Hey - haven't I seen that material before..?  We were a little surprised when one of the world's most respected case manufacturers publicized their new model in an Italian publication. They had reproduced the VERY SAME patterned velvet used to make the Enigma case! Could it really be true that a case manufacturer (which claims a centuries-old heritage) go to the effort to copy the same material produced by Mr. Musafia? 

We've cropped the image to hide the identity of the manufacturer (and save them further embarrassment). However, the fact that Mr. Musafia created this material originally is proven by the paper color proofs (right) in our possession. Close examination reveals that the pattern is identical. Coincidence..? Doubtful, to say the least!

A Vincenzo Postiglione violin gets stolen and abbandoned in the bushes in rainy England...  When Liz Bouman of restorers-dealers Willem Bouman & Zoon of The Hague (Netherlands) told us this story, it sounded truly incredible. A man walking his dog last winter near Manchester happened to notice something strange in the bushes, which upon investigation it turned out to be an old Musafia violin case containing a precious 1881 Vincenzo Postiglione violin, stolen some time before. The man, who had just suffered a loss in the family, was determined to do a good deed and found the "passport" of the violin inside the case which included contact information. After making arrangements with Liz Bouman the case and violin were shipped back to The Hague for inspection. And...

(click on the photos to enlarge)

Although the Musafia case was already quite worn, it did it's job protecting the Postiglione from the rain and chill out in a central English winter (latitude 52°N!), allowing the violin to survive unscathed by it's adventure. The instrument required no repair and was returned to it's rightful owner, while the case is being kept in it's original state by the Boumans to show their customers just how good Musafia cases really are. The sheared-off screws holding one of the hinges in place are proof the the case was thrown, not gently placed, out in the elements. 

For the record, the case in point is a standard Luxury Classic mod. 3010/S made around 2000 and not equipped with any special options (Tropicalization, waterproofing, etc.), so was just one of our standard cases. Thanks, Liz! 

How weatherpoof are Musafia cases in real life? To some people, a once-in-20-year snowstorm that drops 2 ft. (60cm) of snow is a thing of beauty. To others it's a first-class annoyance. At Musafia, it's a chance to test our cases!

In the morning of Friday January 27th 2006 a new Salvatore Accardo by Musafia case with WeatherGuard and Tropicalization was literally left out in the snow in our courtyard - for three full days! As the image on the right (above) shows, the case was covered with snow to the point of actually making it a little difficult to find. 

When we dug the case out of the snow 72 hours later and opened it, we were pleased to see that not only had no moisture gotten inside but there was not even any sign of condensation despite the sub-freezing temperature, a good indication of the fact that Musafia's use of hygroscopic linings helps keep a stable microclimate even in truly extreme conditions.

True or false: a good case should be air-tight.  FALSE. Our testing has shown that if an air-tight case is exposed to heat or direct sunlight, within the space of 20-30 minutes the relative humidity inside increases dramatically, doubling or even more. Yet anyone who has studied physics knows that the relative humidity of a given air mass should actually decrease with the increase of temperature! So how is this possible? Simple. Even a small increase of air temperature means that the air tries to expand. If the case is air-tight, as in many so-called “high-tech” cases, the air cannot expand because it’s trapped inside. The air, as it heats, becomes compressed, increasing the dew point and therefore the relative humidity. Our testing wasn't extreme conditions testing, either: just re-creating normal use in common summertime conditions. 

Test results dated July 25, 2005. Note that maximum relative humidity is attained in just 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight, before dropping off when air gradually begins to escape under pressure. Test conditions: direct sunlight, ambient air temperature range 90-93°F. Wireless temp/humidity probes used, values averaged for accuracy.

We have seen that in some cases the relative humidity can actually double in less than half an hour of exposure to sunlight, going from 40% to 80%. But the more the case really is air-tight, the higher the humidity will go, even to the point of creating condensation within the case. This means that the neck and fingerboard can feel "wet", unpleasant smells can form and mold can grow.  

Look what can happen...

