The instrument case is one of the best things for your instrument. It keeps the instrument safe, taking dents and dings as a shield. It also keeps the instrument free from dust and rain, prolonging the life of the materials the instrument is made of. Many times, I've had to do cleaning to remove all the dust and dirt from instruments, as that was the only thing keeping the instrument from working as well as it should.
At some point in any instrument's life, it's going to need a new case. Either the old case has become damaged, or the latches stop working, something spilled inside of it, or has just gotten old. Many cases become unusable once they get even the smallest amount of mold in the padding. In a damp environment, it can be a never ending battle against it, and once there will never truly go away. It does become apparent when a case has mold in the foam, as the smell of the case and the instrument becomes pungent and they match.
Once "old case funk" sets in, any length of time in the case will transfer this smell to the instrument, even if it was just cleaned. At that point, there's nothing you can do but get a new case.
There are some things to look out for when getting one
1. Make sure the case fits right
This should be easy, but there are a few pit falls to look out for. No instrument model is build the same as others, even from the same maker. This means that a case that can fix model x will not work for model y. It could put odd pressure on a key or two, pushing things out of place or even deforming the body of the instrument. At that point, it won't play, and every time you put your instrument away, you are increasing the need to go see a technician to fix it. Then, once fixed, putting it back in the case will start the process all over again
Most case makers can tell you what will and will not reliably fit in their cases, but no case is truly universal.
2. Hard vs soft vs semi rigid
For decades, hard cases were the standard, and with good reason. There are very few things that will keep your instrument safe as a good fitting hard case. The downside of hard cases is that they are bulky and heavy, compared to alternatives.
Soft cases are essentially lightly padded, if any padding, cloth bags with a zipper to store the instrument. The chief advantages to them is that they are light weight, and shaped like the instrument, reducing the size of the space needed for storage. However, the chief downside is that they offer very little protection for the instrument inside.
A semi rigid case is somewhere right in the middle. Usually reinforced with hi density plastics, and with dense foam padding to cradle the instrument, they can be lighter than hard cases but more protective than soft cases.
3. Storage in the case
Regardless of your instrument, you're going to need space to store parts of the instrument when not playing. Mouthpieces, cleaning supplies, any sort of oils or greases needed, etc. All of this has to go somewhere. Getting a case that can accommodate all the accessories you need should factor in to what you are looking at
Once you have the case, it's important to keep it in good shape, just like the instrument. Wear and tear to the case is normal, to a degree. Keeping a spatial reasoning about the size and placement of your case will minimize this. Broken and latches and hinges occur mainly when people are careless, and aren't that much fun to replace for the technician or for your wallet.
Periodically, remove everything from the case and vacuum it out. Little bits of dust and other things can fall into the case, and removing them will prolong the life of your case immensely. At this point, it's a good idea to spray down the inside of the case with something to prevent mold. My personal method is to buy a bottle of febreez, non aerosol, and cut it 50% with rubbing alcohol. A few quick spritzes over the surface, followed with leaving the case open for an hour or so, and it will off gas most of the scent and alcohol. Then, putting the instrument in will ensure the padding has been dried up by the alcohol, and give the instrument a very faint odor of the febreeze.
Take care of the case, the case takes care of your instrument, and your instrument takes care of you. Simple as that
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