Fiberglass Cases

June 16, 2015 at 06:51 AM · Hi,

I'm in the process of looking for a new fiberglass case for my violin. Obviously, the BAM cases are supposed to be good, but they are quite expensive.

I was wondering if anyone uses or has some familiarity with the GL Combi Contoured Case - it looks beautiful and seems like it should offer good protection.

Also, I recently stumbled on a line of fiberglass violin cases on Johnson Strings made by Galaxy, which is a brand I had never heard of before, and cannot find anywhere else. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about these cases. The Galaxy Comet looks nearly identical to the BAM hitech contoured, and is basically identical stat-wise. It is also around 250 US dollars cheaper.

Thanks for your help!

Oh, and the reason I want fiberglass is because my old wooden case from American Case Co, while offering exemplary protection, is quite heavy at 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg), and as I walk quite a lot with my instrument, I would prefer something much lighter which would still protect my instrument as well.

Replies (5)

Adrian Heath

June 16, 2015 at 04:04 PM · Boats can be fibreglass, so it's tough enough, but I should have thought it was at least as heavy as wood.

Be wary of plastics, though: they split, and are unrepaireable, unlike fibregass. Genuine carbon fibre is strong, but can be alarmingly floppy.(And not to be confused with plastics trying to look like CF.)

I'm waiting here for expert advice from Mr. Musafia...

Lydia Leong

June 17, 2015 at 02:32 PM · Consider a lightweight wooden case as part of your search, too, like a Musafia Lievissima (4.2 pounds). I think consensus seems to be that wood still offers the best protection for violins.

Seraphim Protos

June 17, 2015 at 04:12 PM · I have a Tonareli fiberglass case for one of my violas, and an Eastman fiberglass case for a violin I take on travel.

Fiberglass looks great when new, but the gelcoat is quite fragile, and you will get chips and scratches in it in no time. That doesn't really matter for me, but I just wanted to inform you of that fact.

In some thread or another here, the drawbacks of fiberglass were spelled out. It is not really any more structurally sound for protecting an instrument the way it is utilized in a case. It is usually a thin, unsupported shell, and is therefore easily deformed, and is also vulnerable to sharp impact damage (a pointed object or corner of something could relatively easily break through a fiberglass shell).

For everyday knocks and bumps, it is quite capable. But it is not a wundermaterial.

here's a couple of great articles by Musafia:

http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=23513

http://www.violinist.com/blog/caseguy65/20153/16641/

David McLellan

June 17, 2015 at 04:43 PM · Hi Lev. Last year I had some shoulder pain and switched from one strap or in hand carrying to a backpack style. Fully loaded, its is about 13 pounds. Not much for me, but it was the off balance load and tension to keep the single strap on one shoulder that bothered me. As an option I tried a lighter foam case, without much improvement. For me it is not the number of pounds but the comfort of carry that made a difference.

I wonder if these case carrier systems (I believe there is one called Joey) function well as a comfortable carrying systems. If I had one I would probably carry even more weight.

Stay pawsitive,

Dave