In order for you to choose the best banjo case for your needs, you will first need to identify what your particular needs are. If you wish to simply purchase a banjo case for general protection for your banjo, you may wish to choose a soft, padded gig bag. If, however, you require a banjo case that will offer the utmost protection for a valuable banjo and you travel on airplanes frequently, a custom-fitted fiberglass case with thick padding might be to your best interest. When choosing a lower-cost case alternative, the scale, number of strings as well as the type of banjo — open or closed back — are typically all you need to make a decision.
One of the most fragile areas of a banjo is the long, thin neck. This is commonly the single most broken component of any banjo while traveling. In order to choose the best banjo case to protect your banjo from this type of damage, you may wish to consider a custom-made fiberglass case. This type of banjo case is typically very expensive and commonly takes months or even years to receive from the maker once it is ordered. Unless you are a traveling musician with a very expensive banjo, you may not require this level of protection.
For general protection as well as a dust and dirt preventative, the soft gig bag might be your best resource. This banjo case is a soft Nylon® bag that is padded with foam rubber. The case is equipped with a zipper and a shoulder strap to allow you to carry your banjo to a practice or to take it along on an outing. Should you, however, be a working musician, playing and traveling by vehicle to many venues, you may find that a commercially available hard case is more to your liking.
Available online and at most music supply stores, this type of banjo case is designed to fit many styles of banjo. The case may require additional padding to prevent your particular model of banjo from sliding around inside of the case. Most music stores, however, are commonly able to fit the size and style of the banjo very closely to the fit of the case. This is commonly the middle-of-the-road banjo case as price is concerned, and the outside construction of the cases is generally manufactured of hard fiberboard or injection-molded plastic. For the professional with a very expensive banjo, there is the airline-approved banjo case made of aluminum and lined with a generous supply of padding.