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Gig Bag or HSC

#141
Thegrandwazoo said:
All of my instruments are in a hardshell case at all times unless they're being played, looked at, worked on, shown off, etc. Even back when I played upright, I had a hardshell for it (those are really easy to find and reasonably priced, by the way, haha!). I'm hard on stuff, if said stuff is remotely fragile, I absolutely have to protect it thoroughly, or I'll definitely destroy it. Most sensible human beings don't have to take the kind of precautions I do.
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It does if you transport them by car, then there is no no. :)
 
#143
I'm a fairly recent convert. I used to prefer HSC over any gigbag, but I got a really nice gig bag recently for free, and I have to say that if I know my bass isn't going to be packed into a trailer or anything, I'll take the gig bag every time. It really offers a lot more protection than I expected, and it's easier to carry and lighter than the HSC and it has way more storage with all the pockets.

In a trailer? HSC

In my car? Gig bag
 
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#147
IMHO a good, solid, gig bag trumps a HSC!! About 20 years ago, back in NY, I was going to a friends house to record. It was winter and ice everywhere. I had my bass on my back. I slipped on some ice and landed squarely on my back right on top of my bass. All 195lbs of me. Got inside to check it. Not a scratch and was still in tune. Was a Tobias gig bag. Thick and well padded. I won't trust a cheap gig bag. I have a Body Glove gig bag that is extremely well padded. I trust my best bass in it.
 
#150
Looking over this and other threads on the same subject, I’ve come to feel that the two camps often talk at cross purposes. The expression «gig bag» is bandied about a lot, but what exactly do we mean when we use it? There are good and bad examples.

Some of the higher-end manufacturers have tried to introduce the term «soft case» to indicate something sturdier than the gig bags of old, but it’s never really stuck, so «gig bag» it is.

Instead I propose a simple test to determine whether a gig bag is sufficiently protective to replace a hard case, namely:
Will it stand up vertically without collapsing or bending when empty? If the answer is yes, then chances are that it’s reasonably good, at least. If the answer is no, I would never trust it.
 
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#153
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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I have multiple instruments....both guitars and basses. I own mostly gig bags and a few hard shell cases. At home I keep all of my instruments in their cases or gig bags, and they are in locked cabinets. Not to deter thieves, but to deter my children from playing them without asking. But, any that leave the house go in a hard shell case.
 
#154
I'd call it by the situation, but whenever possible, I'd say go with HSC. The SBMM came with a gig bag, decent protection, but found a EBMM Stingray case on CL for cheap so got it to cover. The horns have never gone in a gig bag and I don't even own one for them. You just can't tell, even the most simple little thing like taking the instrument out of the house and anything can happen.
 
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#155
I'll use a HSC if the bass is travelling in the bus or trailer, a flight case if it's really in danger of damage. Generally though as I lug my own gear I use a MONO case for the bass, I can leave it on the side of the stage and pop the bass in between sets to keep it safe.

Using the gig bag for local gigs makes it a lot easier and I can fit things in the front pocket like iPad, spare cables, batteries, tuner etc. I do have a couple of standard gig bags at home that get used for storage but I wouldn't trust them on the road. The MONO bags seem to provide very good protection for most uses, again it only sits on the back seat of the car so risk is very low.
 
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#156
JakobT said:
Absolutely. I live in the city as well. Our city council is trying to decrease the amount of cars in the city centre, so driving is discouraged, and street parking is practically non-existent. So the alternatives are public transport, cycling, or walking for most people.

In such circumstances, a HSC is a major PITA. For my last gig, I found it easiest to walk the three kilometres to the venue, which was in the heart of the city. I brought my bass, pedalboard, and Rumble 500c combo. My bass in my Mono Vertigo on my back, my pedalboard in a Tick bag strapped to the Vertigo, and pulling my Rumble on a small cart. It worked perfectly, the walk was comfortable, my gear was well protected, and I even had one hand free. With a HSC, it would have been heavy, cumbersome, and uncomfortable. And no hands free either.
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Nice! 3km is a hefty walk with all that though - I'm impressed :thumbsup:
 
#158
I still like the Bags, but ONE thing I did with the hard case made it worth while. I would lean it against the wall
or my 360 amp. Now it can be used like a guitar stand. Open the lid , and its in there out of the Sun light playing outside gigs. Next set, open the lid and your bass just might still be in tune ?? Was still a PITA to bang
around too and from.
 
#160
Fun Size Nick said:
Nice! 3km is a hefty walk with all that though - I'm impressed :thumbsup:
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Thank you! Nothing really impressive about it, though - I walk that distance regularly with my bass on my back. The only real difference was the amp, but as that was on a cart, it wasn’t heavy. But it would have been impossible, or at least extremely cumbersome, without a gig bag.

So for us city dwellers, gig bags are pure gold. Actually, I don’t think I’ve seen a bass player with a HSC in years. You occasionally see guitarists use them, but they’re heavily outnumbered by gig bag users as well.
 
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