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Brad361
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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Location: Houston, TX.
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 Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:17 am Post subject: Gard Elite single |
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Pretty impressive! Yes, it’s a gig bag, it’s not a hard case, but between the horn suspension system and relatively stiff sides and bottom (their description says it polymer sheet), it seems like a great bag, it certainly seems more protective than many gig bags.
Brad
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When asked if he always sounds great:
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deleted_user_687c31b
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Joined: 03 Apr 1996
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| Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:49 am Post subject: |
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| I prefer ProTec's contoured case. It's smaller and offers way more protection (a hard shell at least). |
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adagiotrumpet
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Joined: 31 May 2006
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| Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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| I have both and I prefer the Gard Elite single. I wouldn't say the Protec "offers way more protection". While the Protec does have a hard shell, the interior has very little padding. The horn sits on a hard contour covered in fabric and is held in place by two small fabric covered foam blocks attached to the lid. The blocks are the only actual padding. The Gard case interior is all padding, and there is plenty of it. Hypothetically, if I were to drop my horn, I would prefer it be in the Gard case. However, I don't plan to intentionally prove this. |
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Brad361
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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Location: Houston, TX.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| adagiotrumpet wrote: | | I have both and I prefer the Gard Elite single. I wouldn't say the Protec "offers way more protection". While the Protec does have a hard shell, the interior has very little padding. The horn sits on a hard contour covered in fabric and is held in place by two small fabric covered foam blocks attached to the lid. The blocks are the only actual padding. The Gard case interior is all padding, and there is plenty of it. Hypothetically, if I were to drop my horn, I would prefer it be in the Gard case. However, I don't plan to intentionally prove this. |
I agree, I have a couple of Protecs also for comparison, I think the Gard has them beat. The Protecs are nice cases, but I did have a student who dropped one with his Yamaha in it, bent the bell pretty significantly. As you said though, I certainly don’t plan on dropping the Gard or anything else to test it out!
Brad
_________________
When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval |
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dstpt
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 1286
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| Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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| adagiotrumpet wrote: | | I have both and I prefer the Gard Elite single. I wouldn't say the Protec "offers way more protection". While the Protec does have a hard shell, the interior has very little padding. The horn sits on a hard contour covered in fabric and is held in place by two small fabric covered foam blocks attached to the lid. The blocks are the only actual padding. The Gard case interior is all padding, and there is plenty of it. Hypothetically, if I were to drop my horn, I would prefer it be in the Gard case. However, I don't plan to intentionally prove this. |
Ditto. Lots of padding in the GARD single, so if it slips from your hands when you're walking out of a school after private teaching and switching the case between hands with your backpack over one shoulder and the trumpet slips and falls three feet onto the concrete patio – like it did with me a year ago, BUT IN A GL CASES single(!)...well, I digress. I got to the car to pull my horn out, and it looked fine, but two hours later after lunch and time to practice?...my 3rd slide and tuning slide with trigger on my custom 2018 Eclipse Enigma were barely moving!!! ARGH! I got it fixed the next day, but soon after that, I got a GARD single and feel that if something like that happens again, I stand a better chance of not encountering those results. |
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deleted_user_687c31b
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Joined: 03 Apr 1996
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| Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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I'll take your word for it, but I've never felt comfortable with floppy gig bags myself. Regardless of the amount of padding. Even so, like you guys, I don't plan on dropping my instrument either.  |
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Craig Swartz
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Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 7770
Location: Des Moines, IA area
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 4:49 am Post subject: |
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| I've flown with horns in Gard Elite bags for years, the Bb being a tuning bell model. I started using them back when BWWW was offering the leather ones for something like $89. Great bag, I've never had a problem over the past 15 years or so. |
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Brad361
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Location: Houston, TX.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:26 am Post subject: |
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| hibidogrulez wrote: | | I'll take your word for it, but I've never felt comfortable with floppy gig bags myself. Regardless of the amount of padding. Even so, like you guys, I don't plan on dropping my instrument either. |
I’ve always been of a similar mindset, gig bags just made me nervous. To be sure, they’re not hard cases, and if you tend to put your case in, say, a band equipment trailer, forget it. But I have to say, the suspension system, the wooden bell insert and the polypropylene sheet in these Gard bags is impressive. There are few cases other than maybe Raw Brass that are close to foolproof, especially without weighing a ton, but the Gard bags seem like a great compromise between light weight and good protection.
