THE SAFETY OF YOUR INSTRUMENT IS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN

You might not know that the word for "case" in Italian is custodia. This term derives from the verb custodire, or "to take care of". At Musafia cases, therefore, we aim to take care of your instrument, literally.

Our design philosophy and research follows the principle of basic load resistance, controlled deformation in order to absorb kinetic energy once the primary load resistance has been surpassed, and limitation of the movement of the content. This is an adaptation of the theories first developed by the Hungarian auto engineer Bela Barenyi in 1951 for Mercedes-Benz which, following the introduction of the Mercedes 220 in 1959, in the following decades became the passive safety standard adopted world-wide. (Read more). To work best in the event of impact, the structure of a musical instrument case must function in three ways: passive resistance against impact (i.e. strength), impact absorbtion (to dissipate kinetic energy), and instrument restraint (i.e. suspension pads and neck ties, which act like seatbelts and airbags in an automobile). This of course means that since true instrument safety lies within an equilibrium of these three aspects, the case must be conceived as a system.

1 - OUR PASSIVE SAFETY STANDARD. During our research we learned that one of the most frequent causes of damage of the instrument within the case is caused when someone slips and falls upon it, his or her weight crushing the case. Therefore, we have designed our violin cases to withstand the weight of at least 80 kg., or 176 lbs., representing the weight of the average owner, applied on top, on the sides, and on the ends. We can of course easily exceed this limit, and indeed certain models can withstand up to 130 kg. (286 lbs.) of pressure on the lid, but it isn't practical to design higher resistance on other models due to their shape and size because we must take into consideration that everyone wants a light-weight case. That of course doesn't rule out anything: if a customer wants a case that will support, say, 200 kg. (440 lbs.) on the lid, all he or she has to do is ask. We know how to do it, whatever model, size, or format it may be.

This popular case model weighs only 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs.) but simply leaning on it makes the lid buckle inwards. Before purchasing a case, try this simple test! If the lid buckles easily, your instrument is at risk!

2 - HOW WE DEFINE RESISTANCE. Our definition of resistance to a certain pressure means that we can load the case up to that weight (say 100 kg.) and the case will continue to be protective inasmuch as no part of it will be excercising unsustainable pressure against the instrument to provoke breakage. This doesn't rule out flexibility: indeed, a little flexibility is useful in order to help dissipate the kinetic energy generated by an impact. However, too much flexibility isn't good because, assuming of course that the instrument doesn't get crushed when the structure "gives", such a case will bounce if dropped, subjecting the instrument inside to greater acceleration and therefore greater risk. This is why we don't use unbreakable but too flexible materials such as carbon fiber, fiberglass, or other high-technology materials.    

3 - HOW WE TEST AND MEASURE RESISTANCE: When designing Musafia cases we try to make them protect the instrument in real-life situations, as opposed to laboratory test simulation (or guesswork). For this reason, to test the resistance to pressure we use a real instrument (violin or viola) inside the case, not just a mock-up or probe. This instrument is equipped with pressure sensors, situated in the key areas most prone to damage, for example the bridge and the bouts, which alert when critical parameters are surpassed. The pressure itself is exerted by the placement of calibrated weights onto the case, spread out uniformly over the surface to be tested. The greatest amount of weight that we can apply to a case without a pressure sensor alert going off is the value we then indicate it's resistance, or greatest sustainable weight.   

Thanks to the design and materials used, our ultralight violin cases models U2012R and U3012 are able to sustain a load of 130 kg. (286 kg.) on the lid.

4 - TOLERANCES AND FURTHER COMMENTS. We state that each model is designed to support a certain load: 80 kg., 100 kg., or more, depending on the model. However since our cases are made from wood laminate, and wood is a natural material, according to our research one can expect a variation of +/-10% of the values indicated from one case to another. In addition, these pressure resistance values are intended as a guideline only to be able to compare different case models measured by the same standard. Lesser weight applied to the case by means differing from those used in our standard, for example concentrated in a certain area or applied with a pointed object, could result in damage to an eventual instrument inside much sooner. Unless otherwise noted, load resistance values indicated refer to cases for violin only. Viola and double cases in general have lower resistance due to their larger surfaces. Lastly, if you have a special request that a given case model be resistant to a higher degree, we are able to satisfy your needs.

5 - IMPACT ABSORBTION /1. Once a force or impact has been received that exceeds the designed pressure (or load) resistance of the case, the structure will begin to lose it's original form. It is imperative that when this happens, this excess energy is absorbed before it is transmitted to the instrument through the monolithical impact absorbing structure. Musafia Cremona Italy cases in fact use high-density foam filler which is cemented to both the bottom and side panels to absorb this damage, while most other manufacturers glue the foam filler (usually of inferior density to save weight) solidly only to the sides. This means that the Musafia Cremona Italy case will be able to absorb a strong blow which exceeds the tensile strength of the frame while maintaining the area surrounding the instrument unchanged, thus saving the instrument. On the contrary, in a case not manufactured to this standard (i.e. most of them) the foam filler will move laterally and can crush the instrument.

CRASH TEST: This Salvatore Accardo by Musafia case was subjected to a severe impact, great enough to crack the frame on both right and left sides, tear out both cross-bars and made the bottom collapse inwards by over 2 cm. Yet, as can be seen in the photo on the right, the padded area which holds the instrument was not deformed by the impact: indeed, despite the case being beyond repair, the violin still fits perfectly with all the proper clearances. It's useful to have such a margin of safety!   

6 - IMPACT ABSORBTION /2. A little-known but serious risk to the instrument in case of impact is constituted by the accessory box lids being hinged to non-structural or non-reinforced partitions. In case of impact, the lid will in fact act as a guilliotine and force the partition into contact with the scroll.

CRASH TEST: In the Hill-model case to the left, during an impact absorbed longitudinally against the accessory box, the structure collapsed and the accessory box lid was pushed backwards, detaching the partition to the point of it coming into contact with the scroll of the instrument, as the marks on the velvet show. The image on the right shows how this can't happen in a Musafia International or Musafia Cremona Italy case: the partition is not only structural (i.e. cemented to the bottom and sides of the case) but it is also backed by impact-absorbing filler, making it's contact with the instrument under these circumstances almost impossible.

While the Aeternum and Salvatore Accardo cases don't have the foam filler behind the wood partition, the lengthwise partition (A) acts as a pillar and will support the crosswise partition in case of impact.

7 - INSTRUMENT RESTRAINT. To complete the safety of the instrument from the purely mechanical point of view, it must be suspended between the bottom and lid of the case, and restrained from movement in any direction that could harm it. This restraint however must not be rigid, as that could result in breakage under certain conditions. Rather, the instrument must be able to move in a limited circle, enough to dampen a blow but not enough to allow excessive acceleration. For this reason, all Musafia International and Musafia Cremona Italy cases use the thickest lateral padding of any case maker, have 4-point suspension (not just 3 or 2), and an elastically-mounted neck support restraint. In other words, all that plushness is truly useful, not just aesthetically pleasing!