Protec MX309CT Bass Trombone MAX Case

I was hesitant to buy this case for my Besson 943GS bass trombone because I read on the Q&A here that larger bells wouldn’t fit well based on other people’s experiences. But for this price, what could be wrong with what the company says the case fits? I went with my gut and trusted Protec’s word.

They were right. My bass bone bell section fits nice and snug!

There are 2 generous compartments for oils, lubes, a mouthpiece pouch and a G tuning slide for the 2nd valve. The attached backpack straps are very convenient, I feel. The outside pocket can accommodate a trombone stand, and the filled Protec case doesn’t weigh that much more than the original case when empty!

Oh, and it holds a slide rod!?

My only concern so far is with the slide compartment, as the straps to hold it in place are too long. Even at their tightest as I can get, there is still some vertical play. (Side to side and lengthwise aren’t as big of an issue since the slide is wide and long enough to cover the spans.) A quick fix here could be in the works. Sturdiness and Durability remain to be seen as I just got it.

Be aware that this case will not accommodate dependent axial flow valve sections, and perhaps some others.

Still, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Protec Max case to anyone looking for a good, if not great, bass trombone case at a tremendous value.

This is a great case. Light with lots of storage and protection for the horn. Not a case that I would take to a riot but great for the car, subway, etc

It fit my 62H very well with a very minor adjustment

After one use I am really enjoying this bag. I purchased this for a large bore tenor with a wide slide because the regular tenor f attachment case doesn’t fit it. The bass bag fits perfectly. Lightweight, good protection. I appreciate that the backpack straps can be contained behind a flap when not needed.

Got it as a gift for my husband and it’s pretty sturdy.

Story Time!

I acquired a Yamaha YBL-321, and decided I needed a bag for it. I picked up a Gard bag (which is also awesome!) But the fit of the bell was *really* tight. So the old 88H went into the Gard bag and the Yamaha went into the Conn’s older ProTec bag.

I’ve been a whore for ProTec for a long, LONG time. At least 20 years. My Euph gig bag from college is a ProTec. My wife’s clarinet case that she beat the hell out of was a ProTec until she replaced it with another ProTec. My Tenor Sax case is a ProTec. My ’64 Elkhart 88H was, until recently, in a ProTec.

I switched to the Gard on an unwavering recommendation from a friend who is a pro player, and I gotta say, he’s not wrong. They’re great bags. But then…

I took a friend down to the LA area to pick out a new horn from a local collector/dealer of interesting and wonderful horn( I Noah guy…). While she was busy falling in love with a K&H jazz horn, he broke out this crusty old Holton TR-185. One single Low-C later, I agreed to buy it.

Here’s where this story comes back around to relevance…
It’s got a 10.5″ bell. It’s a really tight fit in the old ProTec bag, and I’d probably crease the bell trying to wedge it into the Gard. So I went looking through the trenches and dark corners of the interwebs for the slightly bigger version of the Gard bag, but alas! Nobody had them in stock, except for an outfit in Germany that wanted something like $150 to ship it… So I gambled on the case that is the subject of this review.

Once again, ProTec comes through. It fits the 10.5″ bell perfectly. This particular 185 is missing the optional “bird’s nest dependent valve”, so it’s a single-trigger closed wrap. I could fit a family of four in the gap behing the tuning crook….which basically means a double-valve open wrap horn would be pretty comfortable. There’s plenty of room for the triggers themselves, as evidenced by the cavity near the slide receiver on the bell section. The thumb trigger makes no contact with anything thanks to clever design. The form-fitted styrofoam sits nicely around the bell preventing any movement of the bell section inside the case, which keeps everything where you put it.

The slide goes into a fitted cavity on the top half of the case with a Velcro closure holding it in, and I’m reasonably sure the tubing on a double-valve horn would stay out of contact with the slide when the case is closed.

Typical fit and finish I’ve come to expect from ProTec… Good quality fabric, good quality zippers, good quality hardware, and great stitching. For those of you waffling about the fact that it’s a styrofoam case… I felt the same way. Time will tell whether or not my concerns hold any water, but I’ve been using this case for a few months now and it’s been excellent. The interior is covered in a black velour, and if you didn’t already know it was styrofoam the only thing that would give it away is the weight. Speaking of which…

This case weighs nothing. It really seems like I’m just picking up the horn. It’s got backpack straps integrated, but you can tuck them into a cover flap and pretend they don’t exist. There’s a long pocket on the outside of the top half, and the backpack straps are on the bottom (as the case sits when it’s open). Two formed accessory boxes on the interior round out the package to provide a spot for a mouthpiece, spray, slide lube, etc.

And it came with a mouthpiece pouch!

10/10 would smash. Good stuff.

OK. Compared to 20yr old case. It’s lighter, smaller in & out. Material seems thinner(?) This one needed glue: elastic strap in storage at the bell, cover slide bow other end.Use for large tenor. No way my 10″ bell bass.