We use the best materials we can. We don’t cut corners or use cheap products. We use what is called double angle extrusion so that where the panels join together, they go into a channel in the aluminum and then we rivet through both legs of aluminum and sandwich the panel in between. That fastens it together securely and the aluminum extrusion makes up the frame of the case. Most companies will take the wood and either glue or use tiny nails to secure the wood together and then will use rivets or even staples to hold a single angle piece that merely covers the joints of the wood and strengthen it somewhat but it typically is more for covering up the joints of panel more than providing a framework for the case (see photos at the bottom for comparison of one of our cases and a competitors case).
Most companies don’t miter the aluminum at 45 degree angles in the corners the way we do - they just do straight cuts and there’s a big gap at the corner of the case and the ball corner merely covers it up. The corner is where you want the most solid construction.
We use high quality AC birch with ABS laminate finishes, with different finishes available. It’s solid, quality wood. All our rivets are either punched through aluminum or are washer backed - most companies will rivet handles, corners and latches without any washers and it’s easy to tear them off, especially with a lot of use or a few flights. We can go into quite a few more details but our cases are custom made here in the US with the best components and have proven themselves through trailers coming off and tumbling, vehicle flips (personal experience there!), cases toppling out of a trailer onto the highway, us running over them with large trucks to test them out, flooded warehouses keeping gear safe, and we’ve seen some of our early cases after 300-500 flights still doing their job and holding up well.
We use high quality polyethylene plank foam in the base (depending on the design of the case), so the equipment doesn’t squash or compress it but still extremely good protection, and then a softer 1” ester foam on all the sides and top. A lot of companies will use an ether foam which typically discolors after 2-3 years and then starts to disintegrate. We’ve re-foamed a good number of other name brand cases that cut corners on foam.
If your case is on casters, we use a ¾” piece of plywood on the bottom of the case that is the whole length of the case. The casters bolt through into the base with bolts and tee-nuts and makes for a stronger case. We use 4” casters that have a high weight-bearing load and every case with casters comes with 2 locking each that keep it from spinning or swiveling. Often, the cases can be heavy cases with lots of equipment on a steep ramp and merely locking one of the casters will keep the whole thing from rolling down the ramp – but it keeps your equipment from “walking away from you” when you need it to stay still, stay strategically packed in the trailer, etc.
We build all types of cases and we always take into consideration what our customers are using our cases for. We don’t classify our staff as only builders or admin. Brady Cases is home and family to musicians, designers, techies, gun enthusiasts, hobbyists, and military veterans. We pool that knowledge and life experience, add a little commonsense factor, and turn that into a well-designed, well-built case that does exactly what it is supposed to do. Our music equipment cases are a perfect example of this process. Some companies build cases where the lip of the base will come up too far and can block the speaker of an amp to mic it, or block connections on mixers or pedal boards due to poor design. We have specific depths we recess things into the foam that are standard but also look at all the equipment to make sure everything fits, everything is accessible and is plug & play. So much thought and time goes into our designs before it even goes out to the floor to be built.
As with anyone when it comes to something they love, we can talk for hours and give details upon details describing what we build and how we build it but we think this little anecdote describes our cases best:
A little over a year ago, our Owner, Brady, had a tire blow on his vehicle. He hit a curb, then a barrier, and then rolled multiple times side to side and end over end into a ditch. He had a combo amp, 2 amp heads, 3 guitars, pedal board, espresso machine case and a good number of other things and cases. He was relived to not see much damage on the cases and was super impressed when he literally opened the guitar cases, pulled the guitars out and they were perfectly in tune. He still uses those same cases and you can’t even tell they flipped, slammed together, and some busted through the windows ejecting out of the vehicle.
Welcome to our World!
]]>
Trainer/workstation cases
We've built large and small and all in between. We can build these and customize them to whatever needs you have. They usually include lots of tape storage on spools, storage drawers, and often a work surface.
Storage/Trunk cases
Commonly, there's just a lot of stuff to be taken. We can build trunk cases of any size to toss stuff in or compartmentalized cases. The possibilities are endless!
Here are some of the turf tires.
Wardrobe/uniform/equipment cases
These can usually have hanging racks for uniforms, clothing, padding equipment, etc. Most common upgrades are vent dishes, mirrors, power inlets, interior lighting, etc. We can store bats, helmets, padding, uniforms, shoes - pretty much anything.
Communication equipment cases
Two way radios, laptops, video equipment, screen cases - we build it all.
