Oh the horror!!!!!!

[phathorn]

So, the gig is over, and I've packed up and am getting ready to leave the Beale St. bar where we've just played. I grab my alto case, grab my stand, and grab my tenor case only to learn, too late, that I never latched the tenor case. My beautiful Guardala tenor spilled out onto the concrete floor, putting a 2 inch crease in the bow and throwing the upper stack WAY out of line.......it's now in the shop, and I have to play my Weds. night gig on my backup horn....a MONIQUE. Man, would someone please just shoot me now?! :evil:

[Morry]

When will we learn that drinking and playing don't mix? :-(

[phathorn]

The sad part....I don't EVER drink on gigs....I'm at work. I don't drink at work. This was just a brain fart of mammoth proportions.... :oops:

[SaxyAcoustician]

Oh man, I feel for you. :cry: I did that once with one of my horns, except it fell onto the edge of a bed and onto a thinly carpeted floor. Let me tell you, you never ever forget to check the latches after an accident like that. Maybe it has to happen at least once to all of us saxophone players. Yikes, it sends shivers up and down my spine when I imagine the sound of brass hitting concrete. :shock:

[Morry]

With my zippered Keilwerth cases, I've had to develop a habit that, once I start putting a sax in it's case, I don't stop until the case is zippered and the front flap snapped. That "snap" is my cue that I'm finished. I started this because I was putting my alto up one time, got distracted doing something else, and almost did the same thing as you.

[Doellcus]

Therefore I don't understand, that Sax-Cases do NOT have what every notebook bag has :(. When will they learn?

[Jack W.]

I feel your pain in a big way. I did the exact same thing with a Martin Committee 1 alto a few years ago. I too will never forget that sound of brass hitting concrete. :(

On the bright side, when I got the horn back from my tech, I literally couldn't tell anything had ever happened, in terms of either playability or cosmetics. But I still have been very careful ever since then, not to let any conversations or anything else distract me from zipping or latching that case shut! :shock:

[Saxturtle]

I had a very close call with my then newly acquired Super 20 tenor. The case was standing on end in it's customary place but when I grabbed the handles, something didn't feel exactly right. Closer inspection revealed that neither zipper was zipped(BAM trekking)! The only thing that saved a chance encounter between brass and tile floor was that the handles on these cases are attached to separate sides of the clamshell, so I was essentially holoding the case shut with the handles. WHEW!
I had left the open case on our dining room table to retrieve my Korg tuner for my son's guitar lesson earlier in the day, thinging I would be putting it right back. My wife came in right behind me and moved the whole thing without dropping anything, never noticing the zippers were unclosed. NEVER AGAIN!

[michaelbaird]

I did that and the neck to my VI tenor hit the concrete; fortunately no damage. I put a sticker with instructions on my case to remind me to be more careful. I was using a protec case which is probably why my horn didn't fall out.

[Stencilman]

The only thing that saved a chance encounter between brass and tile floor was that the handles on these cases are attached to separate sides of the clamshell
That feature on Protec caes has saved me more than once. You've got several levels of protection: the zippers, the velcro flap that goes over the zippers, the two-piece handle and the velcro flap that goes around the handles.

[michaelbaird]

Protecs are great cases indeed.

[mostly alto guy]

Long ago I developed the habit of closing the case lid and grabbing the latch/zipper at the same instant. That keeps me from committing the ultimate horror. As a double check, though, I never pick up a closed case by the handles (sometimes I will lift an open one from beneath) until I make sure it's fastened shut.

[Saxturtle]

Yah, at first I was a little skeptical about those skinny handles flopping around but I now consider them pure genius! Another thing is that they are actually formed from a contiguous strap that surrounds and is sewn onto the case along it's entire length, so they'll never rip off. BAM was having a good hair day when they designed this case!

[phathorn]

well, at least the story has a happy ending.....our trumpet player is a very good brass repair guy....did all of the dent work in his spare time and I was only charged for what the woodwind tech had to do. Horn plays like new again.....