Ahead Armorcases - from £33 - www.brdistribution.co.uk

A new range of cases for your prized kit from the long-lasting drumstick masters

Armor cases are a newly launched set of soft cases from Ahead, the company that brought us the critically acclaimed long-lasting synthetic drumsticks, as well as a range of various snare drums and accessories. We all know of the drum, percussion and hardware cases out there that many of us have used for years to cart our beloved drums around in, but there are some unique design features that make these Ahead Armor cases worth checking out.

Construction

Each case is constructed from thick heavy-duty polyester which is designed to be waterproof (useful, considering this country’s weather) and virtually indestructible, with a very soft, almost luxurious inner layer of deep-pile fleece lining to keep your tubs as protected as they need to be to withstand the rigours of regular gigging. The first, unique point here is that the Armor cases aren’t actually round, but teardrop in shape, meaning that they quite comfortably accommodate toms with attached mounting systems, as well as drilled bass drums with tom brackets. As any drummer who has struggled at the end of a long gig to get their kit packed away in a hurry will know, you can sometimes struggle to fit some drums into their cases due to the external hardware, so this feature makes a welcome change. This goes a step further: the zip of each case not only goes around the circumference of the case, but actually down the side as well, so that when opened, an access panel flips down, meaning that you can grab or place a drum in with one hand. To keep the cases in shape, between the outer polyester fabric and inner fleece lie two layers of high-impact foam (the company calls this the DX-Core), which offer a high level of solid protection, as well as adding a degree of rigidness to the cases. One neat little feature that I particularly liked is that on the bass drum case you have two extra heavy-duty rubber handles (one top, one bottom) so that you can carry the bass drum in front of you with two hands à la marching drum – particularly useful if you have a heavy bass drum or just like knocking people out of your way as you load/unload! 

In use

The selection of cases we were sent are certainly very well made – all feature heavy-duty double stitching and look and feel solid. Placing drums into these cases is very quick and easy thanks to the unique shape and zip design, giving that side access. And these heavyweight cases are remarkably lightweight to carry, which as any gigging drummer knows is a big plus point. The less weight you have to carry in and out of venues the better!

Conclusion

These Armor cases are well made, using good quality materials and are robust. The clever teardrop design and side opening feature do make for easy access to your drums. Each drummer will have their own opinion on whether to use soft or hard cases to transport their valuable instruments around. In our experience, good quality, well made soft cases provide more than adequate protection for most drummers. And these Ahead Armor cases look to be made of sturdy stuff and should protect your drums from the rigors of gigging.