Merch/display cases
These are great to sell shirts, caps, and merchandise out of. Roll up, open the case and you are ready to go. We often do cash-box drawers that are lockable, lighting, and have different security and display options.
Let us know if you have any needs, questions or design ideas - we'd love to work with you!
]]>
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bradycases/sets/72157630092029944
]]>Guitars, amps, basses, keyboards, etc. These types of cases are primarily what we do. Housing amps, instruments, multi-guitar storage, etc.
Storage/Trunk cases
Commonly, there's just a lot of stuff to be transported. We can build trunk cases of any size to toss stuff in or compartmentalized or drawer cases.
Tech/display cases
Guitar workstations, laptops, video equipment, motorized lift screen cases - we build it all.
Merch/display cases
These are great to sell shirts, caps, and merchandise out of. Roll up, open the case and you are ready to go. We often do cash-box drawers that are lockable, lighting, and have different security and display options.
Mixer & rack cases. We build a ton of these. Great for musicians and production companies that need to move the mixer in and out - or just to have everything set permanently in a lockable, secure setting. We do doghouses, power inlets, audio connections, etc. We make shock-mounted and standard rack cases as well.
Guitar and Recording Workstations.
And sometimes you need refreshments at your booth!
Let us know if we can design anything for you and your organization!
]]>
Mixer & rack cases. We build a ton of these. Great for mobile churches or systems that you need to move the mixer in and out - or just to have everything set permanently in a lockable, secure setting. We do doghouses, power inlets, audio connections, etc. We make shock-mounted and standard rack cases as well.
Guitar and Recording Workstations. If you have guitarists that change strings or setup their guitars, it's nice to have everything in drawers and organized. A lot of churches will have mobile recording cases to take to camps, live events, etc. We also do "tracking cases" for musicians to have a computer to run click, samples, audio interfaces, racks, etc.
Guitars, amps, basses, keyboards, etc. These types of cases are primarily what we do. Housing amps, instruments, multi-guitar storage, etc.
PA Storage and Transport. Whether you're a mobile church or not, having everything in a case that can store your equipment or lock tools and items up between events is definitely worth having! Trunks, drawer/shelf cases, moving light cases, projector cases, etc.
Video and Technology Solutions. A lot of mobile churches want to display lyrics and they will choose our screen lift cases. These typically are built where you just plug power in, undo two latches and the screen raises up by remote on a motorized lift - we often build in computers, apple tv's, HDMI ports, etc. We do screen and computer storage cases and have an array of different solutions for your displays.
If you have any needs at all let us know and we can design it for you. Thanks!
]]>We get asked this a lot so we put together some specifications, applications and pro's/con's for each. Polypropylene is a lightweight option has a fluted core laminated to an ABS top skin. ABS is the sheet that is laminated to our birch wood. We also carry different types of wood upon request. We can also do different skins such as fiberglass, hexagrip, etc.
Polypropylene's greatest feature is the weight. We typically recommend it for applications where the case needs to be as light as possible, especially when flying or just trying to shave off some weight. Most common uses are guitar cases, pedal boards, amp cases, keyboard cases, etc. Both have their pro's and con's but both are very good materials. On larger cases, we typically recommend birch and usually 3/8" or 1/2" if it is large or bearing high weight loads.
On pedal boards, guitar cases, etc - we would expect to see about 5-8 lbs off, sometimes more depending on the size of the case, with the polypropylene versus the wood. On amp and cab cases, it's often a good bit more. We have a calculator that we input the dimensions and hardware and we can usually get you a figure to the nearest pound of what a case will weigh if you have certain requirements.
Below are some basic comparisons, things we've (and our customers) have noticed. With airline prices, polypropylene can pay itself off pretty quick. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us!
Pictures:
1/4" Birch | 1/4" Polypropylene |
3/8" Birch | 3/8" Polypropylene |
1/2" Birch | 3/8" Stucco |
Basic Comparisons:
1/4" Birch | 1/4" Polypropylene | ||
Weight | Wood is the heaviest | 30-40% lighter than wood | |
Cost | Most economical | Typically $35-50 more than wood | |
Flexing | The firmest material | Flexes more than wood | |
Warping | Possible warping in high heat | Will not warp | |
Impact | Crack before puncture | Will not break but can puncture | |
Cosmetics | Best over time | Can dent in |
Technical Comparisons:
1/4" Birch | 1/4" Polypropylene | ||
Weight/Sheet | 27 | 22.2 | |
Sheet Size | 48" x 96" | 59" x 90" | |
Lbs per/sq. in. | 0.00585 | 0.00418 | |
Thickness | .25" | .28" | |
Tensile Strength | 21,022 | 8,373 | |
Flexural Strength at Yield | 24,572 | 21,068 | |
Impact Strength Falling Iron Dart | 96.4 in/lbf-break | 288 in/lbf-no break |
One of our favorite things to build are our pedal boards. They are all built custom to order and we haven't found a company that has as much customization for the actual board, wiring/routing, or design concepts that we've been able to build through the years. We can build the simple & tough to the elaborate, high-end pedalboards that are both a sight to look at, as well as a tool to make your music-making a fast, sonically-pleasing and enjoyable process.
