Calton Cases V. Hoffee Cases

[colins]

Originally Posted by maplebaby

did you get a mando and case? love to see them if you have, here's my Collings mando with it's Calton Case.

What a great combination!

[Yrksman]

Originally Posted by maplebaby

did you get a mando and case? love to see them if you have, here's my Collings mando with it's Calton case.

Good to see your picture, I’ve just acquired a superb Pava mandolin which has a Calton case of course. Glad you like yours.

[ManyMartinMan]

If he did, it was 4 years ago.

[justonwo]

I know this is a zombie thread, but the content is still relevant.

One thing about more recent Hoffee cases compared to those of 4-5 years ago: he's trimming the shells slimmer than he used to, and the result is that the weight has decreases substantially. I have cases from 4-5 years ago that are quite a bit thicker than those I'm getting today.

As a result, the more recent Hoffee cases are lighter weight than those of yesteryear.

In the photo below, the outer two cases are from the last few months. The one in the middle is from maybe 2013? That 2013 case is 13.8 lbs. The recent case for a similar size guitar is 11.4 lbs. It's hard to visualize those weights but the former feels heavy and the latter feels light.

[FormerFoodie]

Originally Posted by justonwo

I know this is a zombie thread, but the content is still relevant.

One thing about more recent Hoffee cases compared to those of 4-5 years ago: he's trimming the shells slimmer than he used to, and the result is that the weight has decreases substantially. I have cases from 4-5 years ago that are quite a bit thicker than those I'm getting today.

As a result, the more recent Hoffee cases are lighter weight than those of yesteryear.

That's pretty cool. I knew they were a little lighter, but I didn't realize they were also thinner.

[gitarro]

Do the slimmer shells weaken the strength of the hoffees? It has always been not possible to verify just how strong is the crush resistance of the different flight cases that are commercially available via a vis each other because all the companies that make them do not publish those figures except for Karura that had their cases independently tested by a lab.

[Yrksman]

Originally Posted by gitarro

Do the slimmer shells weaken the strength of the hoffees? It has always been not possible to verify just how strong is the crush resistance of the different flight cases that are commercially available via a vis each other because all the companies that make them do not publish those figures except for Karura that had their cases independently tested by a lab.

You might like this

https://youtu.be/_WquayiwwcU

[maplebaby]

here's a similar video from an 'independent' source.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7k4K2YSSuo

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by maplebaby

here's a similar video from an 'independent' source.

Hi Dale

What - no video?!!!

[EDIT] Thanks Dale for linking the video [EDiT]

[ljguitar]

Hi all

This is STILL a relevant thread given high end guitars fare better with high end cases…

I've had my Olson in a Calton for well over a decade and a half, and my Bashkin came with one (I ordered it that way).

If someone gifted me with either a Calton or Hoffee for one of my instruments, I'd gladly accept and use it.

The thing I've liked about my Calton cases over others is the spacious pick drawer and room under the headstock for a strap. I've seen other brands with substantially less room inside.

Protection is of course first, but after that, the convenience and room for my sound-hole-cover, capos, an electronic tuner, a set of strings and a string-peg-winder…pretty handy.

[maplebaby]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Dale

What - no video?!!!

sorry...thanks for reminding me!

[gfirob]

I think there is something that is left out of this discussion, particularly given the high cost of the premium fiberglass and carbon fiber cases, and that is that no case can protect your guitar from the worst an airline can do to it. This includes dropping it from the height the cargo door of a large jet (I'm guessing 25 feet) driving a fork lift into it, or getting it caught in luggage moving machinery and more things that I don't know about. I am speaking of things I have had personal experience with traveling with professional television production equipment in heavy shipping cases over 30 years of international travel.

If owning a fiberglass case encourages you to feel safe putting your guitar in the plane's hold, you are just playing Russian roulette with your guitar and sooner or later that gun is going to go off.

A good quality arch-topped 7 ply plywood case, such a TKL or one of its competing brands, will protect your guitar in your truck or van, going into a club or your house, getting banged around with other cases in the trunk of your car or whatever day to day friction life throws at the instrument. You should not leave a guitar in a hot or cold car any more than you should leave a child there.

But if you are getting on a plane, you are much better off with a cloth gig bag in the overhead bin, than spending four times as much for a high end case and putting it in the hold IMHO. Or have a disposable travel guitar, like a Takamine or Blueridge or whatever. Ask not for whom the bell tolls...

[pattste]

Originally Posted by gfirob

But if you are getting on a plane, you are much better off with a cloth gig bag in the overhead bin, than spending four times as much for a high end case and putting it in the hold IMHO.

Maybe. But in my experience, often flying on regional jets, expecting to store a guitar in the overhead bin is unrealistic. They barely have room for the one piece of luggage we're allowed to take on board. I certainly have never seen anyone try to cram a guitar in there. Guitars are gate-checked, with strollers, etc. I have a flight-case and am not that worried. Of course something can still happen, you can't insure against the craziest scenarios. If some disgruntled baggage-handler wants to destroy it, he'll find a way.

I can't believe some of the things I read sometimes. I'd better not board a plane and be unable to fit my one small piece of luggage in the overhead because someone who boarded before me decided to store his Martin HD-35 in there.

Also, those who think they're guaranteed to be able to board the plane with their guitar because they printed the relevant section of the FAA regulations, you're dreaming. If the crew decides it's not going in, it's not.

[Yrksman]

Originally Posted by gfirob

I think there is something that is left out of this discussion, particularly given the high cost of the premium fiberglass and carbon fiber cases, and that is that no case can protect your guitar from the worst an airline can do to it. This includes dropping it from the height the cargo door of a large jet (I'm guessing 25 feet) driving a fork lift into it, or getting it caught in luggage moving machinery and more things that I don't know about. I am speaking of things I have had personal experience with traveling with professional television production equipment in heavy shipping cases over 30 years of international travel.

If owning a fiberglass case encourages you to feel safe putting your guitar in the plane's hold, you are just playing Russian roulette with your guitar and sooner or later that gun is going to go off.

A good quality arch-topped 7 ply plywood case, such a TKL or one of its competing brands, will protect your guitar in your truck or van, going into a club or your house, getting banged around with other cases in the trunk of your car or whatever day to day friction life throws at the instrument. You should not leave a guitar in a hot or cold car any more than you should leave a child there.

But if you are getting on a plane, you are much better off with a cloth gig bag in the overhead bin, than spending four times as much for a high end case and putting it in the hold IMHO. Or have a disposable travel guitar, like a Takamine or Blueridge or whatever. Ask not for whom the bell tolls...

A Calton will withstand being dropped to the tarmac from the hold and pretty much anything else. Keith Calton told me that on one occasion many years ago a fork lift truck did penetrate a case. As both videos demonstrate a Calton case can take an inordinate amount of hard treatment and the instrument inside will survive as long as it’s a correct fit.

[justonwo]

There are videos from Hoffee of the guitar being dropped from 25 feet, run over by a car, dropped out of cars moving at 50 mph, and all sorts of things. I think they are plenty strong.