Posted by Sean Chisham on November 26, 2001 at 23:32:30:
In Reply to: price/protection/convenience/nerdiness posted by js on November 26, 2001 at 23:00:01:
I would guess that you have made multiple day road trips in your life. You took a much higher risk of death or serious injury to you and your family in those trips then if you had flown. Why ..... Convenience.
There is always that balance and we must each decide the personal balance between security and convenience. It is the same as riding a bicycle without a helmet, checking on the turkey in the oven without hot mitts, or driving a car with one hand.
As far as tubists using gig bags, I would say that the vast majority, if not all, of the tubists that I have ever seen or worked with use gig bags. I have heard of almost no complaints about rampant dents. At least no more dents than are normally collected through the years of use on stage and in the practice studio.
Other brass players I work with are more evenly devided on what they carry equipment in. That is because it is no great burden for a trombone player to lug around a case, needless to mention a trumpeter. Again, dent problems don't seem to be a major problem or even consideration. Any debate non-tubists give to the contrary is strictly academic because they don't face the same physical challenges tubists do. Their choice is, many times, more fashion than function.
In all the times I have used bags, I have experienced zero dents. Of course I use normal caution when carrying the horn around. In fact, I have seen many many more instances of bell damage from people trying to fly with standard cases then from bags.
I still believe that a Johnson Case and good gig bag are all you'll ever need for toteing the thing about.
No offense, Joe, but you're paranoid :)
sean