Finding a good (modern) hard case?

[Steven Watson]

I'm trying to find a good, practical hard case to fit these old banjos. It seems to be hard to find a modern case that isn't far too big. I need something to protect the banjo while travelling on trains etc.

At the moment I'm trying a Gator case padded with a towel, which works but still doesn't feel as secure as I'd like. I don't mind spending a fair bit if need be.

Does anyone here have any suggestions? I'm in the UK if that makes a difference.

Many thanks!

[Jody Stecher]

Crossrock is making some good cases. Some come with extra removable padding. Some models are built with the string box in the wrong place but most are just right.

Golden Gate makes a repro "bump" case that I like.

When you say "too big" do you mean too long or too wide for the pot or both or something else?

[Steven Watson]

Thanks Jody. I mean too wide and tall for pot. It being too tall is the greater problem -- hard to make the banjo sit level. I wondered about Crossrock. Golden Gate I don't know. With both it looks like I'd have to import from US, which is a bit annoying, but it might be the best option.
Jody Stecher said:

Crossrock is making some good cases. Some come with extra removable padding. Some models are built with the string box in the wrong place but most are just right.

Golden Gate makes a repro "bump" case that I like.

When you say "too big" do you mean too long or too wide for the pot or both or something else?

[Jody Stecher]

I think both Crossrock and Golden Gate are made in China. I dunno if their cases sometimes go directly to UK. I haven't found cases that were too tall. Could it be you have been using a case or cases intended for a resonator banjo? As for too wide, Golden Gate specifies which cases are for 12 inch pots and which for 11 inch pots. Crossrock has a bit of chaos in their lower models. The cases are well made, especially a step or two up from the basic cases, but as far as I can tell from phone calls and emails with Crossrock employees no one who builds the cases has ever played a banjo, and possibly has never seen one either. I have had problems with the fifth peg colliding with the string box in one of their low models.  But they corrected the problem,

TKL cases are pretty nice. Last time I looked they were made in Canada. 

[Steven Watson]

Crossrock have a UK delivery option, but seem to be currently out of stock when you select it. I'll keep an eye on it. Yeah I probably got the wrong type of case -- will return it. I misjudged the measurements.

Looking at shipping costs from US, it's pretty insane. The only specifically open back hard case I can find for sale in UK is Superior.

Jody Stecher said:

I think both Crossrock and Golden Gate are made in China. I dunno if their cases sometimes go directly to UK. I haven't found cases that were too tall. Could it be you have been using a case or cases intended for a resonator banjo? As for too wide, Golden Gate specifies which cases are for 12 inch pots and which for 11 inch pots. Crossrock has a bit of chaos in their lower models. The cases are well made, especially a step or two up from the basic cases, but as far as I can tell from phone calls and emails with Crossrock employees no one who builds the cases has ever played a banjo, and possibly has never seen one either. I have had problems with the fifth peg colliding with the string box in one of their low models.  But they corrected the problem,

TKL cases are pretty nice. Last time I looked they were made in Canada. 

[TONY BRYAN]

Steven,

I used to drool over the pics of Chapman cases, but it seems they have now gone out of business.  Shame.  As a practical suggestion: where cheap modern banjos are sold on the second hand market together with original hard case, it is the case that has more worth than the banjo itself.  So don't be shy about buying a case with a banjo in it - if the price is right - and then stick the banjo in a gig bag prior to selling it off on eBay. 

One more thing, before we drop the subject of BMG trios: I had been trying to find someone with AI skills who could get a bot to produce piano parts for banjo solos where the piano parts were missing or never existed.  I was thinking of an instruction like: "write a piano accompaniment for Grimshaw's 'Banjo Vamp' in the style of Scott Joplin".  Does anyone know if that's possible?  If it is, then how about: "rewrite Grimshaw's banjo solo 'Banjo Vamp' as a trio for banjo, mandolin and guitar"?  How far away are we from being able to do this? 

Just curious.

Regards

Tony

[Joel Hooks]

Just be happy we don’t live in a world where the best cases are bottom loading sole leather cases lined in wool flannel.

[Steven Watson]

Tony, AI capability with music generation seems to be limited to modern popular styles. Not sure it's yet near coping with Grimshaw et al!

Joel, I recall coming across an odd article in either Keynotes or BMG, I think, about how banjoists ought to take up cycling. I would be petrified with cases like that...

[Joel Hooks]

The current "free" versions (Chat GBT and Gemini) are capable of composing within the confines of prompts to generate audio files.  Currently, written music can be generated with ABC notation and Chat GBT can also generate musescore files, but the composition is very basic monophonic. 

I've had them both compose some "jigs and reels" and the results were pretty good, as far as it goes.  But they are not harmonized, built on standard chord positions for banjo, or even really showing that it understands classic banjo (though it will lie and say it does, quoting BMG, Stewart Journals, etc. and even instruction books).

I would not say that they are better than the thousands of jigs and reels we already have for banjo (or from Ryan's and similar), but they are something.  And I expect this will only get better and more advanced.  I would say that in 5- 10 years it will be able to draw notation on staff and that we will be able to feed it a dozen tutors and ask it to compose using the rules and style found in those books.