Flute Cases

[Rossweisse]

This is weird. It seems as the flute gets more expensive, the case gets smaller. My very first flute ever was a Bundy student flute and the case was ugly green and huge. My current flutes isan intermediate level Pearl. Its case seems barely large enough for the instrument. Now I also have a Muramatsu and its case is slightly smaller than the Pearl's. So, just how far does this decreasing go? Seriously, do flutes with five figure prices come with even smaller cases? Inquiring minds and all that ...

[Zevang]

Limitation is the material used to protect a flute. If you can make a case as thin as a sheet of paper that could support and protect properly a flute, why not?

But note that as materials get more and more modern, weight less and resist more, also the price tends to be higher and higher...

[cflutist]

I guess the thinking is that student flutes need to be in cases that can withstand being banged around more so they are more robust?

They figure by the time one gets a "professional" flute that people are more responsible and careful with their instruments? Most if not all in this category also have a case cover.

The case for my Haynes is slightly smaller than the one for my Brannen, go figure.

[Rossweisse]

Thank you both for your thoughts. It makes sense that newer materials can do what's needed in less space. It is also reasonable that a more expensive (and sensitive) horn will be treated better (and played by a more responsible person) than a bare bones student instrument. On another hand, the outer case for my oboe (which was just short of five figures) and its miniscule hard case is more of a thin windbreaker in contrast to the shearling jackets the Pearl and Mura<3 flutes wear over their hard cases.

I am amused that a Haynes case is smaller than a Brannen. I wonder if that is The anomalous exception.