moved up or down to suit the viola size (not sure exactly how it works, as the one I have uses velcro - there should be some way of locking it into place though!).

Looks like a nice case!

This is my viola case -

http://www.thestringzone.co.uk/oblong-viola-case-by-jtl

Shop around though as these are only £56 in Turner Violins

That's a really nice case I'll see if anyone else stocks the Gewa case

lottie - the gewa cases are all really nice, for my viola I have the concerto shaped case, I only went with the shaped because most oblong viola cases are really big and I didn't want a big case. Also the oblong ones came in different sizes so I knew it would fit my viola perfectly (I'm very bad at anything technology related and didn't want to be fiddling with a case incase I broke it or anything). Also notice the shaped one has a soft lump thing wich stops the neck and therefore viola from moving. It's just an idea but that one might be better suited to a smaller viola.


this is the one I have:
http://www.thestringzone.co.uk/concerto-sh...la-case-by-gewa

x

The shaped ones are a LOT lighter, too - with and without all the extra rubbish music, makeup, accessories, sweets that all end up in a string case.....

^ yup I totally agree. I'm thinking of getting a shaped violin case as opposed to my oblong one at the moment because it does get quite heavy. I think at the moment I have sweets. chocolate eggs, pecils, make up, music, rosin and so much other random stuff that I wouldn't put in there if I didn't have the room. I cannot imagine how heavy an oblong viola case would be if i had one...

you really carry all that stuff!

Just make sure you don't buy a double violin/viola case...

That looks really good too but my only problems with the shaped ones are where do you keep your shoulder rest and where do you carry your music. Everything fits into the oblong ones.

In my shaped case there is a velcro strap to the side of the peg box it fits a wolf secondo shoulder no problems
There is a large pocket on the outside which fits music in

you put music in your bag and there is plenty of room rounnd the next for your shoulder rest. Mine fits in there fine. The thing is, you really have to consider actually how big these cases are lottie, and do you really want a big heavy case? As for music, does it *have* to be in your case? Surely its either easy enough to carry in your hand, or if you're going somewhere to put in a bag?
Oblong viola cases are heavy enough as they are, personally I wouldn't want to put any more stuff (music, general rubbish) in there than necessary.
Is there a chance for you to go and look at cases or are oyu buying fof the internet?

The nearest shop for looking at viola cases is 150 miles away (roughly) in Glasgow so I can't really 'browse' .

What I think I'll do though is wait until I visit the violin/viola shop in Glasgow to have Pan's bridge and pegs re-fitted (and the fingerboard narrowed). Then I'll be able to see the sizes etc of several different models of case and can choose a suitable one. I think that would be better than just ordering one from the internet.

Hopefully I'll make a trip to Glasgow in the summer so I'll have had time to save up for something nice

thats a good idea lottie. The problem I had with viola cases (other than insisting that I didn't want an oblong one) was the sizing becuase all violas are slightly different sizes. That makes it so much harder than full size or 3/4 like you get with violins. I got the one I did in the end cos it came in different sizes so I could get the one that fitted my viola best (and it was black on the ouside and blue velvety stuff on the inside so was very pretty and it matched my violin case )

I agree with what others have said, oblong viola cases can be rather big and heavy - I switched from one of those to a shaped Gewa (mine's an older model though) and it's much nicer to carry around! Might not be much of an issue if you travel mainly by car though.

Re: sizing, I have more trouble finding a violin case that fits than a viola one - my viola's a fairly standard 16", but my violin is bigger than standard size and doesn't fit into most normal violin cases (yet it's just a bit too small for a viola case!).

Did you get a double case in the end?

W

Awaiting delivery! Hopefully soon...

Hi Lottie
My son has a Gewa case for his 14" viola and it is adjustable to fit the length of the instrument. I'm not sure of the model as the luthier ordered it for us as she knew what would fit. It's reasonably lightweight, has space for his shoulder rest, rosin etc and tough enough to standup to being carted around by my son. We're hoping he'll be able to use it for the next size of viola when he grows