Acase: A Practical Review
cello gear nerd alert, and yes, photos included
Update as of 05/16/2025: Acase has made it clear that production of a case is 2 months, and the form you see below is now part of a google form one can access from their site.
Hey everyone! Happy May! Fingers crossed the weather stabilizes and we don’t have any more cold surges or heat spikes! This review has been a draft since November…and reading over it, I’d love to report that my opinions have not changed! Yay! That being said, I thought I’d address a cellists every day tool, the cello case. If you’d like to skip the blah blah part of this, scroll down till you see the bolded section, or key words you’re specifically looking for, since Im sure some of you are more interested in what makes the case great than my babbling haha!
Also, let me make this clear: this review was written independently, without Acase knowing until this publishing. So no money or promises were exchanged, just a working cellists thoughts and opinions on the case!
Back to the regularly scheduled post…Cello cases are so important, it can’t be understated. So I decided to focus in on the Acase, a company based in Croatia, taking the cello world by storm with their custom made, lightweight, approachable cases. Before I get there, I do have to give a shout out to my former case, a stout partner in crime that has been by my side for a decade.
The Musilia M6 case has survived falls, subway trips, tight NYC gig corners, large crowds of tourists, car rides, bus rides, and so much more. Yes, a couple of latches are loose and or missing, and yes, the bow holders have been re-glued multiple times. But, regardless of what the last decade has slammed into this case, it has survived it all, and continues to survive as my official gig case for my 3D printed cello (a substack to come out about that at a later date). See picture below for all the glorious stickers. More being added when space is found.
Now, onto the main attraction: Acase. They’re custom made cases, built to order, assembled by the creator of the Accord case (who branched out and started Acase, separate of Accord). Their pricing is competitive, and with so many options one can get on their case, its a deal. That being said, let me dive into my experience with them. I’ll try to be direct and to the point, without rummaging for words I hope.
When perusing their site, it’s quite informative. Colors, design, additional add ons, and more are available. If you need/want to check it out, click here. In the initial stages of planning my case, communication was great. They’re super fast in responding, great at answering any questions you may have, and helpful if you have trouble measuring your cello. When you send them an email, they send you a sheet with various measurements across the instrument, as well as a pdf with photos explaining certain measurements. See below!
Once you fill out the form and send it in, they’ll let you know if they have to make adjustments to the case (for an extra fee). Now, because I wanted my case to be the “it” case, I did opt in for the bow holders, ergonomic feet, and backpack. I’ll attach photos of my case below, so you can see all the extras described.
When it comes to measuring it, I can’t stress this enough: have another person on hand to help out, because some measurements are tough to get as a one person show. Hopefully once you gather the numbers, they should all add up to the larger numbers you’ve already measured. Once you get that down, send them the sheet and wait!
I nearly waited 10 months for my case to show up. Let me tell you, it was well worth that wait! I did, at times, lose my mind because well…anticipation haha. The material is rugged and textured, which I like, the latches are amazing (will get to that shortly), and it’s the perfect fit for my cello. The only surprise really was getting an email saying the case was done, asking for a tracking number, and then boom its made it a week later! The box did look like it was attacked by a beast, but the case was in excellent shape haha. Acase is based on the “honor” system, so you pay once you get the goods.
Now, the huge pluses of the case. The LATCHES!!! As many cellists have probably contended with, the latches on the outside of the case and bow latches have always been an issue. Either they’ve been ripped off, broken, or the velcro has worn off completely. Acase has gone ahead of the game and essentially solved this problem. They rely on high quality velcro, which can withstand a lot of opening and closing. On top of that, they also latch/hook on the case. It’s a two part system, which i find effective, and actually annoying at times. Annoying because when you unlatch, they might fall back fully lock up again. That being said, i found that leaning my case over a tad and letting gravity help does the trick! The biggest plus of these latches is that they’re adjustable from within, allowing you to choose just how tight the case lid comes on. I have tried different adjustments and always found I needed the slight lean to fully clear the latches from closing on me again. I also assume that if anything ever happened to a latch, they can send you a new one. They use the same latches for the BOW HOLDERS, so you actually never worry about those breaking.
ORIENTATION OF THE CASE: Even with all my experimenting with the latches, I’ve come to the conclusion that this case is definitely more of a lay down case, rather than a stand up case. Once you get used to the latches, getting the cello out and in is super quick, though you have to watch out for the lining up of the lid and rest of the case. I do find that sometimes I have to adjust a few times to get the perfect seal. That said, I do use the case STANDING UP 98% of the time, and have gotten used to it. Others with an ACASE may disagree and have different opinions, and that’s okay.
INSIDE THE CASE: It’s great haha. It comes with adjustable padding, a great Velcro neck strap that’s good for up to 10,000 uses (i think that’s what they said), and a loop for the scroll. Typically, their inside pocket sits behind the scroll, also on Velcro. It could be a bit sturdier, but it gets the job done no problem. I asked them to move it to face the scroll, which I thought would work best at the time (think about access). IN many ways, I was right. But, I too was very wrong. If the pocket gets overfilled or has bulky items, the case will not close. Of course, it’s easier to access your things when it’s not behind the scroll, especially when you don’t need to take the cello out just to get to the pocket. So, keep this in mind in case you were thinking of doing the same thing.
AMENITIES/BACKPACK: I did decide to go with the four bow holders, ergonomic feet, and side handle. All good choices, and all worth it. I also got the Acase backpack…which was a good idea, but I’m not sure if it was worth it for me personally. The straps are great, adjustable, and comfortable. The padded part does tend to ride up higher on the shoulders than most straps, so keep that in mind. It also came with a buckle for the front of your chest, as well as your waist. Thankfully, any of these parts can be removed used at will. In my case, I only use the chest piece. In reality, if that’s something you’d want, I would ask them if they could install the chest piece only if you don’t see yourself using the waist portion. You may end up getting a no, or a yes and saving a bit of coin. They’re pretty amenable so they may go for that.
That’s my report! All in all, this is a fantastic case that trumps many other cases on the market. Their customization, quick response time, and flex makes them a perfect cello case company. See photos below!
Until next time,
Mark
