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Gig Bag or HSC

#102
deckstirparnell said:
Depends on the gig. All my basses have hard cases but I'm old and like light weight stuff. So if my bass goes in the back seat by itself, a gigbag. If it rides with rest of the gear, HSC to protect it.
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Me too, exactly, with the qualification that I've got a few odd sized and shaped basses and if I decide to use them I suck it up and bring the case. Knowing that if I go with Fender-style basses I can definitely fit two of them in a bag for convenience is an inducement to play those basses for gigs. Or if I know I'm going to have to make two trips anyway I may just bring the cases because why not.

Gig bags have come a long way from the one that came with the MIM Precision I got back in the mid 90s. That bag had essentially no padding, and there are lots of little blemishes on that bass that were clearly due to it being moved around in that bag. Modern bags---even relatively cheap ones---are much better; still, I use gig bags for carrying convenience but don't count on them for protection. I try to only use them when I will have a high degree of control over where and how the bass will be transported.
 
#105
I have a hardshell for nearly every instrument I own, but still, it depends..

I bring 2 basses to each country gig and use a double bag. I am thinking about buying a more padded version, as my basses have gotten more expensive over the years, but so far no problems and it sure beats lugging two hard cases around.

For church, I bring one instrument and use a hardshell, but I'm seriously considering getting a hybrid. A buddy of min has a Contigo that looks great.
 
#106
bogie1519 said:
When you go to a gig or practice. Do you use your gig bag or HSC. Guess I'm wondering if you trust the gig bag.
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Gig bags for all of my basses. That way they can ride comfortably in the passenger compartment of whatever vehicle I'm in. Replacement cost for my Alembic is considerably more than I paid for my new van, and it's in a nice Mono gig bag.

John
 
#107
It depends on the axe. T-bird goes in the case. Everything else rides in a gig bag. No worries, mates.

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#109
Protec Contego most of the time, which is kinda the geometric mean between a gig bag and a hard case. I have one hard shell case in case someone ever says "we're hopping in a van an doing a road trip tour" - or something like that, where stuff might get placed on top of the bass.
 
#110
The real answer of course is totally up to each player.
For me, the hardshell just clogs up the work flow.
In about 4000 gigs using gig bags 99.5% of the time I have never had one of my electric basses get damaged.
But I stay local and almost always handle my own gear. If I were doing extended van tours and/or flying, that would be a completely different story.
I will admit with the upright bass in a bag, the tuning pegs have gotten bent and the bridge sometimes gets nudged in transit. (Can't be helped, though - no way I'm 1) buying and 2) using a HSC locally for that thing...)
 
#111
I'm on the "it depends" bus. Gig bag for most of my shows where I'm tossing it in the car to go play at church or a local club. If I'm out-of-town gigging where I'm taking my trailer full of PA, etc overnight, it usually goes in hard case so i can stack/pack things more efficiently. These days that means about 80% of the time I'm using my admittedly expensive Gator gig bag, which will protect nearly as well as a hard case and I can sling it over my back/shoulders and still carry my pedal board and coffee :)
 
#112
57pbass said:
Gig bag for gigs..
HSC for home storage...
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That is basically the same for me. If I'm doing a gig and travelling in my own car or there is enough room for my bass to have a seat in the van, it goes in a gig bag. If it's going in the back with the rest of the gear then it's in a solid flight case. At home it's stored in a hard case.
 
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#113
jazzyvee said:
That is basically the same for me. If I'm doing a gig and travelling in my own car or there is enough room for my bass to have a seat in the van, it goes in a gig bag. If it's going in the back with the rest of the gear then it's in a solid flight case. At home it's stored in a hard case.
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Exactly..there have been situations where I needed to bring a HSC.. but the gig bags are fine as long as they stay on top of the gear pile
 
#115
BassPilot said:
I have a Mono Vertigo gig bag and trust it in any situation, sans flying.
I'm going to buy a Mono Dual Bass bag shortly. I think their products a well designed and well constructed.
Check 'em out.
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I used to prefer HSC because i'm kinda clumsy:( and i didn't mind the extra weight, I just did it for the peace of mind, had a band mate accidently drop my bass in a driveway, luckily it was in HSC! Now im older & more careful, I like bags. 1 more added benefit is NO "case bites!" my very first bass had gotten bit many times by a loose case hinge when pulling out the bass. now I'm just careful about scratching up my bass putting in & pulling out of bag. I like having the shoulder straps most bags have as a carrying option. a long time ago I purchased a wolf pack case on MF deal of the day. it's a soft shell case, kinda of a hybrid case,it's a good compromise. lighter than HSC, but has a lot of padding,think thick foam wrapped in a tough thick ballistic nylon. pretty cool but kinda bulky.
 

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