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Double Bass Gollihur Bass Bag Experience

#21
Seems to me that this is a pretty clear case of getting what you pay for. If those bags were that good for that money then people wouldn't be spending many times more for other products. That's just a fact and should not at all reflect on Bob or any of the other products he sells. If you buy an AI or EA product from Bob you do so because you know the quality of those products and Bob's service and prices are great. However if you buy some no name bag at a rock bottom price then I don't think you should be expecting too much. Most of us are always looking for good deals but sometimes you just get what you pay for.
 
#23
Adrian Cho said:
Seems to me that this is a pretty clear case of getting what you pay for. If those bags were that good for that money then people wouldn't be spending many times more for other products.
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+1. I think some of us got a little spoiled with the value we were getting out of Bob's bows. I think maybe we were expecting the same out of the green case too. My green bag couldn't withstand the abuse I was giving it. Within 6 months, it started getting shredded like the original poster saw in this thread. I went and bought a Soundwear performer. It's held up extremely well after 1 year of the same amount of abuse. Basically nothing has come undone, save for maybe one thread here and there and some coffee stains. :D It was well worth the $400 I paid for it, and the backpack straps makes the climbs up the steep hills of SF a breeze.
 
#24
I personally feel that for the most part bass bags are the kind of thing that can only be good after the manufacturer has gone through some length of time refining and improving their product. The good manufacturers will address the weak spots.

My $0.02 for the lowest price bag out there that is still a very good product and will stand up to serious abuse is the Bobelock bag. The other thing is that often the bags that can take the serious abuse are also very heavy so you have to be willing schlep that extra weight. The Gagnon/Cremonasia bag I have now is heavy as heck but it sports seriously heavy duty (almost over the top) construction. I have never owned but I also believe that the Messina bags that the Bass Cellar guys sell (I believe they still sell them) are also very good.

Besides the amount of actual usage the bag gets, another small variable is the amount of weight you are carrying. There is a reasonable amount of difference between carrying a lightweight plywood and not much else in the bag and a really heavy bass and all the pockets loaded up. Along with my bass I'm usually carrying two bows in a very solid double bow case, tuner, spare strings, pocket changes books and other assorted crap. It all adds up.
 
#26
The Reunion Blues bag was mentioned, and I thought they had gone out of business. I hope they are still producing their great products. I have had one of their bass bags for the last 11-12 years, for my big german bass. It is still in great condition, no rips or broken handles, and I have used it a lot. I carry spare strings and two leads + tuner etc in the pockets, with no adverse affects. I got it supplied with another bass that I have since sold, and wouldn't have thought to spend that much on a bag, but I am glad someone else did( the bag was listed at £530.00 at the time, and I took that amount off the bass when I sold it ,so the purchaser could better afford it). For me , the bag has been well worth the money.
 
#28
Reunion Blues is tough to beat. I reported this before when it happened but my bass fell over all the way to the pavement (what was I thinking drinking or smoking when I left it leaning against the car:bawl:) But when I opened my Reunion Blues bag expecting the worst, the only damage was a nasty bruise on the edge of the upper bout. :)

Products like the Gollihur bag are good "starter" accessories that lower your entry price and still give your instrument protection so you can start gigging. With all the stuff you need besides a bass, most of us can make do with a bag that is serviceable for a year or two, or a bow that gets the job done until we know we want to make a commitment equal to the quality of the bass we bought. That's the "good" purpose of a cheap bag. The cheap bag I have that's self destructing is the one (ironically) for my Jens Ritter fretless 5-string. Still, the bag is so light and it reduces the weight (I tend to travel so much locally that unless it's a serious road trip, I don't use the fibreglas and aluminum road case) that when it's shot, I'll probably just buy a new one like it again.

And here is where you can see the economy of a Gollihur Bag. Buy the Gollihur bag. Put the $ difference between that and the Reunion Blues in the savings account. When the Gollihur bag is shot, the interest on the difference will buy you a new one. Think about it.

BTW, almost grown up, did you talk to Bob about this?
 
#29
Silversorcerer said:
And here is where you can see the economy of a Gollihur Bag. Buy the Gollihur bag. Put the $ difference between that and the Reunion Blues in the savings account. When the Gollihur bag is shot, the interest on the difference will buy you a new one. Think about it.

BTW, almost grown up, did you talk to Bob about this?
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You must be kidding yes?

