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The Metroline Bags have recently been updated. They have a much nicer interior and feel more solid. Still not as nice as the professional portabag but noticeably better than the original bags being shipped with Metrolines.
I hear you and the only reason it matters to me is that I have to walk quite a bit with the gig bag on my shoulder and other items in my hands (airports, hotels etc). Weight makes a difference after a while.
Well hopefully soon I’ll be able to compare when my NYC is completed… by memory, I thought the Portabag was lighter, but I also remember being thin, having hair and being able to stay out past midnight
Agreed- my choice before for bags was the Mono Vertigo, which is great for short distances (and small spaces), but when I was using it to while walking to/from the train and office, the lack of padding in the straps is a LOT more noticeable.
I did an unscientific AB test just now. (I don't have a scale). Portabag is slightly lighter, probably no more than a pound or so. Putting a single (full) folder of music in the Portabag brought it up to the weight of the Stage 5.Well hopefully soon I’ll be able to compare when my NYC is completed… by memory, I thought the Portabag was lighter, but I also remember being thin, having hair and being able to stay out past midnight
Agreed- my choice before for bags was the Mono Vertigo, which is great for short distances (and small spaces), but when I was using it to while walking to/from the train and office, the lack of padding in the straps is a LOT more noticeable.
The Stage 5 is still lighter than the bass it carries, which is approximately 9.5 pounds. By the time you load up the two bags with cables, music, and other bits and bobs, the difference in weight is negligible.
Anyone have a recommendation for a Metroexpress dealer in the US? Considering getting one as a backup for my MetroLine
Jason at Fretnation
I still use my 30 yo Reunion Blues bags for my weekly forays. They are durable, well padded; and well suited to my gigging / practicing needs. I tend to think of the well made Port-a-Bag as a light case, which is somewhere between my gig bags and the hard cases. My Sadowsky NYC hard case is literally the Brooklyn Bridge of bass guitar cases.
I can see utility for all three kinds of bags. If I did a lot of fly dates with domestic air travel, I’d be all over the Port-a-Bag, because those seem well suited for gate checking a bass.
For my dates where I’m traveling by personal vehicle, not much beats my RB bags. YMMV.
I can see utility for all three kinds of bags. If I did a lot of fly dates with domestic air travel, I’d be all over the Port-a-Bag, because those seem well suited for gate checking a bass.
For my dates where I’m traveling by personal vehicle, not much beats my RB bags. YMMV.
I've got 2 UnderCover bags (with Lakland branding) and if all I have to bring is a bass, strap, cable, clip on tuner and possibly an iPad, they are the bestest (assuming I'm driving/uber/train, I've never flown with a bass).
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+1 I have 2 and they're rock solid. No matter which bass I'm using it goes in this bag to practice or a gig. Unless it's my Sadowsky then I'll have my Portabag.
Hello mmbass 21,
Whats the reason for choosing the Portabag for your Sadowsky?
Better fit? Better protection?
Whats the reason for choosing the Portabag for your Sadowsky?
Better fit? Better protection?
Al Bien's West Chester Music just ordered a FL5 in for me. It only took a few days for them to get it. I believe they have a few others in stock (610)436-8641. I have no affiliation.
Al Bien's West Chester Music Store (wcmusicstore.com)
None better than Jason at Fretnation.
So I didn’t see any listings on his site. Ended up picking up one on reverb for an extremely low price
On the gigbag, consider the Protec Contego. Lighter and smaller than the NYC Sadowsky portabag, protection almost as good, and certainly sufficient as it's in my car for usual transit situations. Just plain easier to use.
Check out the Gator Icon; very happy with that bag and the straps were a bit more comfortable than the Portabag (less grabby). Granted, my Portabag is for a ~2012 NYC, so they may have been updated.
Now I just need a VTC conversion kit and a tortoise shell pickguard
The drop in preamp has better quality pots. They are solid shaft rather than the splined shaft chinese pots in the Metro Express. Also, easier to install if you're not experienced in this sort of thing.