Yes! We've been asked this question dozens and dozens of times. Do we limit ourselves to one design or size? No. We build angled, elevated boards, lift-out boards, tiered boards and risers, cases for other companies boards, and have done quite a few different concepts to fit what the customer wanted/needed. A lot of companies build good pedal boards and then stick them in a bag or have cases made for them that are, to be honest, terribly made and tend to tear up after just a simple tour. We see airlines get blamed for destroying some of these companies cases, and yes - they are way too rough on them, but in the vast majority of the situations, our cases would have held up the same scenario due to the rugged design.
Some of the companies that we regularly build cases for:
We like the look of a shiny decked out pedalboard (check out Brady's personal board here!). We can do plexiglass boards, incorporate RGB or single LED strips or light bars that cycle through a million colors and can pause on any color, be programmed with a remote or controller to strobe, change frequency cycles and can even be hooked up to run DMX by the lighting technician (we can deck out all your backline to match and create some very cool stage presence!). If you have an idea, we'd love to design it and make it happen. The design process is free and Brady or other techs will work with you to build your perfect board.
Features of a Brady Cases Angled Pedalboard include:
The Possibilities Are Endless!
All our pedal boards are built custom to order so you can choose from our standard sizes or build your own. Before building these ourselves, we just found we were tired of all these mass produced boards that always seemed way too small for our needs, had features that we didn't need, and they were just cheap (as far as quality but not as much on price). What you get on this pedal board is a mixture of ruggedness, customization, and looks. It is a full ATA approved case that will last the lifetime of the pedal board, which very few companies offer a real case to go with their boards and if they do, I wouldn't trust airline companies for one trip. The possibilities are endless - we handwire our true bypass strips in shop, can add any connectors (power, audio, data, dmx, etc), offer full 3D CAD design, can install your equipment and offer mounting solutions, tiers, case customizations and colors - at the fraction of the price of some of our competitors. Choose from one of the standard size on the site or feel free to give us a call or email and we'll start the design process!
How The Boards Work
The pedal boards are designed around the case. Since you're likely housing $1000+ of pedals in one place, it makes sense to protect them. That's why we use all ATA approved designs and the best latches, handles, corners and other hardware to make sure your gear stays protected. The exterior case is standard 1/4" ABS laminated birch and the polypropylene usually shaves off 5-10 pounds depending on the size of the board (great for flying!) and is comparable in durability. The interior board is angled and is about 2" from the ground at the front and around 5.5" in the back so it low to the ground. There is about 4" of room underneath in the back for you to house your power supplies and surge protectors. The sides and back are closed up so we recommend power inlets to power your power supplies. To access your equipment underneath, just drill holes where you need them (it is 3/8" high quality birch so it doesn't affect the integrity of the interior board). Some people prefer to drill holes where every pedal goes for the power which gives a very clean appearance and some prefer to drill larger holes and have everything run through smaller holes. Don't feel handy or comfortable doing it yourself? - we can drill holes where you specify and can route slots in the interior board as well. There is 1" foam in the lid that is angled towards the front of the case so that your pedals stay well-protected. There is standard 3.5" from the board to the foam at the front and 2-2.5" at the back. The pedals will sink into the foam and it actually helps keep your knobs from turning while in transit. If you need more clearance, just let us know when you order. There is foam around the perimeter of the interior board so that is also shock-mounted as well. They come standard with a velcro (loop side) surface so it will accept the hook side velcro affixed to the bottom of your pedals. We want your pedals to move around as little as possible inside the case. Have further questions? View our pedal board FAQ!
]]>Check out our amp cases!
If you are perusing the site and are wondering which case to purchase and if it will fit your amp, don't hesitate to contact us. We do email and verify all of our dimensions and ask for the customer to hand measure if possible to get an exact fit. We'll make a case for any amp you have. Below are just a few of the amp companies that we've built cases for: