Hey all,
I have reached the point of needing a new case for my Mastertone… I have been carrying it around in a cheap Guardian that I had originally purchased for my beginner banjo, and have been worried about damage to the banjo due to drops, falling over, etc.
So, what would y’all recommend for a nice protective case? I would like your opinions on Calton (fiberglass) vs. Hoffee (carbon fiber) cases; I am currently leaning toward Hoffee/carbon fiber because of the lighter weight of carbon fiber as opposed to fiberglass and the insulation you can get with it. I also like the look of the Hoffee better. But, I would like to know if y’all have any experience with either of the brands.
Thanks so much and Happy New Year!
-Michael
Protective Banjo Cases (Fiberglass vs. Carbon Fiber)
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No experience with either, but Russ Carson ran a car over his Hoffee and his banjo didn’t get damaged at all…
Also Jake did an in depth strength test of a Calton which you can see at the general store page.
Personally, I’d lean more towards Hoffee from what I’ve heard about both
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Either should protect well from bumps & such…I htink I’d go for the best insulation.
I’ve had more issues with temp change over the years than with destructive stikes.
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Check out this video
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I honestly think that war-survivor distressed look is pretty cool. I wonder if I could buy the test case…
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Got a Calton banjo case from Carter’s a couple years ago. Very well constructed, stout hardware and the banjo fits perfectly. It holds stickers very well 
. No experience with Hoffee but I know lots of touring pros use them.
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It’s hard for me to say which is/would be better for you. I personally sell Calton’s and have no experience with Hoffee cases, but I’ve sure heard good things!
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Thanks for the replies, everyone! Decided to try out one of these fiberglass cases from Crossrock… seems like a pretty nice case, especially since it’s about 1/4 of the price of the higher end cases:
I’m interested in seeing how it holds up over time; I’ll probably post a review after I try it out.
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Post a video of when you put yer banjer in it, and heave it off the roof…
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I’ve heard of the crossrock cases on mandolincafe, they’re spoken of well, and it looks similar to the one the Pava case comes in
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Lol that’s what I was thinking:
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I saw a video last year about why a banjo was broken by the airlines and said it was due to the inferior case. I cannot find the video now and do not remember where I orginally saw it. It went over how the neck in the cheaper case was not well protected. Anyway, I too would like to get a better case for my better instruments, but not ready to spend as much or more than I did on the instruments for the case. 
It would be good to see a review on cases that are airline worthy and ones that are not.
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Yep, neck/headstock support is a very important (and sometimes overlooked) factor in how much a case will protect an instrument… many case manufacturers are more concerned about how much weight a case will hold, etc. than how protective the interior is. I’ll probably add extra padding material around the headstock area of the case when I get it.
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Like distressed jeans, it would cost you twice as much!
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I’m seriously thinking I should ride a skateboard for about ten minutes and then sell my now useless Jean’s at an upcharge…
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