My friend is looking for a case for his trombone. He wants to wear it like a backpack while driving his motocycle. He has looked at the Pro-Tec case but did not like it because it is just a case with a poor backpack attachment which has the trombone case riding to high above his head.
Don't have him get the protect. Even though it's a "hardshell" case, it's plastic...and bends, a lot. After my former trombone professor about cases to buy, she told me that the protect cases are much like a more rigid gig bag, a medium between the two types of cases. For instance, my brother's french horn; standing upright on an elevator, the case back pack strap broke and it fell probably 3-3 1/2 feet and (being the screwing bell) knocked the bell out of round, repair techs tried, but couldn't get it back to where it was. With what my teach has said, students put their horns in the case, then hit it up against the wall just right, or accidentally closed it in the trunk lid, etc; a huge dent appears in the horn. On a motorcycle, I'm sure the case would be less than ideal, but, traveling that fast on a vehicle with such little protection to the surroundings, any case you would find would be destroyed, along with the horn, in the case of an accident. If I remember correctly, Doug Yeo has a fairly large page talking about trombone cases and packing and such...yes, I know for a fact he does.
Um, any gig bag would be dangerous for the horn. However, I've used one for 6 years now and haven't had even a single dent. And that includes storing it in the back of a pick up truck for short trips. To each their own, I guess.
I also know a few people that play trombone and tuba that regularly carry their horns while on their motorcycle using a backpack style case.
I would say to skip the Protect cases, they are pretty weak. Here's a start:
searching...
