The Reunion Blues double gig bag used to be much more costly. It was very well-made and durable. Can anyone say if the newer product is similar quality to the older ones?
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2 bass gig bag question
- Thread starter FatherTrucker
- Start date
I have the cheap-o Roadrunner dual bag. It's fine for local gigs where I tote the bag.
Gets heavy with two basses and if I throw my preamp and cables in the bag!
Gets heavy with two basses and if I throw my preamp and cables in the bag!
The $200 RBX Dbl bag is terrific! I have one, and can say it performs way above it's pay grade. RB still make a line that's nearly twice as much, the "continental voyager' series which is a bit stiffer and more plush inside. I still have leather trumpet bags from the 80's made by Glenn and crew in San Francisco! (current RB stuff is made in Vietnam, the best seamstress/stitch work you'll find in Asia today. I learned this from years of selling camera bags) RB is a great value for the money and I'd put any TB'ers fancy axe in one of their bags
After going out the door thousands of times with two gig bags over my shoulder, I figured a double would just make sense. So I nabbed a used Reunion Blues double bag a few years ago.
And I hated it. Bulky, heavy, awkward: everything regular gig bags aren't. I don't know why but for some reason it's a lot more comfortable for me just to use two singles.
Maybe it was the semi-rigid design that made it feel more like a hard case. I have never cared for hard cases - or those zip-up hybrids. Maybe I'd be OK with a double version of a more conventional, floppy padded bag.
But I'm also okay just keeping on doing what I've been doing. (As often as not, I want to bring the hollowbody which needs its own bag, anyway.)
YMMV
And I hated it. Bulky, heavy, awkward: everything regular gig bags aren't. I don't know why but for some reason it's a lot more comfortable for me just to use two singles.
Maybe it was the semi-rigid design that made it feel more like a hard case. I have never cared for hard cases - or those zip-up hybrids. Maybe I'd be OK with a double version of a more conventional, floppy padded bag.
But I'm also okay just keeping on doing what I've been doing. (As often as not, I want to bring the hollowbody which needs its own bag, anyway.)
YMMV
I have used a Mono M80 dual for a number of years now. I was an early adopter, i.e. before they started including the hook to attach the Tick! It has held up really well and is seriously overbuilt. It is bulky and quite heavy though.
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fwiw I used to own a Mooradian dual bass bag, which was exactly what you describe: a double version of a more conventional, floppy padded bag. In fact, the only thing that made this a "dual" bass bag other than the slightly-deeper-than-necessary size of the internal capacity, was that it came with a bass-shaped chunk of 1/2" foam to act as a separator between the two instruments.
You may indeed have been OK with that. I hated it. Was rather awkward getting one bass out without the other one coming out too. That foam separator kept getting squished around and misaligned, so you'd have to futz with it incessantly to get all the contents seated solidly. I absolutely detested the backpack straps they used (which has nothing to do with its dual bass capacity, I'm sure the single bass gig bags they made at the same time had equally uncomfortable straps). In short, I couldn't get rid of it fast enough...the problem was, despite all those complaints it was an incredibly well-made gig bag, so I waited 20 years (!) before I finally said FTS and sold it so I could buy a Mono M80 Dual
...which I love.
Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks (/SlyStone)
(Oh yeah, P.S. Mooradian got out of the gig bag business recently.)
I picked up one of the Road Runner dual bags about two weeks ago and have to say I think it’s great for the price. But as others have mentioned it’s pretty much just going from the house to rehearsal or a gig then back and all under my control. For that I think it’s more than enough and has some very usable storage.
Yep, the Continental is what I have - I know I paid more than $250. Mine is pretty old, so not so feature-laden or semi-rigid as the newer stuff, but incredibly well-made and sturdy. As my basses evolve (devolve?) towards passive, I feel less need to have more than one on hand at a gig, so my bag is semi-retired - probably looking for a good homeThe $200 RBX Dbl bag is terrific! I have one, and can say it performs way above it's pay grade. RB still make a line that's nearly twice as much, the "continental voyager' series which is a bit stiffer and more plush inside. I still have leather trumpet bags from the 80's made by Glenn and crew in San Francisco! (current RB stuff is made in Vietnam, the best seamstress/stitch work you'll find in Asia today. I learned this from years of selling camera bags) RB is a great value for the money and I'd put any TB'ers fancy axe in one of their bags
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I just unearthed an under cover cases double bag, black, from my closet. I haven't used it in over a decade and I have no need for it. I don't know if you need to replace your bag yet, but if you are, drop me a line. No idea what they're worth, but I'm in Fort Collins and would be happy to make a reasonable deal with you.
