[Trombone-l] Shopping for a new gig bag

[Alisha Ard]

The Protec contoured tenor trombone gig bag I won at a jazz camp in  
high school (about a dozen years ago) is finally approaching  
disintegration.  The shoulder strap that was pulling away for quite  
some time finally broke off the last time I gate checked it.  The  
styrofoam pieces inside are tearing away, and the partition that  
closes off one end for an accessory case, well, that dislodged itself  
quite some time ago, I just push it back into place and it stays put  
when the case is closed.  The velcro on the handles is also coming  
off.  Sooooooo, I believe it is finally time to say goodbye to a  
faithful companion and find something younger and better looking.

Because this case lasted so long and always protected my horn from  
any damage, and I never had a problem carrying it on any flight  
(except for the smaller commuter flights where there is no overhead  
bin storage), and because I enjoy the convenience of the side pocket  
for carrying my trombone stand, I am considering buying the same  
thing again.

But, before I settle on a duplicate of my old case, I am curious to  
explore what else is out there.  Maybe I only THINK the Protec is my  
type because we've been together for so long.  It came along when I  
was still very young and it was free.  I was vulnerable to its charms.

Looking on different vendor websites at all their cases isn't really  
helping my decision.  I want some user feedback from anyone who's  
field-tested something different that they recommend.  Could you tell  
me what you like and why?

Thanks,
Alisha