Re: Re: Re: Re: Ridiculous "Dent-bag" discussions


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Rick Denney on March 12, 2002 at 16:23:24:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Ridiculous "Dent-bag" discussions posted by curious on March 12, 2002 at 15:34:33:

A gig bag is about two or three pounds (maybe a little more for some bags), and a hard case made of plastic and rigid foam (which is the lightest choice) is something like 10-15 pounds empty. Wood cases of any quality are more. The case for my Yamaha 621, which is no more than half the size of a big horn's hard case, is about 8 or 9 pounds, based on biceps guesswork.

The gig bag fits more tightly around the horn (depending on the bag), so it is a little less bulky.

The notion that a bagged tuba seems less durable than a cased tuba fits with my experience, by the way. That perception makes you unconsciously monitor the space around the tuba looking for potential collisions. The sharp corners of a hard case seem to be able to grab any available edge. And I know one bicycle salesman (very high-end bicycles for triathletes, that is) who puts a clear plastic bag around his bike when he takes it to the airlines. If they can see that it is fragile, they'll treat it as such, apparently. Though I wouldn't turn a gig-bagged horn over to the airlines, my friend's experience reinforces the point.

I use the hard case for the Yamaha, because it was free and it is about as light as it gets. Plus, it has wheels, such as they are. But it doesn't have backpack straps, which is a real shame. If I carry two horns, though, it works out perfectly--the big horn goes on my back and the Yamaha gets rolled along.

In terms of results, the biggest dents in any of my tubas came from situations when the tuba could not be in a case, like when I was playing it, or otherwise moving it around. I collected several dents on my soft Cerveny when I used an Altieri bag, and I added a strip of thick closed-cell foam along the edge that hits the ground first. That helped, but I think the thicker nylon and denser foam in the Reunion Blues bags provides better protection. I cannot think of a single dent that any of my horns received while being carried in their gig bags after I traded away the Cerveny. I still use the plastic case that came with the Yamaha, but it has attraced a couple dents even so.

The effect it has on my back is a huge issue. My teacher asked me why I use a DEG Rest, and I told him it was because of my back, and explained the history. He listened: He just had back surgery a year ago. I know many tuba players with chronic and sometimes acute back troubles, to the point where their careers were interrupted, so it is not a vacuous debate.

Rick "whose back is harder fix than his tuba" Denney


Follow Ups: