Gewa Cases

January 27, 2012 at 09:06 PM · Any help will be appreciated :)

January 27, 2012 at 09:46 PM · All of their "thermo" cases except for their Jaeger reproductions are made in China. Their "strato" models are made in Germany, and are lighter.

The cases are designed to be relatively lightweight, while not sacrificing protection or thermal insulation.

Their shaped cases seem to be popular amongst professional musicians for their extremely slim design.

Quinn Violins is having a huge sale on their Diagonale cases right now:

http://www.quinnviolins.com/qv_violincases_gewa.shtml#diagonale

February 7, 2012 at 06:11 PM · I would be cautious about their Jaeger "reproductions". I took one of the shaped models home, it looked so beautiful, but returned it after I discovered that the bow holders are set up too close to the top of the violin. When the case was closed, the bows actually rested on the top of the violin. It's a fundamental design problem. (The bows were held well clear of the violin in an authentic old Jaeger case that I examined for comparison.) Also, the latch wasn't working quite right and there were ragged loose edges in the upholstery.

I ended up buying a Negri Milano and I'm very happy with it: exceptionally good design, well made, sufficiently insulated, & strong. It isn't the lightest case on the market, but I think that's the trade-off you make for good protection of your instrument.

February 7, 2012 at 07:27 PM · My Gewa case also has problems with the two center bow holders. I can only use the outermost holders due to how close they are to the violin. The snaps are also poor quality; on three of them the outer snap halves just fell out of the canvas and are lost. At least the zippers still work. It's a nice _looking_ case, but I wouldn't buy another.

February 7, 2012 at 08:54 PM · I noe use an original Jaeger Etui, oblong and leather covered. It was a present from my old professor in conservatoire. It was his own case. It's a nice and pretty cool case, however I travel much and its thermal protection is not good because its an old case. Also, thermal protection is important for me. I'm now thinking about Negri. What is your opinion about it? Also, I'm not thinking about Musafia, it is a bit expensive for me for this moment.

February 7, 2012 at 10:14 PM · There was an excellent thread on this site about thermal protection ("Insulated Cases?") a few months ago which might help you. The Negri Milano model I bought is ideal for my own purposes, and though not cheap, I thought it was reasonably priced considering the high quality of workmanship and design. It zippers up tightly and has sufficient padding, though not a lot on the top, but I don't know how well it would rate for heavy duty thermal protection. I live in a part of Canada where it can get very cold or hot, depending on the season. In winter it can be minus 20 celsius or more for weeks at a stretch. I have a fine modern violin, and the case seems to provide adequate protection for short periods of time in these conditions, so I don't worry too much. I never expose it to the cold for more than twenty minutes, however. You can get a bag from Shar that goes over your case which some people swear by, and others recommend foam padding as well, for longer periods of exposure. Musafia can make you a case with customized thermal protection, for a price.

February 8, 2012 at 05:14 AM · If you're looking for extra thermal protection I recommend the case covers by Mooradian. I've seen them, they're well-made and thick enough to provide extra protection (also from bumps). No, I don't work for the company ;-)

February 8, 2012 at 09:55 PM · If you're happy with your case and want some more time to save up for a better high end case, I second the Mooradian case covers. They're very well made, and the added thermal protection is nice. Particularly if you're outside on a hot day, and when you get into the hall, you open up your case and get a whiff of fresh, cool air :-)

February 11, 2012 at 07:27 AM · I'm also thinking about Mooradian case covers now. Also thank you Maestro Musafia, I'll try to get a supperlegro royale in a few months :)

February 11, 2012 at 01:33 PM · Also, another question for Mr. Musafia. Are your cases water repellant and which additional options would you suggest for superleggro shaped?

February 25, 2012 at 10:55 PM · Hello there. I have the Gewa Venetian (http://www.gostrings.com/gevevicafrsh.html) and have gotten a good four or five years of use out of it. I really love the fact that the inside is so beautifully decorated and feel that the case offers a great deal of protection to my violin. The large accessory compartment cover has started to become a little detached from the case and I'm extra careful because I cannot foresee it being reattached when it does finally come off. Today my case suffered it's second "injury" when one of the button snaps came off for the flap that covers the zippers on the exterior.

I am a public school orchestra director and I bring my instrument to school almost every day, and also have a pretty busy performance schedule so my case takes a lot of abuse and it has held up pretty well. With the button snap coming off and the accessory compartment lid on its last leg I will be saving up for a new case. I'm not sure if I'll go with another Gewa, or switch brands...that'll be something I decide when the time is right.

Best wishes!

February 29, 2012 at 04:49 AM · If you're buying a Gewa case, don't go cheap (actually, that can be applied to any case, I suppose). The low-tier ones are made in China, and they don't take much abuse. Mine began to fall apart after two years of everyday use.

I have two Gewa cases, since my 1/8, 1/2 and 3/4 were bought from their factory in Mittenwald. Amazing cases... so sturdy, well-built, completely waterproof. I'd love to know what happened to them since the 1990s.