Good case for Cordoba 15cm concert ukulele

I've recently decided to learn how to play the ukulele, and after some research, decided I would purchase the cordoba 15cm concert. The problem is, however, that the store I am purchasing the ukulele from does not sell any hard shell cases, so I'm left to buy one online. Now I don't want to go through the trouble of buying a case only to return it due to lack of protection, getting the wrong size, or anything else, so I was wondering if anybody has any recommendations as far as hard shell cases go. I would also appreciate if I could find one with a lock (or that I can attach a lock to), just because I don't want little siblings getting into it. I would like the case to be less than $30, but I can handle anything up to $50 if I must.

I was also wondering if humidifiers should/can be used year long, or if there is a certain time they should be. Is there an ideal % it should be at?

Thank you

About as much case as you're likely to get for $23.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/132158871249?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

or for 3 bucks more this black one: 3 bucks more for a black one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-24-Top-...482546?hash=item280419a9b2:g:lAkAAOSwd0BVsJSz

It's my understanding that the Corboda 15CM is a laminate instrument and that laminate instruments do not need humidifiers.

To secure a traditional type case you could use a 'strap' routed through the handle and wrapped around the body plus a padlock. To help you stay within budget and still achieve your protection objectives it may be that you are abe to get a padded soft case that allows the zip to be padlock closed. I'd also consider some functionally similar protective or secure storage arrangement such as covering the Uke with a simpler bag and storing it all in a locked cupboard, cabinet or suitcase/hold-all.

PhilUSAFRet said:

About as much case as you're likely to get for $23.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/132158871249?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

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Nice heads up tip, Phil! I just ordered the Concert size for my Martin C1K and a Soprano size for my 0X Bamboo. When they arrive, I'll be able to check if my new KPK Super Soprano fits in the Soprano size, or if it's neck length will actually require the larger Concert case and see him much padding would be needed to fill up the body area. I may even order one of the black soprano cases for my Martin Style 1 Centennial. It's certainly best to have the ukes in hard cases whenever possible.

Graham Greenbag said:

It's my understanding that the Corboda 15CM is a laminate instrument and that laminate instruments do not need humidifiers.

To secure a traditional type case you could use a 'strap' routed through the handle and wrapped around the body plus a padlock. To help you stay within budget and still achieve your protection objectives it may be that you are abe to get a padded soft case that allows the zip to be padlock closed. I'd also consider some functionally similar protective or secure storage arrangement such as covering the Uke with a simpler bag and storing it all in a locked cupboard, cabinet or suitcase/hold-all.

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But keep in mind there are other parts of the uke like the neck, fretboard and bridge that are often made of solid woods that can suffer the effect of improper humidity where it's storage location may be exposed to improper humidity level extremes. And also the added protection that a hard case can provide over a soft gig bag during transport and storage where it may be subjective to accidental damage.

PhilUSAFRet said:

About as much case as you're likely to get for $23.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/132158871249?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

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Both cases arrived yesterday. The seller really tries to save on the shipping by just putting the case in an outer thin non-tear plastic bag. But at the price offered I guess a box makes it more expensive for them to package and ship it out. Not too big of a deal I guess since there wasn't actually a ukulele inside. But cheap nonetheless.

As for the cases themselves; good quality (no weird orders), and mostly as expected. However the sizes for both the soprano and concert run a little big. For instance, my Martin Centennial Style 1 soprano needs several polishing cloths placed at the bottom, sides, and top to keep the body from shifting side to side and up-and-down. Same thing if I place my Martin C1K in the concert case there is room around the bottom, sides and top also needing polishing cloths to fill the gaps. In comparison, the hardshell gator case with a cost of about $17 more is a much better fit for the designated sizes and also has a third center closure on the outside of the case rather than just two at either ends.


All in all, for the price paid I can't see I am at all disappointed, but I would've liked to have avoided having to place several polishing cloths around the body of the Ukuleles to prevent them from shifting around .


