My new violin case was gifted to me upon my request…for my birthday. I feel that I have outgrown my current case, which is why I wanted a case that would offer more storage capacity for all of my violin things.
Don’t get me wrong, my current case is totally awesome, it came with the violin outfit that I use which is the Eastman VL100 outfit. It’s pretty robust and has a beautiful interior that is lined with red velvet. Its small storage compartment is absolutely full. I am in need of more space for all of the extra violin junk that I currently can’t fit.
Also, since I have no special compartment to store my Bon Musica shoulder rest, I have to wrap it in a soft cloth in order to fit it on top of my violin scroll area. I also need to make sure that my shoulder rest does not touch my bow every time I close my case. As I experiment and try out new and different tools to help me throughout my violin journey, I have ran out of room for storing my tools in this case. I have no where to put my tuning forks, In fact there came a point where I over stuffed my little case compartment and damaged my micro tuner. It still works but the letters don’t show up completely
The case I have chosen to try is the Core Case CC500 with the blue interior lining. It’s actually very inexpensive for a case, currently at $159.00 through Fiddlershop – which is where I ordered mine.
The Core case CC500 comes with a strap that allows you to carry the case as a satchel or backpack.
The case is equipped with slightly large metal feet though. Not sure If I like that. It’s slippery on a table top surface. I’m actually used to the case being stable and put – non slip. But there’s a good solution to this. I’ll probably just coat the feet with rubber. That should do the trick.
Several magnetic snaps help keep the rain flap closed. You need to unsnap all 5 snaps in order to get to the zippers and main buckle of the case. It’s not very practical, but it is very protective for those who travel with their violin. The buckle has a key, which I never use, but it’s good to have. Two way zipper – which is the usual. In order to open the buckle you have to press both sides. A little more complex than the Eastman case, but I can get used to it.
The case is self standing, won’t topple over on it’s own… that’s good. Comes with four bow compartments (in case I have the need for more than one bow). A tube for extra strings, don’t need it, but I guess it’s good to have. A cover for the violin itself – but it’s detached. I actually like the Eastman case cover that is attached to the case. It’s another mod that I need to make to accommodate my demands. I can probably retro fit a couple of velcro straps to it so that it attaches to the case. The attached cover feature is very convenient and practical. Something I am not willing to let go of.
Something I never had before – a hygrometer. All you need to do is detach the hygrometer from the case, remove the small battery compartment cover from the back, then remove the plastic shield that’s underneath the provided LR44 battery. Once the battery is back in place without the plastic film, replace the cover. The hygrometer reading should show up on the screen right away. Did some research and the ideal humidity reading should be from 40 to 60.
The Core CC500 case has plenty of storage compartments! It has a shoulder rest compartment under the violin neck area and one very large storage spot above the violin area. The designated shoulder rest compartment does not fit a Bon Musica shoulder rest at all. I would suggest using that storage spot for items needed when the violin is outside of the case. My Bon Musica shoulder rest does fit in the larger storage, but just barely. My shoulder rest is adjusted to its smallest setting. Therefore, if your Bon Musica shoulder rest is at a larger setting, you’re out of luck.
My violin, bow, shoulder rest, and all of my tools have been fitted nicely into the CC500 case. The provided cover on the other hand, seems to be a bit short, and you will need to fidget it around in order to figure out the best place for it to cover your entire violin.
Overall, I think this case will work out for the long run. I don’t travel much with my violin, so this case is just good enough for my needs. It has extra features that I will try to make use of such as the hygrometer. Another detail about this case is that it’s a bit heavier than my current Eastman VL100 case. Not a big deal, but just thought I would give it a mention. In conclusion, you get exactly what you expect, not bad for only $159.00.
Check out my review video to see how it all works:
