Best 61 Key Keyboard Cases – Protect Your Investments!

There are all different sizes of keyboards on the market. Today we’re going to talk about the 61 key keyboard case and the importance of it. Some people own extremely nice synths and keyboards and they never end up buying cases. I will tell you why below.

In a hurry? Check out the SKB ATA 61 as I think it’s the best bang for your buck. ( Amazon Link)

My personal opinion is that musicians who are gigging frequently, even if it’s local, should have a 61 key keyboard case. If you’re not a professional, that’s okay, protecting your investment is important and it also looks good to venues.

Nothing looks less professional than showing up with a bunch of loose gear in the back of a car. If you are just a studio musician and you don’t travel with your instrument very often, you can get away with a soft case pretty easily.

Protecting Your Investment

Over the years of my touring and gigging, I have seen countless instruments go down and break or get pretty messed up. After a long night of playing, carrying your keyboard to your van or car without a case just isn’t smart, especially if it’s worth anything. You spend a little money, but you save a ton of money in the process.

Have an 88 key keyboard? I strongly suggest checking out my post on 88 key keyboard cases here. I break down the best products for protecting your instruments there.

Padding

Cases will usually show you how much padding they have and you can always buy additional for safety. If you’re ever doing traveling on planes, make sure that case really padded up. I’ve seen security at airports just throw my cases multiple times and there’s nothing you can do about it. I’ve even gone as far as writing “fragile” on the cases and that didn’t do anything.

Best Cases For 61 Key Keyboards (Hard-Soft)

SKB ATA 61- Molded Case With Wheels

This is easily one of my favorites currently being made. The reasoning is simple, it’s a molded case that has TSA locks to protect it in case you have to do fly gigs.

I wouldn’t recommend this to a beginner who doesn’t tour a lot. This is a totally professional product meant for serious touring or gigging musicians.

It would be overkill to have this if you aren’t gigging frequently in my opinion.

The wheels are really nice on the SKB ATA 61 and they don’t wear out fast. I would say you will be using the wheels quite a lot as a lot of venues you play at will require you to walk a decent amount. The protection with SKB is honestly one of the best that you can get. You can also pack additional padding if you really want to.

Overall, this is a great investment for expensive products and serious gigging musicians.

Gator Cases Flight 61

Gator makes quality products in my honest opinion, but I wouldn’t say they are the best.

This is a quality product that definitely gets the job done better than most other brands, but I think SKB are made a little bit better.

I personally own this case and I don’t really have any problems with it at all. In fact, it’s protected my keyboards for over 3 years now and it’s still kicking after heavy touring.

I would recommend this to musicians who are touring often. It’s a flight case, so it’s designed for extra protection with TSA locks again.

Overall, I think this is a great product that you will get years of use out of. Compare this with the SKB as I feel like, for 61 keys, these are the two brands to focus on.

Gator Lightweight Retractable Pull Handle

The gator soft case is a solid product with wheels. I would recommend this to musicians who aren’t doing a ton of touring, but rather playing some gigs here and there or just transporting to their friend’s house. You don’t need something crazy if you’re careful and not touring like a mad man.

The retractable pull handle is nice as you can use it as you please without it being in your way all of the time. Padding is pretty good on this product, but it’s not going to compare to a hard shell obviously.

I think a good thing about these cases are their storage compartments. They always have good spaces to cram gear that you don’t need at the time. You will end up enjoying this as you will find yourself storing stuff you don’t need in these compartments.

Overall, I believe this is a solid product for musicians who aren’t protecting an extremely expensive product and aren’t touring the entire year. Be smart with what you purchase and be honest with yourself. If you are tired of throwing your instruments in the backseat of your car, get something like this and call it a day.

What To Look For In A Case

Hard VS Soft: Go with your gut here. If you have an expensive keyboard or you are touring, you absolutely should have a hard case. A show here and there or pretty much never, a soft case will be fine. You can also put additional foam in a soft case to kind of buff it out and make it more protective.

For those of you looking at soft options, I put together a quick list of cases that are all under $100. These are great as they’re inexpensive, yet still offer some protection value.

Price: This will go up with quality and features. Wheels are a nice feature of cases that people take for granted. Having wheels makes your life so much easier, especially if you’re usually the one dragging your instrument in and out of every venue 4-5 times a week.

Storage Compartments: Some will have these little areas inside that you can store pedals or cables. I like having this, but it’s by no means a must-have.

Dimensions: Always make sure that your instruments fit inside your case. I’ve seen many people get products that simply don’t fit and it’s very frustrating for them to have to go back and get a new one.

Conclusion

I hope this guide gives you an idea of exactly who needs a 61 key keyboard case and who doesn’t. Make sure you follow the steps and don’t over-spend on your investment.

Did you find this helpful? If you think that I forgot to mention certain things, let me know in the comments section below!