In the future I will probably pick up a concert and soprano gator case to replace these to put my Martin's in, and then will use these cases for the KPK and OX bamboo ukuleles. Incidentally, the concert length Neck of the KPK super soprano fits nicely in the sopranos size case, and it's slightly larger soprano sized body compared to that of the Martin soprano only needs one polishing cloth for keeping it from shifting around

ukuleleden said:

In comparison, the hardshell gator case with a cost of about $17 more is a much better fit for the designated sizes and also has a third center closure on the outside of the case rather than just two at either ends.

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Where can you get a Gator case for $40? Everywhere I look they are $60, which is $37 more. And every time I read reviews on $40 cases it seems like people complain that the handle fell off, or it had some other fairly significant sounding issue.

Why not get a soft-shell case?

stevepetergal said:

Why not get a soft-shell case?

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The reason I was focusing on hard cases is in part that when I read reviews of soft shell cases people are always complaining that the handle fell off. Or they have other complaints about lack of durability, which leaves me a little discouraged.

So for example, the UkeCrazy case (which I guess is made by or marketed by Kala) has a review on HMS that says:

I've got one of these cases that came with my Kala U-Bass. In the few years I've owned it:
> The cover on the back has been peeling off & won't stay glued on
> Several of the screws that hold on the handle have come off and won't stay in again
> One of the sections that hold the clips for the strap has been peeling away
> The strap that holds down the instrument inside has split away
> Some of the inside lining has peeled away from the side
> The zipper pulls have both come off repeatedly
I would NOT recommend these cases to anyone, frankly.

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There is talk about the seams separating, exposed styrofoam. One reviewer writes: "This case comes apart at the seams pretty easily. The straps come out of the foam core, the canvas comes off of it as well, the rivets are really just pressed into the body."

Lower weight and a place to put music seem like nice advantages of the soft case. But is there a soft case out there that's actually well made and doesn't fall apart? Gator makes an $80 "gig bag" that could be considered a soft case, I suppose. But it costs more than most of the hard cases.

I second the suggestion about considering a soft-shell case, since this is a laminate instrument and thus humidification is not an issue (and laminates tend to be pretty sturdy overall). I have had the soprano version of this case for 4 years, and have taken it everywhere: https://www.amazon.com/Hola-Heavy-CONCERT-Ukulele-Padding/dp/B00BLJYWMQ

I guess we need some clarification here on terminology. The link you gave is to what people usually call a "gig bag". This is a "case" which is just a bag lined with soft foam. (I don't tend to think of bags as a type of case; to me a case is a rigid storage container.) These tend to cost $15-$20. I'm looking for a case for a Kala KA-STG, which is a solid top instrument and will be used by my daughter who isn't always very careful. The gig bag seems inadequate.

What I think of as the "soft shell case" is a case made from rigid foam covered with fabric. As far as I can tell, there is only one such case made, with multiple different resellers and brand labels. The price is $40.

https://kalabrand.com/collections/ukulele-cases/products/foam-hard-case

Terminology is obviously confused here as the heading says "Foam hard case" but the description says "polyfoam soft shell case". It seems to me that a case like this would be perfectly adequate....except that apparently the handle falls off and the stitching fails so the fabric peels away from the styrofoam core of the case.

I believe this is the exact same case:
http://www.theukulelesite.com/ukecrazy-case.html

Note they also describe it as "hard shell" even though there's nothing hard, about it---fabric over foam.

The last category are the cases that are *actually* hard, not just being misrepresented by the vendors as hard. These cases have vinyl wrapped plywood, fiberglass, or ABS exteriors, so they actually have a hard shell. The case from ebay mentioned above is one example.

http://www.theukulelesite.com/acces...en-cases/new-oahu-hardshell-ukulele-case.html

There's another example. This actually looks like a nice case at a good price, but it's out of stock in tenor.