Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Musical Keyboard Bags & Cases
A practical reference for selecting, using, and maintaining keyboard bags and cases that protect your instrument
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Musical Keyboard Bags & Cases
A musical keyboard bag or case is a protective enclosure designed to contain, secure, and transport an electronic keyboard instrument. It exists for one primary reason: to prevent damage. But the seemingly simple act of putting a keyboard in a bag involves a series of engineering and material-science decisions that determine whether your instrument arrives at the gig unscathed or with a cracked screen, a broken key, or a bent output jack. This chapter explains what these products actually do, the physics behind their protection, and why their design and construction are worth your serious attention.
Consider the keyboard itself. A typical 61-key synthesizer weighs between 10 and 20 pounds (4.5-9 kg), but can be up to 50 pounds (23 kg) for a weighted 88-key stage piano. Its body is a plastic or metal chassis designed for rigidity when placed on a stand, not for withstanding impacts. The weakest points are the keys themselves, the pitch and modulation wheels, the knobs and faders, and, critically, the internal printed circuit board (PCB) which holds the instrument's brain. A sharp impact to a corner can transfer force to the PCB and crack a solder joint, causing intermittent failures that are expensive and frustrating to diagnose. The primary job of a case is to manage that force.
How Protection Works: Physics in Practice
When a keyboard falls off a table or is thrown in the back of a van, it experiences kinetic energy. The case's