Damage From Gigbag?

[john nam]

Has anyone's bass been damaged while in a gigbag? What was the damage, how did it happen, and what kind of gigbag?

[otherclef]

I just never use gig bags. I guess it would be OK for a bass less than $250 or something. Anything else why take the chance???

[waleross]

+1 One of my basses (Fender Road) shipped with a gig bag which was replaced with an SKB case for $100. Its your call but why take the chance on demage.

[AHDBassist]

To me a gigbag is only useful for including in a sale to get an extra 10 to 15 bucks lol. I use cases exclusively.

[THE DANiMAL]

I've had basses get scratched by the zipper, I also had one get a pretty nice chip of the finish come off from bumping it into a doorway. I've seen broken headstocks from a good whack against something. My biggest issue is that bags tend to move the tuners and you absolutely have to tune your bass every time you take it out. They also get cold faster as there's less insulation.

All my basses have OHSCs, the less wiggle room the better. Less chance of bouncing around and getting damaged. But accidents do happen, just gotta be careful and care for your gear.

And +1 to everything everyone else said already, if you're willing to invest money in a bass, invest in something that will protect it.

[johnk_10]

i use gig bags for mine when i'm gigging since they're alot easier to fit in the car and to schlep back and forth. they also make for more room in my storage room. for my alembic grestch, hofners, rics and gibsons i use a hardshell case, but IME, it's pretty hard to damage a fender bass in a gig bag.

[domestique]

What kind of cheap gig bags are you people using!? Do not buy a cheap 15 dollar nylon gig bag from guitar center and expect it to hold up.... but a quality gig bag $100-250.00. If the bag flops over when there isn't a guitar in it... than it isn't sturdy enough.

Buy a decent gig bag: iGIG, MONO, etc.

Unless I am traveling by van or airport where I need to stack multiple guitars on top of each other, than I always use a gig bag. I use iGIG for my 2,000+ dollar Dingwall and it is very nice and sturdy. There are videos on youtube of iGIG cases being thrown off of houses and ran over by cars and no damage to the neck or bass. I find gig bags much easier to transport in a car... it takes up less room, and I can store cables, tuner, batteries, repair kit etc. all in a nice bag. Backpack straps also let me make 1 trip to the venue from my car (double gig bag holding 2 basses on my back, amp head in shoulder bag, carrying amp in my hands).

I have always found stock hard cases are designed around p-basses and any other style bass would always slide around. I find the constant shifting and sliding around more worrisome than a gig bag. The best hard cases are the ones made custom for the bass and there is no room left. i.e. Pelican and cutting the foam yourself with a wire cover.

Edit: I have also heard of more people getting dings with hard cases than gig bags.... especially when they leave tuners, change inside the hard case and it rattles around inside..... I have also seen firstand the lid dropping down on guitars while taking them out and putting them back in.

[sammyp]

i dropped a tele off my shoulder onto pavement once years ago ...small chip in the body at the butt end ...no big deal ....i only use gig bags ...can't be bothered with hardshell cases ...but i'm of the mind set that "if you gonna play em...they gonna get a little worn!"

i play alot of gigs ..mostly guitar and this is the only incident that stands out

[Duuuuuuuuuude]

If your bass is made of hard wood like ash it should be okay. But if you have basswood the zipper might dig into the finish. For me, 20+ years of the gig bag/basswood combo has given me a real "roadworn" finish

[jim777]

If I was gigging regularly in NY again I would use gigbags again, but I never trusted them honestly. I was always worried about the bass and eventually just took less expensive basses with me to places and left the ones I wanted to be playing at home, or drove ny car and brought hard cases. I personally much prefer the hardcases if just for the peace of mind - and I KNOW this is just something in my head most of the time.

A lot of the good bags out there are super protective, but I'd rather have something like those new nearly bulletproof Ibanez plastic hard cases for all my basses even if they aren't leaving my music room anytime soon!

[Cristo]

Tuning peg was broken off. Just a cheap thin bag that came with the bass, not good for anything other than preventing dirt or minor scratches. Sort of like a thin windbreaker jacket.

I don't bother with those anymore. Even a cheap hard case is better than a bag.

[Liam Wald]

IMO gig bags offer about as much protection as a pillow case.
You are better off not using anything at all. At least that way you KNOW you have to be careful and aren't under the illusion that the bass is protected.
I like the SKB soft case. The size and shape of a gig bag with a hard insert for a liner.

[mmbongo]

If you use a nice gigbag (like the one that came with my Warwick) it's just as good as a hardshell for 90% of the situations you'll find yourself in. Plan on running over your bass with a truck, or flying with it? Get a flight case.

[Eater_of_Birds]

We use the guitarists car a lot, and im sure my bass wouldn't actually fit if it were in a case :/ its still something I'm considering getting though, but my gig bag is actually pretty well padded, no scratches etc. one thing to watch is having the bottom touch water (obviously this wouldn't happen outside as you'd carry it), but caution on buses as there can be the occasional puddle, so I rest it on my shoe to keep it off ground.

As long as you still treat it with care while its in the bag, being realistic about how protected it is. A case wouldnt be so bad for my bass perhaps as its very light, bad memories with my guitar though as its a beast of a thing, and tears into your hand with a hardcase from the weight. (not sure what wood my guitar is but its a fair sized slab)

[bassgod0dmw]

For anyone saying that gig bags offer no protection, have you seen any of the "good" gig bags?

I've got a Sadowsky Portabag. Not only is the padding extremely thick, but it has stiffened supports running the full length of it as well. The inside has a neck support with a huge cordura/velcro flap it keep it in place. The zippers don't come anywhere near the instrument. It's got pockets on the outside that are large enough to keep a small amp, strap, DI, strings, cables, and charts. Add to all that, it's got backpack straps on the outside, it balances well, a door hanger, and it's lighter than a HSC. I keep a very expensive instrument inside of it that I gig all over the place. Never have I worried about it getting hurt.

It fits in my car much better than a HSC, takes up less room at home, and takes up less room at the gig. By no means is it the only bag like this.

Sure, if you buy a $20 bag it's not going to do you any good, but you're not comparing apples to apples with a HSC there.

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by domestique

What kind of cheap gig bags are you people using!? Do not buy a cheap 15 dollar nylon gig bag from guitar center and expect it to hold up.... but a quality gig bag $100-250.00. If the bag flops over when there isn't a guitar in it... than it isn't sturdy enough.

Buy a decent gig bag: iGIG, MONO, etc.

+1 Some gig bags are way more protective than HSC, IMO. I took a fall on some ice in the dead of winter once! Had my bass backpack style on my back (Tobias bass in a nicely padded Tobias gigbag) and fell directly on my bass. All 200lbs of me. Opened up the bag, not a scratch and still in tune!

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

IMO CHEAP gig bags offer about as much protection as a pillow case.

Fixed!

[Kirkowitz]

I like this case and I've been using it for about a year. For me it offers 99% of the protection of a normal hard case, but with the portability of a gig bag.
SKB Universal Electric Bass Soft Case and more Bass Guitar at GuitarCenter.com.

[strke-fender]

I had a bag fall in the car once and gave a twist to my E string tuner.

Bought a case the next day.

[Roy Vogt]

I've had a couple of chips from doorway collisions. However, after schlepping an Alembic in it's 98 pound road case through Miami International Airport I'm a confirmed gig bagger. Just watch those doors!