Reunion Blues- A range of very well constructed leather or black canvas bags which resemble cases from the 1940s or 50s. Though they are bags, not hard cases, they are very robust and provide a good level of protection for a horn (not up to ‘throw it in the back of the van’ levels but a cut above most soft cases). There’s a reasonable amount of extra storage provided in the side pockets. These bags are certainly the ‘classiest’ option for transporting your horn.

ProTec- These are very much the standard sax case in America, so I’m led to believe. A range of solid, reliable cases and bags with loads of extra storage and some excellent attention to detail- the Velcro fixer on their shaped cases is worth it’s weight in gold and should hold the case shut even if the zip’s not done up (that’s not totally reliable, but it’s certainly a better bet than the competition on this front). They come complete with a good, solid shoulder strap. A favourite here at sax.co.uk with those of us who are out gigging a lot and like to carry a lot of stuff around in addition to our saxes. 

Selmer- Selmer make two different types of case as standard. The backpack ‘lite’ and the shaped ‘flight’. Both are extremely effective when it comes to protection- the ‘lite’ is basically a solid block of dense, absorbent foam with a semi rigid exterior, the ultimate case for absorbing knocks and bangs before they are transferred to the body of the horn. The Flight is an extremely solid shaped affair with an ingeniously positioned compartment inside for storage of reeds, mouthpieces, cleaning kit etc. Both options are capable of withstanding the rigours of life as a touring musician- the ‘flight’ is somewhat more robust but for normal applications either works extremely well.
 

Gig-Bag- Bullet shaped backpacks for alto or tenor as either bag or fully rigid version (alto only). The rigid alto cases are actually extremely good for protection and are a favourite of anyone who wants to cycle with their sax, as they are also extremely light. There’s a good amount of storage but it’s quite oddly shaped- good for mouthpieces, reeds, cleaning kit and all the vitals- but not suitable for music books without bending them.

Hiscox- Extremely tough and resilient cases designed to withstand the rigours of the touring musician’s schedule . Their Pro 2 model is the only case claimed to be Aircraft hold proof, though few players want to put that one to the test! There’s a reasonable sized storage compartment on all their models. The only one we stand on when demonstrating!

SKB-  A close fitting hard cases which provide some very good protection for horns. There’s very little other storage space but a good, reliable option for your sax itself. The more advanced version has an exterior pocket big enough for a box of reeds and pull-through. Obviously the implication is that the crook and mouthpiece should be stored in the sax bell in something like a BG crook pouch (top tip- never store a metal mouthpiece loose in a crook bag together with your crook, it’s a very quick way to find out what an unlacquered crook sounds like!)