Musician's Gear Durafoam Shaped A-Style Mandolin Case

Product Features

• High-density foam padding
• Nylon cover with zipper
• Black plush lining

Product Details

• ASIN: B0002H0D3A
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,400 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)

Product Description

Tired of lugging around that heavy, hardshell mandolin case with edges that ding up your shins and other gear? This Durafoam mandolin case offers the same protection minus the heft and damage potential. The high-density polystyrene foam shell has a soft plush form-fitting interior that coddles your mandolin and is covered with tough Cordura. Thoughtful touches include an outside music pocket, interior accessory pocket, heavy-duty zipper, and padded shoulder straps

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent case, 1 quibble, February 23, 2006

By 

EGull "musical environmentalist" (Nevada, IA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Musician's Gear Durafoam Shaped A-Style Mandolin Case

This case is well made from strong styrofoam covered with durable cloth (the kind of cloth good backpacks are made of) and good heavy-duty zippers.

You can't see in the picture, but there is a side handle (in a similar position to guitar case handles). There are also removable backpack straps on the back side; they clip on with metal clips to 3 D-rings on the back. These are adjustable and are actually pretty comfortable. There is a small interior pick case that is large enough for picks and tuners and a few other very small items.

The company selling this case ships it in FAR less time than Amazon would lead you to believe. Amazon told me I'd get it in 10-14 days, and it arrived in 3. That was cool.

The only major downside to this case is the exterior zippered pocket. It is WAY too small for sheet music or music books--all I can fit in there is a paperback novel--so there is no space in this case for sheet music at all. In spite of this, I'm very impressed with the overall quality of the case and highly recommend it IF you don't mind the lack of music storage.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good mando case, September 29, 2008

By 

Sanders LaMont (Sierra Nevada mountains) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Musician's Gear Durafoam Shaped A-Style Mandolin Case

I have been happy with this case. It is well designed to keep the mandolin secure, well padded and lined with appropriately soft material. After three years I have had no problems with it, despite some rough treatment. I like it and would buy it again.

5.0 out of 5 stars Adequate Form and Function, March 4, 2010

By 

Internet Person "Internet Person" (RVA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Musician's Gear Durafoam Shaped A-Style Mandolin Case

So, this case competes with 3 other types of cases:

1) Hardshell
2) Softshell
3) Cardboard/vinyl

1) A hardshell case offers great protection from wet weather and impact. The cost reflects this in construction materials, so does the weight. For a casual instrument, a hard-shell case (in my opinion) is too heavy and a bit of a pain to carry around. They usually don't have shoulder straps and if they did the case would be uncomfortable on your back. Likewise the heavier case top can buck the hinges if you're not careful opening it up, affecting the overall longevity and usefulness your purchase; as well, if you dropped one on edge, it could break or dis-align the hinges or latches. Great protection, good for long-term storage, but a rigid case has it's own susceptibilities.

-Our case in question, the "durafoam", is lighter and thicker than most hardshell cases and as a result, it's not as temperamental to impacts and common abuse, but it offers similar protection for the instrument; the material is dense, not rigid. So, I like it better than a hardshell case since I'll be carrying it around a lot: comfortable and durable.

2) The softshell case is lighter still and ultra-portable, comfortable to carry. The padding will offer protection from scratches and, without hinges, a softshell case would probably last as long as the zipper does. Of course, it's so light-weight and without any serious impact protection that you would have to treat the case as if your mandolin wasn't in a case at all being careful as to how you set it down or lean it: It's way to easy to upset the bridge or graze the tuning pegs. It's better than nothing, a little padding and a way to carry a tuner or picks, but the protection is lax for anything, but a cheaper instrument.

-The "durafoam" is a good weight compromise and the case is form fitted so the movable parts aren't being dis-settled while you store or transport your mandolin. So I like it better than a softshell case; there are plenty of scenarios in my head where the case tips over and spins my tuning pegs or something smacks dead center of the bridge. Also I think there's more humidity protection with the "durafoam".

3) Cardboard/vinyl-- These are crap.

And that's how I chose this. I have a similar one for my classical guitar and I think these are definitely superior to any case in the price range. My experience with hardshell cases is that the hinges and clasps always become a problem. If they don't break outright because of a stupid swing of momentum, they can bend and fail to line up and close properly. With the nylon and zipper cases, closing the case is much more forgiving if you've damaged a hinge. You get a decent blend between hard and soft cases with this one; it's durable for use, dense and protective, and light to carry-- It's designed well, nice construction, so 4.5 stars rounded up to a perfect 5. I think it's worth the money.