Q's about the Sadowsky Ultralight case - please assist!

[Zeemno]

Hello, let me start by saying I've tried the searchy button, bot as I am not a supporting member, my search-fu is weak and won't let me use '+' properly. And finding anything specific from Sadowsky without the '+' is hard on these boards!

Here is my concern:
I got a nice deal on a Spector Euro 5 on eBay and now I need to ship it to Poland somehow. Since the price I got was quite low, I don't want to get a special ATA case for it. This and shipping such a weight would probably cost me more than this bass!

The bass won't be traveling via airplane and the airport. It'll be airmail by a company specialising in shipping stuff between Poland and US. So it won't be left in the hands of those who might harm it at the airport. But I am still concerned if the bass will reach me safe and sound!

I found this: Sadowsky Ultralight case

It says here, Mr. Sadowsky uses it to ship his own basses. So my first questions would be: Have any of the non-US Sadowsky owners recieved their bass in the case? Was it secure?

I used the contact option on that site of course, got an answer from Nino, replied and never heard back. All I know that a Fender Jazz/ Precision will fit in. But will a 35" scale bass fit?

My budget is up to 130$. Other cases I've considered:

Gator ATA case, but I am not sure after reading the reviews on Musicians Friend. They make suprisingly a lot of sense.

http://www.incasemusic.com/ Pricy, but looks like it might survive a flight if well packed.

So, can you tell me if any of those would be wise choice for airtransport? Maybe you can suggest me another case? Maybe you can give me a link with some suggestions (already found some, but you can never learn enough!)?

Any help much appreciated! And sorry for my english!

John

[Zeemno]

A shy bump....

Maybe, to summarise the whole post in one sentence:

Is a Sadowsky Ultralight case a safe way to send a bass via airmail over the big pond to the ol' EU?

[Stox]

I've had 3 sent over using FEDEX with no problems

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Zeemno

A shy bump....

Maybe, to summarise the whole post in one sentence:

Is a Sadowsky Ultralight case a safe way to send a bass via airmail over the big pond to the ol' EU?

That type case, put in a standard cardboard shipping box should be just fine. You can save some money by buying the generic version of that case vs. the Sadowsky branded model.

I forgot who the manufacturer is, but hopefully someone else can help you out there. These are similar to the MTD Zero G cases, and I think they are all made by the same company.

K

[sb69coupe]

The Sadowsky case is very similar to the Stew-Mac bass lite case:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Accessor..._LiteCase.html

I bought a pair of them for $65 each and couldn't be more pleased. Very lightweight and any standard sized bass (Fender, Musicman, etc) fit in there very well.

[Marcus]

I have both a Sadowsky Ultralight case and the Portabag, both are essentially made of the same material but are of different shapes. I would trust that the cases could survive international shipping three times over. They are very rigid, and if placed in a cardboard box with even the slightest amount of bubble-wrap will be more than okay. Hope that helps!

[lump]

Roger's shop shipped by bass to Korea in the UL case and I shipped it back later for mods in the same. No problems. That said, on the latter trip I had him chuck the case and bought the In-case gig bag, which I much prefer. The UL case is good for shipping and not much else, IMO ("Hey, is that a keyboard?"). I picked up an SKB-44RW to put the gig bag in for traveling. You gotta empty the pockets and take the straps off, but it's a nice, snug fit.

[Zeemno]

Thanks everybody who chimned in! My stress got a fair bit reduced now!

That StewMac case... is a Sadowsky name-tag on the case 35$ worth!? At least there are dimensions given. Now that's going to be a very tight fit here! ( Width and lenght of a Spector! ) I'll have to doublecheck that to be 100% sure. Good tip, sb69coupe!

KJung,
you probably mean the TKL Zero-Gravity J/P Bass Guitar Case. Indeed, all three look similar. But is the StewMac case also 'wood-reinforced'? Do they have the same dimensions?

Why won't they leave those informations on their websites....

[BartmanPDX]

Originally Posted by Zeemno

Thanks everybody who chimned in! My stress got a fair bit reduced now!

That StewMac case... is a Sadowsky name-tag on the case 35$ worth!? At least there are dimensions given. Now that's going to be a very tight fit here! ( Width and lenght of a Spector! ) I'll have to doublecheck that to be 100% sure. Good tip, sb69coupe!

KJung,
you probably mean the TKL Zero-Gravity J/P Bass Guitar Case. Indeed, all three look similar. But is the StewMac case also 'wood-reinforced'? Do they have the same dimensions?

Why won't they leave those informations on their websites....

I'm pretty sure the TKL zero-gravity case is the one that Sadowsky uses. Mine looks like it could survive a fair amount of abuse in transit.

Those Incase bags look MIGHTY sweet.

[sb69coupe]

Originally Posted by Zeemno

That StewMac case... is a Sadowsky name-tag on the case 35$ worth!? At least there are dimensions given. Now that's going to be a very tight fit here! ( Width and lenght of a Spector! ) I'll have to doublecheck that to be 100% sure. Good tip, sb69coupe!

I don't think the Sadowsky is exactly the same as the StewMac. My StewMac cases do NOT have any kind of wood or plastic reinforcement.

As far as dimensions are concerned, my Lakland Joe Osborn 4 string and my Lakland Darryl Jones 5 each fit in there nicely.

[MAJOR METAL]

I think I want to get one of these.

[Zeemno]

I think I'll go with the TKL one. But I have to wait for a reply with dimensions. 24h without an reply, it's weekend, so I guess I have to wait till monday. Or there will be no reply at all...

[5stringwonder]

Thinking of getting the TKL Zero Gravity 6136. Anyone has the dimensions of the case?

Thanks.