Best Cases for DW Drums?

johnbarnesiii

Senior Member
Hello,

I need some hard cases for my DW kit. Recommendations anyone?

My kit is 4 piece:
22x16 kick
14x6 snare
16x16 floor
13x9 rack tom

The 13" rack tom has the STM mount, and the floor tom has leg brackets. With that said, what sized cases do I need for these 4 drums?

What brand/model hard cases is best for this?

Thanks!!!!!
 
I think for any drums, you can't go wrong with either the Humes & Berg Enduro, or the SKB stuff. I've been using Humes&Berg Enduro's for years, without the foam. I don't trust foam linings after my last set of cheap Gator cases corroded some chrome parts. And you don't really need to pad the drums - I've never had any damage to any of my kits when in cases without foam. In either brand (H&B or SKB) you will have space for any type of suspension mounting regardless.
 
For the difference in price SKB is the way to go. Their quality and customer service is top notch.
 
Hello,

I need some hard cases for my DW kit. Recommendations anyone?

My kit is 4 piece:
22x16 kick
14x6 snare
16x16 floor
13x9 rack tom

The 13" rack tom has the STM mount, and the floor tom has leg brackets. With that said, what sized cases do I need for these 4 drums?

What brand/model hard cases is best for this?

Thanks!!!!!

What are you transporting your drums in? This will determine the best cases for you.

When I had a truck with a locking shell - I had ATA cases. Got a 7pc kit, with rack, hardware and cymbals into 2 ATA cases. Stacked one on top of the other, rolled in, rolled out, easy peasy.

Now that I'm driving an SUV with a leather interior, I have a rolling ATA case for my hardware and rack, seat and carpet - and everything else is in soft cases by Protection Racket. Having a pile of small, soft cases is SO MUCH BETTER for the fragile, irregularly shaped interior of my Land Cruiser.

I have an SKB Roto for my 2002 Crav snare - but all my other cases are soft cases. I'm not a fab of hard cases, as I've broken so many of them by dropping them or stepping on them. Plus, they don't nest like soft cases. I can currently nest all the cases for my 7pc kit and two snares into my kick drum bag because I use soft cases (this includes the pedal bag and the cymbal bag) - when I'm playing a bar or smaller place, that helps a lot as my cases are usually behind me or stacked in the corner.

Cases depend on:

  • Who's moving your stuff? You or a roadie?
  • What do you transport your stuff in? Truck, SUV, Bobtail, Small car?
  • How fit are you to lift stuff in and out? Can you move a couple of large heavy cases, or is it more practical to move many smaller, lighter cases? Will two cymbal bags be better than one very heavy one, etc?


Cases are about practical storage and handling as much as they are about protection of your stuff.


-Ken
 
I'm not a fan of hard cases, as I've broken so many of them by dropping them or stepping on them. Plus, they don't nest like soft cases.
-Ken

Wow, Broke by stepping on it? I had one of my Protector cases fall out of the back of a pickup at 50 or 60 with only road rash and I also had USPS destroy a snare inside an SKB case ( the snare looked like it fell down a elevator shaft on its side, no scratches or marks just busted the shell from the final impact) and the case never broke only the inside padding was damaged and SKB still gave me a new case. | dont know what you had for cases but all my hard shell cases nest, 8,10,12,14,16 inside the 22 and the 12 snare case inside the 14 snare case and that fits in on the flat side between the 16 and 22 .
 
regardless of what kind of drums ....... Protection Racket Bags are amazing
 
Like mo2vation says, it really depends how and WHO transports your gear.
I'm picking up an SKB hard case for the snare. The rest of the kit gets transported in Ahead Armor Cases. That's because my snares cost as much as the rest of the 4 pieces. I don't gig with anything very fancy (PDP FS Kit) I had to make sure the cases didn't cost more than the kit itself! :)

For your DW kit, the SKB's are highly suggested. If you prefer soft cases, consider the Ahead Armor bags. Really cool tear dropped shape that allows for the RMS / STM mounts. They completely unzip and you can easily place the drums in. Very thick and waterproof too. I think I picked up a set of 4 for about $200 brand new. It comes with the 16" floor tom bag.

http://www.aheadarmorcases.com/

I also try to carry as much of my gear by myself before the guitar guys try to help...
 
I'm with Bo....I use Humes and Berg Enduro hard cases, no foam. Great cases.

+ another 1 who uses and is very happy with my Humes Berg Enduro's with NO foam. They fit my Starclassics which have about the same footprint (due to the TAMA mounting system) as my DW's do.
 
Thanks so much for the great suggestions. Last question: which exact sizes do I order for my kit, which is...

22x16 kick, 14x6 snare, 16x16 floor, 13x9 rack tom. The 13" rack tom has the STM mount, and the floor tom has leg brackets. With that said, what sized cases do I need for these 4 drums?

Thanks!
 
Thanks so much for the great suggestions. Last question: which exact sizes do I order for my kit, which is...

22x16 kick, 14x6 snare, 16x16 floor, 13x9 rack tom. The 13" rack tom has the STM mount, and the floor tom has leg brackets. With that said, what sized cases do I need for these 4 drums?

Thanks!

You order those exact sizes. They've already sized them to include your hardware.
 
Like mo2vation says, it really depends how and WHO transports your gear.
I'm picking up an SKB hard case for the snare. The rest of the kit gets transported in Ahead Armor Cases. That's because my snares cost as much as the rest of the 4 pieces. I don't gig with anything very fancy (PDP FS Kit) I had to make sure the cases didn't cost more than the kit itself! :)

For your DW kit, the SKB's are highly suggested. If you prefer soft cases, consider the Ahead Armor bags. Really cool tear dropped shape that allows for the RMS / STM mounts. They completely unzip and you can easily place the drums in. Very thick and waterproof too. I think I picked up a set of 4 for about $200 brand new. It comes with the 16" floor tom bag.

http://www.aheadarmorcases.com/

I also try to carry as much of my gear by myself before the guitar guys try to help...

THIS.....is what I do. I can't say enough good things about the Ahead Armor bags. Best soft cases I've ever owned. And I use an SKB for my snares (cause I already had one) but I would have no reservations about putting my snare drums in the Armor bags.
 
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