Brad
_________________
When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval |
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superviking805
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Joined: 17 Dec 2009
Posts: 154
Location: Santa Barbara
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:03 am Post subject: |
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| My gard is protective but I don't care for it because it take two hands to load/unload. One hand for the horn and the second to hold the flap out of the way while also holding the two zippers clear from the horn. |
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kehaulani
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Joined: 23 Mar 2003
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Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Threw me for a minute. By " load/unload" you mean taking it in and out of the bag, right?
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adagiotrumpet
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:18 am Post subject: |
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| hibidogrulez wrote: | | I'll take your word for it, but I've never felt comfortable with floppy gig bags myself. Regardless of the amount of padding. Even so, like you guys, I don't plan on dropping my instrument either. |
The Gard Elite is no regular gig bag. It certainly is not an example of typical "floppy gig bags". The only advantage of a hard shell case like the Protec as compared to the Gard is if you dropped something on the case like a small safe or a barbell. And even then, considering the construction of the Gard case, I would think the Gard would offer excellent protection. However once again, I will not be "trying this at home".
Bouncing around in the back of my trunk or in the overhead compartment of a plane, the Gard offers so much protection, I am more worried about scratching the leather on the case. Having the case slip out of your hand with a horn in it: advantage Gard. Accidentally backing over your case with your car: your up sh*t's creek with either case. |
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cheiden
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:20 am Post subject: |
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| adagiotrumpet wrote: | | Accidentally backing over your case with your car: your up sh*t's creek with either case. |
Makes me wince since I know someone that actually did it.
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Brad361
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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Location: Houston, TX.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:36 am Post subject: |
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| superviking805 wrote: | | My gard is protective but I don't care for it because it take two hands to load/unload. One hand for the horn and the second to hold the flap out of the way while also holding the two zippers clear from the horn. |
Actually, there’s kind of a partial solution for that. The end of the flap can be sort of inserted back into itself, it kind of forms a loop, keeps it out of the way enough for removing or inserting the horn. I’m big on on-site convenience, the vast majority of my gigs are played standing, no chairs, and there’s not much “designated space” for the horn section.
Brad
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When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval |
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LittleRusty
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Joined: 11 Aug 2004
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Location: Gardena, Ca
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 11:57 am Post subject: |
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| cheiden wrote: | | adagiotrumpet wrote: | | Accidentally backing over your case with your car: your up sh*t's creek with either case. |
Makes me wince since I know someone that actually did it. |
I visited a local music store and observed a now retired tech working on a piccolo. I asked him what happened and he shared that it was his piccolo and he had run over it with his car by accident.  |
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WildWilly
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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I feel everyone whoever dropped a horn didn't "plan" to do it.
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LittleRusty
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| Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| WildWilly wrote: | | I feel everyone whoever dropped a horn didn't "plan" to do it. |
You mean they were acting willy nilly? |
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Brad361
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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Location: Houston, TX.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:15 am Post subject: |
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| LittleRusty wrote: | | WildWilly wrote: | | I feel everyone whoever dropped a horn didn't "plan" to do it. |
You mean they were acting willy nilly? |
***bu-dum-bum-shissshh***😉
Brad
_________________
When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval |
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kehaulani
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Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 9028
Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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| Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:46 am Post subject: |
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| adagiotrumpet wrote: | | Accidentally backing over your case with your car. |
Was waiting to catch a plane and go on tour when the bus backed over a guy's horn. No time to get it fixed, no need to go on tour without a horn. Ouch. Stress.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
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Adams F-1 Flghn |
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