Last week I purchased a Mono dual bag from Greg. I'd been on-again/off-again in the market for quite some time, and Greg made the decision an easy one. Here's a brief (I promise) summary.
Purchasing Experience
News flash...Greg is awesome.
Near instantaneous response to PM's, and a few additional questions gave me the opportunity to chat with Greg over the phone. He even took some measurements from his own bag to give me some perspective. Totally instilled confidence in the buying decision, and I even lucked out - Mono's distribution center is less than 20 miles away from me. I had the bag the next business day after ordering.
Greg does an amazing job of marrying quality local shop service, care, and expertise with internet efficiency. Kudos on the business model, and bigger kudos on executing it to perfection. And FWIW, this isn't faint praise. I consider myself a fortunate and very long-time patron of the best music store in the business, and Rocket is totally on-par.
Ok, enough butt-kissing. Let's talk about the bag, already.
Likes
Lots of 'em. Cliff Notes: if you're in the market for a double bag, I don't know that you can do any better than this one. Ain't cheap, but you can chase an awful lot of bad money around with inferior products, or you can belly up to this one without regret. Ok, specifics:
- Weight. First thing you notice. Very light compared to other bags I've tried/owned over the years. It's a featherweight compared to my current Low End double bag.
- Zippers. Love 'em. Single point of failure IME on other bags. These look stout, with ends that appear to be very durable.
- Instrument room/protection. Just awesome. Both instrument compartments look like they can handle any bass, while simultaneously offering ample protection. The neck brace concept is also a nice touch. Length? While playing around with test-fitment, my longest bass - Mike Lull 35" Jazz - fit with nearly 2" of room. Putting both six-string basses in the bag? No problem. I also love the separate compartment design - loading and unloading basses is a breeze, with none of the "packing sardines" concerns of previous bags I've owned.
Dislikes
Minor in comparison to the benefits of this bag, but I do want to mention them.
- Main pocket. It's small - no real way around it. Last night I had to struggle a bit to get my Radial JDI in there with two instrument cables and a microfiber towel. Not a showstopper by any means, but it's snug.
- Shoulder straps. A few concerns here. First, I wish there was more padding. With two instruments in there, it's not comfortable using only one strap. Not a biggie, but... Adjusting the straps for "backpack" use involves compromise. Too tight, and it's awfully hard getting the second arm through there. Too loose, and the bag hangs low, making it a bit awkward to walk comfortably. I'm sure I'll find the right balance, but it'll take a bit more time. Finally, the fabric loops and plastic retainers used to attach the straps to the bag seem undersized and fragile. I could be completely wrong here, but this is definitely something I'll be watching over time. Not sure if this was a weight compromise, or if I'm simply overreacting, but when you've got ~ 20lbs of precious cargo on your back, you want to know those straps aren't going to detach.
Bada boom. Overall I'm very happy with this purchase. It's a bag that seems functional, durable, and good-looking. Here's a weaksauce cellphone shot from last night:
Both basses were very happy.
The moral, as always: don't hesitate to buy from Rocket!
Purchasing Experience
News flash...Greg is awesome.
Near instantaneous response to PM's, and a few additional questions gave me the opportunity to chat with Greg over the phone. He even took some measurements from his own bag to give me some perspective. Totally instilled confidence in the buying decision, and I even lucked out - Mono's distribution center is less than 20 miles away from me. I had the bag the next business day after ordering.Greg does an amazing job of marrying quality local shop service, care, and expertise with internet efficiency. Kudos on the business model, and bigger kudos on executing it to perfection. And FWIW, this isn't faint praise. I consider myself a fortunate and very long-time patron of the best music store in the business, and Rocket is totally on-par.
Ok, enough butt-kissing. Let's talk about the bag, already.
Likes
Lots of 'em. Cliff Notes: if you're in the market for a double bag, I don't know that you can do any better than this one. Ain't cheap, but you can chase an awful lot of bad money around with inferior products, or you can belly up to this one without regret. Ok, specifics:
- Weight. First thing you notice. Very light compared to other bags I've tried/owned over the years. It's a featherweight compared to my current Low End double bag.
- Zippers. Love 'em. Single point of failure IME on other bags. These look stout, with ends that appear to be very durable.
- Instrument room/protection. Just awesome. Both instrument compartments look like they can handle any bass, while simultaneously offering ample protection. The neck brace concept is also a nice touch. Length? While playing around with test-fitment, my longest bass - Mike Lull 35" Jazz - fit with nearly 2" of room. Putting both six-string basses in the bag? No problem. I also love the separate compartment design - loading and unloading basses is a breeze, with none of the "packing sardines" concerns of previous bags I've owned.
Dislikes
Minor in comparison to the benefits of this bag, but I do want to mention them.
- Main pocket. It's small - no real way around it. Last night I had to struggle a bit to get my Radial JDI in there with two instrument cables and a microfiber towel. Not a showstopper by any means, but it's snug.
- Shoulder straps. A few concerns here. First, I wish there was more padding. With two instruments in there, it's not comfortable using only one strap. Not a biggie, but... Adjusting the straps for "backpack" use involves compromise. Too tight, and it's awfully hard getting the second arm through there. Too loose, and the bag hangs low, making it a bit awkward to walk comfortably. I'm sure I'll find the right balance, but it'll take a bit more time. Finally, the fabric loops and plastic retainers used to attach the straps to the bag seem undersized and fragile. I could be completely wrong here, but this is definitely something I'll be watching over time. Not sure if this was a weight compromise, or if I'm simply overreacting, but when you've got ~ 20lbs of precious cargo on your back, you want to know those straps aren't going to detach.
Bada boom. Overall I'm very happy with this purchase. It's a bag that seems functional, durable, and good-looking. Here's a weaksauce cellphone shot from last night:
Both basses were very happy.
The moral, as always: don't hesitate to buy from Rocket!
I have had mine for about 6 months now and have been very pleased. 