The only thing the new Reunion Blues has in common with the original is the name. The original stuff was designed and built by Glenn Cronkhite. After splitting from RB he build under his own name until selling the company to Torpedo Bags who is continuing to build with his patterns using the Glenn Cronkhite Custom Cases brand name.
Oh wow! Any idea where you got it?
The main part of mine is still in great shape. However, both of the front pockets have torn apart at the seams. It was bad enough that my wife bought me a new Mono double bag so I wouldn't be seen with that old bag.
I very much appreciate the offer. I'll PM you, but not sure that I actually need it.
So I bought this Reunion Blues RBX dbl bass bag in the beginning of 2019 because I was taking more of these agency gigs where I was using two basses - and also to have a one-trip-load including my backup. It didn't see a lot of work over the lockdown, but over the last two years I figure I've done about 100 gigs and maybe two dozen other transports for repairs, rehearsals, lessons etc. We're talking easy weekend warrior stuff. My car, country clubs and decent pubs, the occasional hike down a few city blocks - nothing taxing. It is heavy though with two fender type basses one 9.8 lbs, the other 8.8 lbs.
A few months ago the straps started pulling out from under the "handle" which my crafty wife repaired for me. And now look! The handle material the straps are attached to is giving up the ghost.
RB lists "limited lifetime warranty" as a feature on their current page. I'll be reaching out to them to see what, if anything can be done. Aside from one of the zipper pulls flying off into the ether (good idea about replacing them with key ring loops) the bag itself has held up great - looks great - still protective and functional in every other way.
The backpack straps are essential to me so looks like I'll be taking advice from this thread and shopping for something else.
I don’t normally quote myself but wanted to set the record straight.
The good folks at RBX replaced my bag. You can see they improved the backpack strap reinforcements on this newer model.
I will happily give this one a go, and also be mindful of the stress these poor straps are under!
Cheers to Graham and crew at RBX!
Awesome. I'm about to go down the replacement path for a second time with my Gator Pro-Go dual bag. One bass less than 9lbs, the other slightly over. I'm gigging a lot, and admit to stuffing the bag with extra stuff, but I had no trouble with my Mono M80 dual carrying the same stuff plus even heavier basses.
Bag #1
Bag #2
Go Team Gator!
They stood behind the bag the first time. Let's see what happens this time.
Bag #1
Bag #2
Go Team Gator!
They stood behind the bag the first time. Let's see what happens this time.
Awesome. I'm about to go down the replacement path for a second time with my Gator Pro-Go dual bag. One bass less than 9lbs, the other slightly over. I'm gigging a lot, and admit to stuffing the bag with extra stuff, but I had no trouble with my Mono M80 dual carrying the same stuff plus even heavier basses.
Bag #1
View attachment 5200654
Bag #2
View attachment 5200655
Go Team Gator!
View attachment 5200656
They stood behind the bag the first time. Let's see what happens this time.
Just received an email back that Gator is sending me a new bag (#3)
So the warranty is legit, the customer service excellent, but the bags haven't held up for me. If they keep sending new ones, I've got no reason to moan.
This reminds me of a company I do a ton of business with for my hobby (I'm an avid recreational road cyclist). The Topeak company makes a frame mounted pump that I like a lot...except that it keeps breaking, alarmingly frequently. Topeak's customer service is exemplary: I call them up, they send me a new replacement pump at no charge, no questions asked
...and then that pump breaks.
Lather Rinse Repeat
I think I have paid for a total of three new pumps over the years (bought to keep on three different bicycles) but I have "owned" more than a dozen due to all the generous in- or out-of-warranty replacements they've sent me. So while I love their customer service, it does start to become a bit of a nuisance when you think about the limited lifespan of the product.
It makes me wonder: If a company's service model is based around replacing shoddy products with equally shoddy products (rather than building a robust product in the first place) how many more customers do they need who never have a problem and never require replacements for it to be a profitable business?
