Me too Hal !

Wolf & Hal:
 
Check out casextreme.com, and their product: The Clam.  It's quite inexpensive and supports your instrument suspended in air with foam C clamps.  It really works quite well, check out the videos on the web site.  I used to have one for my acoustic before I got my Calton case.  The only downside to the Clam Is it's size.  I don't know for sure, but it used to be that it was oversize for the airlines requiring a $100 fee.  I used to check it curbside, slip the guy $20, and I was never charged the fee.  
One good thing is that even though the Clam itself is big and cumbersome, once you get to your destination, you have your regular case or even gig bag to tote you instrument around.
 
Bill, tgo

Thanks for all the posts.  These are all good suggestions but I think we deserve better from our case makers. I have a few ideas now on how to get the job done right.  I'm going to see what can be done here manufacturing wise and I'll keep you posted.  Our Alembics deserve better.

Bill , cool videos!  
 Reminds me of this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_fKppH8B0g&feature=related

Here's another vote for The Clam.
 
I use The Clam when I fly with my ABG.  I put the bass in its hardshell case, and the case goes inside of The Clam. I routinely ship The Clam via checked baggage both to and from Philadelphia International Airport, which many seasoned travelers know has taken baggage abuse to an amazingly high level.  I've never had a problem
 
One good thing about The Clam is that it doesn't weigh very much.  It is, however, huge as it it meant to hold an instrument inside of a hardshell case.  Another bad thing: it looks weird, and I often draw nervous looks from airport security people when I pull it out of the car at curbside.  I suppose the weird look is also a a good thing as it doesn't scream Musical Instrument - Steal Me.

That's a great case Bill...
 
I wonder why they have not built a great case with Space-Age memory foam, like the kind people use for beds. Man, that thing is really soft and it contour's any sold object shape, then it reshapes to its original static shape, after the object is removed.
 
I can imagine a case with just two flat thick slabs of foam within the interior of the case (on the top, and the bottom half's) just sandwiches the bass or guitar's shape (contouring) to a T.
 
Theoretically, the case could be large enough to hold a bass, but the memory foam could encapsulate any size guitar too.
 
Yeah, if I was in the case game, I would think deeply on something of a thick memory foam solution.  
 
Peace and Love,
 
Hal-
 
(Message edited by toma_hawk01 on August 12, 2010)

Wolf:
 
The Timex video sure brought back memories.  Especially of 1974.  I remember when the SLA was cornered in that house in L.A. in the shootout with the police.  It ended with the house burning down.  I was living in the L.A. area at the time.  The next day on the local news, they showed the charred remains of the SLA house.  The reporter bent over, picked a watch up out of the ashes, and showed it still working!  I thought at the time it would make a great Timex commercial:
 
Hi, I'm John Cameron Swayze.  We strapped this Timex watch to the wrist of this radical revolutionary.  Now we're putting the revolutionary in this house, surrounding it with cops, shooting through it, lighting it on fire ... now it's 8 hours later, everyone's dead, BUT THE TIMEX TAKES A LICKING AND KEEPS ON TICKING!
 
hehehehe
 
Bill, tgo

Bill.     I remember when the SLA hit the Hibernia bank on Noriega St.
with Patty Hearst  in San Francisco. I was walking home from school carrying a huge Euphonium in it's case (tenor tuba). The police had closed down several blocks and I had to take a huge detour to get home.
 
The case for the Euphonium   really looked like a Giant Clam Shell !!
 
(Message edited by sonicus on August 12, 2010)
 
(Message edited by sonicus on August 12, 2010)

I'd be interested. There are some good options out there already, like the aforementioned Calton, but they tend to be pricey. Also check out http://www.carbonfibercases.com/, but they don't make bass cases yet.  
 
I do prefer a traditionally opening case. I would also like room in the case to store an extra set of strings (my only complaint about my Calton) as well as the strap, some picks, etc.

The carbon fibre cases look pretty tough. Shame the demo's didn't show an electric guitar. The extra weight would have been interesting to see how it would stand up. But i guess carbon fibre is pretty strong stuff.  
 
http://www.compositesengineering.com/pages/case_studies/celtic_bass/bass_guitar.html
Jazzyvee

I had a beautiful, reasonably light case made for my medium scale Series I by Calton Cases in Canada.  Their molds are too small to make one for a long scale series I.
 
The Calton case is much nicer and sturdier than the standard issue wood & vinyl case, and far lighter and smaller than an anvil.  I am very happy with it so far.
 
Hope this helps.
 
TTC

I wandered into a local music store, and happened to walk past the cases.  I'm tired of the big hardshell cases, but bags are too nerve wracking to carry, trying to make sure I don't bump into anything.  The 'in-between', zipper cases have caught my eye, just never found the right one for me.  
 
I was very interested to see these guys had one of the new Reunion Blues 'RB Continental' zipper cases, and I was very impressed.  Will have to take my axe back over there to see if it fits.  I've always been a big RB fan (they used to make the BEST strap for heavy instruments ever!).  Check one out if you run across one.  They have quite an amazing video about them on their website(www.reunionblues.com).
 
J o e y

Strange twist of fate for me.
 
My flat in Hong Kong flooded last week due to a burst pipe while we were in Beijing.  Fortunately I had just the week before moved the Alembics to Beijing.  My wife's black mint 77 telecaster deluxe was damaged along with her 335  
 
The guitar cases practically disintegrated after being exposed to water for a few days and obviously let the water into the guitar in the first place.  
 
I'm preparing designs that I think will achieve everything from my first post. Someone needs to fix this for the sake of our instruments.