GewaMaestro 309V Black/Blue 4/4 Violin Case

I searched for months for an affordable case (I do not have an expensive violin, but wish to have a fairly nice case). Prior, I had a Gewa case for 30 years of HEAVY use (yes, you read that correctly), and it finally fell apart. I would have kept it and would have continued to use it, except that the little metal lashings that connected the handle to the case eventually 'disintigrated'.In any case, I wanted to patronize Gewa again to honor their previous quality workmanship.I cannot tell how long this case will last, nor can I tell how much stress it can take, but it feels sturdy. The velvet is a very nice quality. I like that the bow frog clips are over the large pocket, and not over the fiddle. It is a heavy-ish case, but feels balanced on the shoulder. My collapsible Kunz shoulder rest fits nicely in the large pocket, with a few other little items.The front latch is a little finicky and needs some finessing, but it works and the all-around seal looks good, even without the zipper being closed. The case itself seems to be covered with some kind of felt over the hard shell, and that feels like it offers some cushioning and sealing. The outside pocket cannot expand, so not much stuff fits in there. The included shoulder strap is a little strange, in my opinion - It comes in two sections and I am not quite getting how they fall in place. But, they are nicely padded ...Anyway - I am quite content with this case.

This case was too small for my standard violin. The two bow holders on top were too short for my standard bows. The lid of the case would not close when my violin was in it. Completely confusing and disappointing. After 30 years of professional playing, I've never experienced this before.

Interior is nice, but it takes excessive fiddling to fit my shoulder pad into the large compartment. Latch does not keep case tightly closed all the way around. It's the zippered case cover that keeps the case sealed. Case cover has a music pocket. It's ok, but it fits tight & nothing else can fit inside. I use the shoulder strap most of the time. It's fine, but it gets in the way when you want to put the case down & open it.

i ordered the maestro case from a string instrument online store. it is a perfect fit for both my Sofia violin and my Sandner violin bow. i was even able to temporarily store my 4/4 size cello bow in this case. it's got all the bells and whistles i would have hoped for. excellent design and the materials used. it seals tight, and its weather-proof feature was one of the reasons I bought this case in the first place. all in all i'm very pleased w/ both the features, craftsmanship, and quality of this case.

This is not a really great case. It has all the bells and whistles, but it falls apart within the first year.