Berkley Bari case ...... the conclusion!

[Tonehole]

Okay for those who care and still search for the ultimate Bari case.... here is an update on my quest.
As posted about November last year I was looking for a Bari sax case for a newly acquired 56 Selmer silverplated Low Bb Bari. It came with a wooden case large enough for me to get in with the sax. Bootman recommended the aluminum case which I persued but it was too costly for my budget. I was offered a price I could not refuse on a Berkley case which took 2 months to get to Canada. The case is designed to fit both Low Bb and A.
Fiberglass case nice shape and balance to it with a nice dense foam , plush interior.. very compact...light...
Problems... it fitted everything and nothing. Lots of storage space inside but the sax moved about slightly. I cut some dense foam from a old car seat to fit the sax and the case at either end and the shifting problem was solved and it still looked good.
Attached a camera case in the dead space to carry neck, mouthpiece, reeds, neck strap .... works very well and very clean.
After 8 months of use the latches were totaly shot , they are real sh@t as Bootman had stated. The rubber gasket around the edges constantly came loose and the silicone or whatever they used to glue it still seemed tacky after 8 months.
I did a total refit on the weekend, replaced all the latches with the same type as used on the Johnson cases only I upgraded to stainless steel and added one that takes a pad lock. Cost was $50.00 CND about $35.00 US and the rivets were free of charge. Removed the gasket and scraped the cr@p they used off, I reattached it with a glue called Seal All.. this stuff is like a contact cement gel it dries as soon as you squeeze the rubber to the fiberlglass. It works awesome. How good is it? Well you can glue a coin to a car window and you cannot get it off..........
I removed the carrying strap rings from the bottom of the sax.. I guess they invisioned you carrying it over one shoulder straight up your back. That was not going to happen as I am only 5' 6", and carrying a Johnson tenor case over one shoulder this way is tough enough. I riveted the rings to the top of the case and can now use a shoulder strap and carry with one hand at the same time. I can stroll for blocks as needed, no problem.
Final comments the case offers very good protection , after adding the foam I have banged the case on trains , buses, subways and car trunks, it even slid down a short flight of strairs. The sax has suffered no damage and the horn plays great with no adjustments needed ( I do use key clamps).
With the new latches and relocated strap mounts it is like a new case and my frustrations are gone.
Would I recommend it to anyone else, not unless they are willing to tweak it. But once corrected you are packing a very nice case. Light, compact, strong and secure, which can take a pretty good shot with out showing damage or destroying the contents.
I expect to be packing it for a long time to come.

[MusicMedic]

Thanks for the update! I am planning to get a new case for my Conn Bari and am thinking about a BAM. When I do, I will give a review also.

[gary]

Tonehole - I know you are referring to a Bari case, but for readers with other horns, I have had both alto and tenor Berkley cases for a little over a year and carry the horns out of my house about four times a week, as well as ocassionally traveling with them, and have no problems with the latches, strap rings or rubber edging. Perhaps the added weight of a Bari is a factor.

[Tonehole]

Gary you may be correct. The fellow who got the case for me uses a Berkley for his Alto, says it is superior to the johnson which I use. He says that the Johnson alto is over built and heavy compared to the Berkley. He said the Johnson tenor case is the best built, a good balance between weight and size, He refused to order a Johnson bari stating the case was bad for the horn, He had never seen a Berkley Bari case, he called after he recieved it because he understood they made a Bb only case. They don't! He was impressed with the weight and strengh of the case but predicted problems with the latches. They tend to stretch out at the small tab that hooks the two halfs together. I had to keep bending them back. To replace them with the Southco latchs Johnson uses was simple, took maybe a half hour. Southco has a great web site and are distributed around the world. They are vastly superior to the Berckley latches.
Does the strap rings for your alto case come mounted on the bottom of the case or on the side like the Johnson? I would be afraid to carry a sax with the opening facing away from me. or towards the floor. The berkley Bari has both rings down beside the hinges. I believe to be able to take some of the weight off with a strap on the left shoulder while carrying the case with the right hand the easiest and most secure method of transport.
Trust me the rubber gasket on mine started to come un stuck upon delivery. To glue the rubber onwas not a big deal and I am very pleased with the new laches, The case uses 6 of them. As I said a great case now that I made the changes.
MusicMedic give us an update on the Bam after about 6 to 8 months of use. The Bam / Selmer case that came with my Series III was great for about 2 years of walking to school everyday with it on my back and hopping the bus to gigs. After that it started to loosen up and flex which twisted the horn and kept giving me leaks and adjustment problems. Had the Johnson for 2 years now with much harder use and no problems!

[Bootman]

Curt,
The Bam doesn't fit the Conn. The Winter fits perfectly, the protec is ok but it requires significant padding redesign internally.

[MusicMedic]

Bootman,
I thought that too. At the World Sax Congress I spoke with a kid that had one. Although he had a Selmer in the case at the time, he told me that his Vintage Conn fit very well. I am speaking about the new HighTech BAM Baritone Saxophone Case.

When I spoke with Carole at BAM last, she felt as thought the case would fit. It certainly looks like it will fit. I will let you know when I get one.

[MusicMedic]

Hey check it out. I just went to the BAM site (that is usually terribly difficult to navigate) and they updated it. Boot, here the case I'm talking about.
http://www.bamcases.com/wind_instrument_cases/saxophone_cases/index.php?l=en&p=5

[super20dan]

tone hole-thanks for the update on the berk bari case. i very badly wanted one of these but am not to hot on the idea after reading your post. i have used a berk alto case for 10+ yrs and love it. never any problems with it. i got a pro tech for my super20 bari but dont like it .its too bulky and heavy. i might as well use the stock case. i love the compact shape and size of the berk but there are too many issues to over come in getting one here in the usa. mabey some one will come out for a Bb bari case like hiscox or skb but i wont hold my breath

[Bootman]

Curt,
Looks different to the ones I have tried and seen. Let me know if it fits. Can you also let me know how wide it is because I am looking for a case for the Magna Bari which has a bell that is nearly 2' wider than the Conn's. It is the biggest bell I have ever seen on any Bari.

[gary]

Tonehole: "Does the strap rings for your alto case come mounted on the bottom of the case or on the side like the Johnson?"

They are mounted on the upper and lower part of the back of the case, near the upper and lower hinges.

[mark_m]

2 questions from me...

1) Where are the best prices on the BAM case to be found
and
2) Tonehole, I just want to know why you glued a coin to your car window?

:)

[Tonehole]

mark_m I don't believe I said I glued it to my car window :twisted: I don't drive.
Gotta blow.
Ty

[mark_m]

So who's window didja glue it to?

yuk yuk

[SaxPlayer1004]

this is a very late post. but to super20dan. but neither skb or hiscox have a bari case in planning, never the less in production. i emailed them and asked. as you know im in the market for a new case. i was debating on buying a skb golf case that will fit my stock case, but im praying to God that SKB gets their act together. they will sell so many cases it will be unbelievable. sell for about 200 ish on WWBW probably. and get a majority of the bari players to buy them since many of us cant afford a bam case due to the purchase of the 3 grand plus horn itself

[TWINE]

Saxplayer- you should seriously consider the Winter Bari sax case. I used to gig regularly with a bari player who swore by it. It costs $200.

Incidently, for a high school student there's really nothing wrong with the protec case. You might want to consider that as well.

[super20dan]

the latches are very weak on the winter. i would not buy one again. finally getting a berkeley bari case!!! will report on it after it arrives. the latches on the winters can be reenforced if you are handy w/hardware.

[gspiegel]

I bought a BAM (the silver colored high-tech look) 2 months ago and am generally very pleased with a few small caveats.

The good:

-Very light, with wheels and ergonomic handles in several places. I don't feel like my arm gets stretched every time I take the horn somewhere.
-Quality foam fits the horn snugly in key places, but not on fragile ones.
-Looks cool. Gets envious looks from other players

The bad:

-The wheels are too small and one is slightly out of round, making the case a little wobbly when wheeled.
-The backpack harness is contraptional with large carabiners that tend to be uncomfortable,
-There are no interior compartments, though there are various nooks and crannies to tuck stuff as long as it's in padded bags.
-It cost $425 plus shipping.

The ugly:

-When it arrived it smelled like some sort of adhesive, and two months later it still smells a little when I open it.

[retread]

I like my BAM, too. No problems with the wheels, but I do have the smell--kind of like floor wax. Other plusses are the slots for neck and mouthpiece. I think Prowinds just raised the price to $495.

[gspiegel]

:dazed: $495 is more than I paid for my backup alto.

[littlemanbighorn]

Welcome to the world of baritone. We have to pay more for everything, plus waiting since they don't usually have what you want in stock, so it's a special order.

[retread]

We probably pay more for reeds than you paid for your backup alto. Then there's the price of chiropractic care. Not to mention the cost of booze to uphold the tradition of people who play large horns.

[littlemanbighorn]

I think the booze related to large horn players is from our bank accounts being in constant overdraft and because we can't afford chiropractors.
Also, since you can't really clean a baritone properly without taking it apart, blowing hard liquor through your horn is a good way to sanitize it.
Oh yeah, the price of Baritone reeds is downright painful. Buying a box of 25 reeds and finding 10 that approach playability when you paid $75 a box hurts. $7.50 each.

[barisaxplayer]

I've been using a hybrid case(anvil style) for the last 7 months. Wonderful. Heavy, and you have to cut out the foam or go through a lot of extra work to send the guy a template of your horn(I'm not good at tracing!!), but what a marvelous case! When I was leaving Chicago in march, I watched one of the airline baggage loaders SHOVE my sax over. When I got back to Juneau, after a plane switch, my sax wasn't even phased, which is amazing because the 62 is such a soft horn.

I suggest for that extra bit of safety on the first part, add 1 inch to the measurements for the top, 1 inch for the bottom. I gave the guy the measurement of my horn and only got about an inch and a half on the top and bottom but it still works great. Maybe a couple inches on the bottom, I would think wheels would be a good add if you did that.

It also has lots of room to cut out for reed, mouthpiece, neckpiece, etc storage. It's layered, so you can easily cut out a part here or there for adjusting.

7 months of abuse(so many small spaces!) and the case is still like new, except for a bit of dirt, and protecting my horn wonderfully.

Bad side of the case, it's a heavy mofo. Metal and lots of padding and plywood. To get it made+shipped to alaska, the total cost was some $512.

Overall, I may not have enjoyed having to lug 48.9 lbs around all the time(so says the airline baggage check) but I know I've enjoyed not having to send it to the shop every time I have to go out of town!!

Check it out at www.hybridcases.com Probably worth it.

[Helen]

Welcome to the world of baritone. We have to pay more for everything, plus waiting since they don't usually have what you want in stock, so it's a special order.

Count your blessings that you don't play bass. At least with bari, special order is an option. With bass sax, many things need to be custom made... :sad2:

I jokingly tell people that I'll have to gig until I'm 100 to break even. Slightly more seriously (since I doubt I'll be gigging on bass at 100), at this point I figure I make about 10 cents an hour on bass after expenses :yikes!:

[Brendan Muse]

:shock: Those Hybrid cases are build like tanks! But they must be a bear to try and gig with.