Dude, go to Harbor Freight. There are cases you can get there that will stand up to what most guys need. You'll spend under $30 and be able to configure it to exactly what you need.I'll post some pics of mine. I have two of these cases for my gear. I play out about every weekend and these offer PLENTY of protection unless you're planning on tossing them out of a plane. Again, $30. Not almost $100. -Bob
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2010 2:59 PM
Hal Iwan of CustomHarpCases.com makes cases similar to Hetrick that you may wish to check out.
I happen to like the Seydel hardcover case which is very compact and is of a completely different design than the hard shell cases like Hetrick and CustomHarpCases. It depends what you like, what kind of mics you carry, and how you want to access your harps during a performance.
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2010 3:03 PM
Hal's cases [customharpcases.com] are great and he'll work with you to make sure you get a configuration that meets your specific needs. I really like mine. All the best, Jay
I will say this: One of the Harbor Freight cases I have has the exact dimensions of the other cases mentioned. Form insert aside they appear to very much like these other cases too. NOT saying they are, as I do not know. BUT the Harbor Freight case costs under $20. I have some slightly larger ones that cost under $30. I would check them out and consider saving a bit of cash. ? -Bob
i think they are the same cases. i think the best thing to do would to buy the case from harbor freight then buy the foam insert from customharpcases.com ----------
I have the smaller Hetrick case. The dividers are made from Lexan and are very tough. The case itself IS the EXACT same case as can be had at Harbor Freight for $10. I contacted Hetrick and they verified that. Because the dividers take up little space and the harps stand on end, you can carry a lot in a small space. If you can fabricate a divider system then the case is a god deal. In either circumstance, plan on leaving the empty case out in the sun for a week or two to get rid of most of the smell (and taste) of the Chinese-made foam lining.
They told me I was the only one to ever complain about the foam.. Hard to imagine. The stench was in the harps after one day, and while it left shortly after playing the harps, I ended up lining the bottom of he case with a thick plastic sheet made from a vacuum seal bag.
Here's another link to a couple of HF cases I use to hold harps and pedals and cables & whatnot. -Bob http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=39196
I bought a harbor freight case. It cost me $9.99. This case is perfect for your harps. Your harps can stand straight up. THe case will also hold your mic and your pedal and a cable. I then went to home depot and bought some plexiglass. It cost about $11.00. I bought some purple velvet. It cost about $5.99 for a yard. I already installed the crushed purple velvet. Looks very cool and will form an extra padding for harps. I have cut the plexiglass into strips. THe only problem I'm having now is making the form because I don't have the proper cutting tools to make the notches. I need to make some cuts going halway up the height so that the pieces can fit onto each other to form a box, like a case of beer. Since I don't have the tools, I bought some backing panel at home depot ($4.99), it's pressed wood composite. You usually see this behind shelving. It forms the back wall. I'm sure I will be able to use my hack saw and dremel (acting like a router)to make the necessary cuts. Right now without the form, my case holds 12 harps in their individual boxes, a pedal, a mic, a an ac adapter and a cable, all in a very efficiently sized case. Once I get the form made, I will be able to hold a lot more. It's presently a work in progress. But my total investment is under $30.00. It's not necessary to spend $100 for a case. Not at all. When I'm done I will post pictures. By the way, I have seen people use a fishing tackle case. The harps in the boxes fit perfectly in the spaces provided.
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2010 6:21 PM
Any briefcase from Staples..motorcycle seat foam from upholstery shop..black cloth from walmart..exacto knife cuts to 3/4 of the harp length to give the tilt.
All stuff I had lying around the house except the cloth for $2.99. The seat foam would probably run 15-20 dollars. Breifcase..not sure, but the concept of seat foam can be applied to any case from any yard sale.
I have a Hetrick case I store my harps in. I also have two of the black Hohner cases. One is for gigs, and the other has another set of Suzuki harps I never use in it. Finally, I have the Harmonicamasterclass soft case that holds 7 harps (these are my back up gig harps).
The Hohner and HMC cases fit well in my gig bag which is on wheels and has a handle. I just set the Hohner case, open, on top and the bag doubles as a harp stand. I like the Hetrick case but it is overkill for gigs and doesn't open all the way like the Hohner, so it doesn't lay nicely on my gig bag.
I don't bring a lot of harps because I can keep 15 in the Hohner case and if a harp goes bad, I either grab the back up or just play a harp in a different key.
---------- Mike Fugazzi http://www.myspace.com/niterailband http://www.youtube.com/user/NiteRail http://www.twitter.com/NiteRail http://www.facebook.com/mike.fugazzi
not old seat foam...new seat foam cut to the size you need plus a little so you can trim it. Probably about the same as the bacteria count on the harps you put in it...hard to say really.
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2010 7:40 AM
not a bad idea at all. I made mine totally removable so i can put the harps i need right on a horizontal music stand next to me..it would be simple to wash them out. On the other hand, they've been in there nearly a year and I haven't had so much as a cold the whole time.
