Gig bag vs a case

[Blackmore Fan]

When I would take a low-end electric (Squiers) over to a friends house to jam, I used a gigbag. But none of my Fenders leave the house in anything other than a hardshell case, and the same goes for my acoustics.

[Mark Stone]

I agree with many others - and this thread is ironic because I'm receiving a new Taylor Gig Bag for my $4,000 Taylor 814ce DLX tomorrow! The Guitar will spend most of its time in its hardshell case, humidified and cozy - but when I take it out gigging it will travel in its new bag. All the reasons for this are detailed in other people's posts above (ease and less trips to the car) - but add my arthritic knees to the mix.

I would note that a Johnnie Cheapo gig bag ain't gonna cut it - make it a high quality bag, like Reunion Blues or (if ya have a Taylor) Taylor Structured. Also, use wisdom - if the gig is rough, or it's an unknown entity, by all means use a hardshell. But I play at Church and at home Bible Studies and places like that - the bag will be fine.

[gmel555]

My stay at home guitars live in their hsc, largely for humidity control & protection from rare in-home mishaps. They're also in a hsc if they come on a long trip (rare). I have a few gig bags for guitars I take to gigs or friends' homes because they're light, easy to carry and the shoulder strap comes in handy. Okay, I'll also admit for the relative low cost of a gig bag I'm glad to reduce hsc Tolex wear and tear during short travels. Gig bags are indeed aptly named.

[fwphoto]

Originally Posted by Benjo

What are the toughest most durable gig bags out there?

Not exactly a gig bag but I have TraveLite cases in 3 sizes, 00/classical, 000/OM, & D-size, that I use with the guitars I have.

I love the Geib case that my CS 00-18 came in & although it is very well built, it's HEAVY! I have other cases, too, but prefer the light weight & really, really good protection that the TraveLites provide.

I recently shipped my D-18 across the country in it's TraveLite to get some work done & the Luthier & he sent me this message when it first arrived:

"Haven't opened it yet. It's acclimating in the shop. Box had popped open but that's a good case!"

Anyway, no affiliation, just a happy owner!

Frank

[PassingThru]

I like the gig bag that came with my Emerald X7. Throw it in the overhead bin and enjoy the flight. Other than that, it just stays on the stand at home.

[rstaight]

I keep my guitars in a hard case. However, there are times when I go to a jam that I will use a gig bag. Reason being is the pouch on the side.

It gives me a place to carry my music and frees up a hand to carry a music and guitar stand.

But if I take more than one instrument I still have to make a second or third trip to the car. In that situation I just leave them in the hard case.

[FrankHudson]

Upthread several reasons to prefer to use gig bags and the like over the factory cases: less trips back and forth (which may leave some things unobserved at a site, which can sometimes be a bad idea), ability to use public transport, etc.

I'll add one: I carry on a bicycle sometimes.

I actually don't have a big problem with gig bags used with Fender style solid body electrics.* Good "ding" protection, lower headstock issues, though my teenager once broke a tuning machine on their electric bass in a gig bag.

But speaking of acoustic guitars I'm slowly replacing my garden-variety hard shell acoustic guitar cases with Godin TRIC units. These are fully rigid and highly protective, better humidity and temp control (a big factor if you travel with a guitar in Minnesota), yet weigh like a gig bag and have similar pockets and straps. Their bulk is a bit of a bother, but I think they're better than the usual plywood guitar case overall.


*I often think of the story of Mike Bloomfield coming in to his first Bob Dylan session with his Telecaster in a paper shopping bag. He takes it out, shakes the snow off it, plugs in, tunes up, and is ready to go.

Not recommended for your multi-thousand-dollar acoustic, but a good story none-the-less.