This is what happens to an air-tight case (a specially-built Musafia case, made for the purpose of testing) when repeatedly exposed to high temperatures for a long period without ever opening it. Condensation forms and cannot escape, eventually soaking the lining and breeding an impressive amount of mold. Try to imagine your violin in there! Test conditions: direct sunlight, ambient air temperature range approx. 50-125°F.  

All of this is why Musafia cases can be waterproof, but they are NOT designed to be air-tight.

True or false: a heavy case must be safer than a lighter one. FALSE. Strength is not a synonym of weight, although clearly a certain amount of material is needed to make a violin case which will provide adequate protection. What really counts is the quality of the material used, it's mechanical characteristics, and the precision of the joinery. In our testing, the lid of a Chinese Musafia copy buckled inwards with only 35 kg. pressure, whereas the original Musafia case resisted up to 100 kg. That’s despite the fact that the Chinese copy actually weighed 22% more. 

How can an instrument be damaged inside a case? Damage sustained by an instrument while in it’s case is generally the result of one or more of three factors:

-         damage through compression, which means the case structure is deformed  by outside pressure, causing it to enter into contact with the instrument; solution: stronger structure.

-         damage through movement, which means that the instrument, moving within the case, enters into contact with a hard component or surface of the case without there necessarily being deformation of the case structure; solution: instrument suspension and restraint, correct interior design.

-         damage through atmospheric stress (excessive temperature, excessive or insufficient relative humidity, brusque variations of temperature or relative humidity); solution: thermal insulation, "breathing" case. 

Here's a great example of how NOT to build a case, in this example for 2 violins and a viola, by a respected European manufacturer no less. Not only is there no suspension system, but the separation between the instruments is totally inadequate, relying only only "ties" around the neck (which can easily untie) and a little cloth "tongues" between the bouts. Careful examination will show in the foreground that the neck cradle for the viola is visibly off-center and there is almost no foam filler to absorb a strong impact.  

Did you know that... if your case is in the sun (or in a car or bus parked in the sun) for only an hour and a half, the inside temperature can easily reach 120°F (50°C)?

 Test results dated July 26, 2005. Note that temperature increase starts to level off after about 90 minutes. Test conditions: direct sunlight, ambient air temperature range 82-88°F. Wireless temp/humidity probes used, values averaged for accuracy.

Did you know that... the lid of some popular cases will buckle inwards with a pressure of only 15 kg. (33 lbs.)? We think cases like this should be outlawed, if for no other reason that people think that these cases will protect their instruments, but they won’t. Musafia Ultralight cases are built to withstand up to 15 times more pressure!

Honors: The City of Genoa ordered a Musafia case for the 1742 Guarneri del Gesù "the Cannon", once owned by Paganini, specifying that from then on it was to be transported only in that case and with an escort of no less than five bodyguards. The only exception to the rule is allowed when also the copy J.B. Vuilliaume made of the celebrated "del Gesù", known as the "Sivori" and named after Paganini's only pupil, must be moved: then they use a double case, again made by Musafia. Previous to 1997, the City of Genoa used to transport the violins in a pressurized container the size of a refrigerator, designed to withstand a plane crash but, according to those who had to carry it around, not very user-friendly.

     

Weather-proof: In order to test the resistance of our Riviera™ nylon case covers, in 1999 a standard Musafia Luxury model with silk interior (value then about $575) was placed in one of the most inhospitable of environments for endurance testing immaginable: a southern-California rooftop. Environmental conditions included an average of over 200 days of direct solar radiation a year, 30cm (1 ft.) of rainfall during gusty winter Pacific storms, corrosion by salt air, and temperatures on the gravel rooftop often in excess of 120°F (50°C).

     
Top-of-the-line: In 1997 the City of Cremona commissioned a Musafia case for possibly the most famous of all Stradivaris, the Golden-Period 1715 "ex-Joachim", considered to be one of the best-preserved examples of Stradivari's best work.

Satisfied with the protection offered by Musafia cases, in 2005 the City of Cremona ordered another series of three.