drummingman
Gold Member
I'm looking into getting a set of Gator Standard Hard Cases with the optional foam paddng on the inside. I don't have any experience with Gator Cases so I'm wondering what those of you that use them think of them?
Tard, I wanna ask you, with RIMS, how much bigger does the case need to be than the drum diameter? Reason being I was thinking of fitting RIMS to my sonor drums and I already have oversized cases to fit my Saturns.
For those who have lined SKB, do they smell from the adhesive at all?
I fell for the Gator attractiveness of the low price on eBay and I will never trust them again. The foam lining on the ones I got began to corrode the metal bits on one of my drums after leaving it in the case for only a day!
I tried to contact Gator to see if they would right the situation and I never received any kind of response. I ended up being up front and frank about the cases when I sold them on eBay and sold the whole lot of four cases for $75 just to get rid of them. The new owner knew he needed to take out the foam lining, did that, and he loves them now.
As previously posted, they may have gotten their act together but I would be wary. I had used Humes&Berg Enduro hard cases withOUT foam in the past and that's who I went back to when I had to replace the Gator cases. I had debated SKB but having a foam lining so turned me off after the Gator debacle that I decided against it, although friends of mine have the SKB cases and they're great (they're also the most expensive too).
I would avoid Gator drum hard cases, and spend a little more for either the H&B's or the SKB's.
Thanks tard. This whole Gator debacle has got me worried about any off-gassing from glue used in securing case lining, although I can not find one complaint about SKB cases damaging drums like Gator. But if you search, you will find numerous complaints about SKB guitar and archery cases giving off a stench. I've even found someone who says their SKB drum cases smell. Humes and Berg Enduro seem to be the best unlined cases I've come across, but good luck finding them where I am (outside the USA).
At one point in time I got a set of SKB cases and I question why you would need the foam lining in the cases. All the years I've had the Humes & Bergs without lining and my drums were never damaged - the idea for me is to keep the drum from taking a hit from something that might roll around in the back of the truck - and the H&B's deflect stuff really well, in addition to being water proof. I've had a small tom fall off the back of my truck in the H&B unlined and it suffered no damage as the case absorbs the shock, and again, keeps the drum from hitting anything that would damage it.
I can understand a padded bag, that's obvious, but a padded case that's not actually a big anvil road type case? I'm not sure it's really necessary. What's everybody thoughts on this? Am I crazy?
Indeed. Since I'm looking for cases/bags for long-term storage, I'd rather avoid any hard case with a glued-in lining. I also hear that foam liners (regardless of brand) have the tendency to break-down and/or rot over time...
My bass drum case is a HARDCASE brand with no lining and the lacquer finish on the hoops was starting to get scuffed/dulled from rubbing against the plastic case, the case was tight but the plastic is smooth and the drum moves to one side then the vibrations from transporting are enough to scuff the finish like you rubbed it with a scotch brite pad, I ended up buying a padded bag to use as a liner to protect the finish. Now as I can afford it I have been replacing all my cases with padded SKB and will never buy anything else and wish I had of just bought them to begin with.
I bought 2 used SKB old style cases (clam shell type) that are probably 20+ years old and other than a couple small tears the lining is still just like new.
Indeed. Since I'm looking for cases/bags for long-term storage, I'd rather avoid any hard case with a glued-in lining. I also hear that foam liners (regardless of brand) have the tendency to break-down and/or rot over time... That's why I'm almost certainly set on Protection Racket's AAA line (no glue, and they help resist atmospheric fluctuations). If I could get my hands on a set of Humes & Berg Enduro's, I'd probably go that route (in their mottled Ocean finish). But as far as I know, the only H&B products sold where I am are Stonelined Mutes. H&B are apparently a nightmare to deal with anyway, so that kind of eliminates them as an option in the first place.
I just hope my SKB Cymbal Vault I've got on order doesn't stink...!
In other news, where did the thread originator go?
Although, I must admit their plastic SKB-like rack cases aren't bad, but even those start to distort in shape after a while, depending on how much sun they get.
Yeh, and dont bump them against anything after spending an hour in the trailer on the way to a gig in the winter, the plastic shatters like glass when its cold.