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Pelican Cases And Plumbing Nightmares


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I love my Greg Jowaisas instrument case, but a recent plumbing leak that came close to flooding my music room has understandably ratcheted up my level of paranoia.

 

My question: are Pelican cases genuinely waterproof? When properly latched, is such a case likely to stand up to a serious overhead plumbing leak? What model might be appropriate for a standard sized Jeffries Anglo? And how does one accomplish the blocking process to ensure a tight fit and maximum protection for the instrument?

 

I have an unused Fallon case that came with a long-departed hybrid, and it fits the Jeffries. Are these cases waterproof?

 

Helpful hint based on my recent experience: find a location for everyday concertina storage with no overhead pipes!

Edited by Jim Besser
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This is what I have:

 

http://www.pelican.com/us/en/pro/product/watertight-storm-hard-cases/small-case/standard/iM2075/

 

Shop around for a good price.

 

It says 'watertight' and it looks like it would be. It certainly does not allow humidity in or out. I use a little humidifier in the winter and desiccants in the summer.

 

It can take a 6 1/2" concertina with some padding, I doubt you could get anything much bigger in it. I am using the foam that came with it, but the foam is starting to look a bit tired so I plan to line it with the usual type of velour cloth plus padding and blocks.

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Better still, get a Pelican case for your Jeffries, and then get a kayak for your Pelican case. If your music room floods from above again, not only will your Jeffries stay dry through the downpour, it'll also stay afloat above the deluge!

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Better still, get a Pelican case for your Jeffries, and then get a kayak for your Pelican case. If your music room floods from above again, not only will your Jeffries stay dry through the downpour, it'll also stay afloat above the deluge!

 

Pretty funny.

 

I was actually really lucky. The leak began directly above the piano, and the water pooled in the drywall all across the room. But I caught it before it broke thru - many layers of latex paint stemmed the tide - and was able to move the piano, rugs and concertinas out of harm's way b efore beginning the draining process.

 

Lesson learned: I never store the concertinas under plumbing in the ceiling, but the water spread across the room, and in another hour or so might have been over the concertinas before breaking thru. So I'm hunting for waterproof cases.

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I try never to store instruments on the floor, just in case there is a flood .

 

The two most dangerous places for an instrument are ; on a chair where they can be knocked or sat on,( many of us will have seen one or both of these), and on the floor where they can be stood on, kicked or be subject to liquid treatments such as spilled beer, leaking plumbing, rising rivers and errant dog reliefs... :huh: :o ....

 

PS ; some would say the most dangerous place for an instrument is in the hands of certain people..... :D

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I like those 17th century Dutch paintings showing house interiors. They often show a row of instruments - violins, viols, citterns and the like - hung pretty high up on the wall. I suppose this is in case a dam should break somewhere and cause flooding, or perhaps to keep them out of the way of small children, beer-swilling guests and errant dogs ...

Anyway, that is what violins, viols and citterns have a peg-head scroll for - hanging them up. Concertinas are obviously intended for the shelves of the more spatious dressers of a later century.

 

Cheers,

John

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I was also looking at Pelican cases but am now thinking about a competitor because of the size choices in Pelican. Since my concertina is 6.75" and the iM2075 is 7.25" interior height, I'd only have 0.25" padding on the top and 0.25" on the bottom. That seemed slim. The next size up (that meets all the minimum dimensions) is way larger.

 

SKB also makes waterproof, rigid boxes. They have a size that would allow 1.5" of padding all around plus some extra room on the side where I could store a Zoom recorder.

 

https://www.skbcases.com/music/products/proddetail.php?f=&id=1009&o=&offset=&c=152&s=

 

Just an alternative if you haven't already pulled the trigger.

 

Edit: A caveat...SKB products are also noticeably less expensive, probably because they don't have the brand name, yet. Potentially, though, it could be because they are more cheaply made. I need to see one in person before I go any farther.

Edited by Tad
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Some of the best quality rigid cases listed on the Internet as ‘ Vanity Cases ‘ are well worth viewing, even if not guaranteed waterproof. I have little doubt that mine would probably float on water and would protect against heavy rainfall, although I have no intention of putting it to the test !

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I now have 2 Pelican cases (for one, thanks to the extreme generosity of a C.net comrade).

 

It's a tight fit for my Jeffries, but there's enough room for some padding, and the instrument seems secure.

 

It looks like it'll do what I wanted it to do: protecting the instruments from the next major plumbing leak!

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Jim, as I have no pipes running above my 'tina, I was rather fearing raging dogs, angry cats and - as to meetings - stumbling concertinists.

 

And I have the fate of a friend's Wheatstone Anglo in mind, which he was carrying in a rucksack onto which he unfortunately fell just on his way to a meeting... (fortunately "only" destroying the bellows, and of course spoiling the meeting for him).

 

Best wishes - Wolf

 

P.S.: The fit for my Wheatstone is very tight, so there's not much padding, but it's firmly sitting in its place, bellows closed, and shielded against any blunt violence...

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Jim, as I have no pipes running above my 'tina, I was rather fearing raging dogs, angry cats and - as to meetings - stumbling concertinists.

 

And I have the fate of a friend's Wheatstone Anglo in mind, which he was carrying in a rucksack onto which he unfortunately fell just on his way to a meeting... (fortunately "only" destroying the bellows, and of course spoiling the meeting for him).

 

Best wishes - Wolf

 

P.S.: The fit for my Wheatstone is very tight, so there's not much padding, but it's firmly sitting in its place, bellows closed, and shielded against any blunt violence...

 

Generally, I believe in specific kinds of cases for specific uses.

 

For Morris, I prefer a very well padded soft case, since the major hazard is getting jostled in a crowded pub, bumped against a pillar or dropped from a table. I have several super padded camera cases with rigid plastic inserts that will protect instruments against dropping. For Morris tours when I need multiple instruments (most of them, actually), I prefer a moderately padded soft backpack camera case. with those, I need to be more careful with the instruments, but I just can't walk around all day with a heavy case in each hand.

 

For stationary gigs, I like hard cases. The Jowaisas case is outstanding: super strong, looks good, etc. I think Greg makes the best traditional concertina cases. But I am moving to the Pelican Storms because my biggest worry (with good cause ) is water: burst plumbing, roof leaks, etc.. I'm trading extreme cushioning and traditional appearance for waterproofing.

 

My own view is that there's no perfect solution. A great hard case with limited padding won't do a lot of good if it falls off a table and hits a tile floor; my super-padded soft case will. The soft case isn't waterproof, tho, and it might be a big problem if someone steps on it. The Pelican provides great water protection, but much less protection against severe jarring, like when you run into a wall.

 

Maybe it's overkill, but I use different cases in different situations, and try to exercise caution.

Edited by Jim Besser
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