I have really got some great information and feed back on this. But Silversorcerer I think your projected return on the difference between a Bob bag and any other bag is a little optimistic. Perhaps if you put the difference into Google stock. But if you assume a 5% interest rate and a four hundred dollar price differential at two years the return is about $43. The point is, the Bob bag is not going to last long enough.
 
#30
all_grown_up said:
I have really got some great information and feed back on this. But Silversorcerer I think your projected return on the difference between a Bob bag and any other bag is a little optimistic. Perhaps if you put the difference into Google stock. But if you assume a 5% interest rate and a four hundred dollar price differential at two years the return is about $43. The point is, the Bob bag is not going to last long enough.
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But now the BG bag only cost you $86 (129 - 43). That's quite a bargain. If you can squeeze another year out of it . . . now look at the bargain.

I have a green BG bag for a 18 months now and it's fine. I don't get it out as much as you.
 
#33
I don't think you'll find a better bag for $129 w/free shipping than my own green Gollihur bass bag (soon to be available in understated black, too!). That said, you obviously cannot compare it or any other in that price range to a $400+ bag. You can, on occasion, get more than you pay for, but seldom 3-4x that amount. ;)

Despite the bag being almost a year out of warranty, during an email exchange the day before his post here, I did offer to take money out of pocket to discount another product or the better bag that I offer, but I did not meet his specific demand.

It seems that some excellent perspective has been provided in the posts here, and I very much appreciate the well thought out responses. My own 3+ year old Gollihur Bag is doing quite well, thanks, but I agree that if you're taking your bass out 3-4 times a week, you will probably need to invest in a higher grade bag.
 
#34
Bob Gollihur said:
I don't think you'll find a better bag for $129 w/free shipping than my own green Gollihur bass bag (soon to be available in understated black, too!). That said, you obviously cannot compare it or any other in that price range to a $400+ bag. You can, on occasion, get more than you pay for, but seldom 3-4x that amount. ;)

Despite the bag being almost a year out of warranty, during an email exchange the day before his post here, I did offer to take money out of pocket to discount another product or the better bag that I offer, but I did not meet his specific demand.

It seems that some excellent perspective has been provided in the posts here, and I very much appreciate the well thought out responses. My own 3+ year old Gollihur Bag is doing quite well, thanks, but I agree that if you're taking your bass out 3-4 times a week, you will probably need to invest in a higher grade bag.
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I am comfortable with the judgement of the jury of our peers that a) you get what you pay for and b) I should have gotten a better bag given the use to which I put it.

However, a few minor quibbles with your comments;

CHRIS FITZGERALD said:
Personal information regarding specific dispute between customer and seller removed - this belongs in PM, not posted on the board. Feel free to PM me if you feel this is unfair, but it is the letter of the TB rules as I and the board admin interpret them. This thread will not be deleted, and will be allowed to run its course. I think it has been useful in that all sides of the story have been presented. My own story mimics the story here - I bought a case for roughly $140 from Lemur years ago, and after about a year, zippers, etc. started to fail under usage of 2-4 trips a week or so. Now I use a soundwear case which costs 4x as much, and it's solid as a rock...but even this case had a broken buckle on the shoulder strap after about 4 years, which I fixed McGyver-style. Bass bags take some serious abuse so the bass doesn't have to. YMMV, FWIW, etc.
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The zippers on my jeans get more use and they are not falling off.
 
#35
all_grown_up said:
I am comfortable with the judgement of the jury of our peers that a) you get what you pay for and b) I should have gotten a better bag given the use to which I put it.
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3-4 trips per week...21 months? 252 - 336 trips in under 2 years? That is pretty heavy wear.

all_grown_up said:
The zippers on my jeans get more use and they are not falling off.
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Yeah, but you don't have to hold in quite as much.
 
#37
I'm chiming in with regards to the Mooradian bags. My dad & I [dad paid for] got a Mooradian bag-the $350ish one from Arnold when we ordered my Cleveland. I got the bag [and bass] late 2004-i forget if it was closer to October or December. It has survived 2 years of music school thus far in addition to the year of high school band. I like the product enough that when it was time for me to get a gig bag for my electrics-i got a mooradian.

take it easy.
 
#38
I've got a black BG bag that I've had for over 3 years, I think. I know for a fact that I've done about 165 dates playing jazz at local venues in that time. Not to mention going to the odd practice, or the playing I've done in my other, not-so-much-gigging musical endeavours.

The bag has taken a beating and started a wee bit of deterioration about a year or so ago: mostly stitching at non-important seams fraying or giving way. I've started to inspect the handles now and then to make sure they remain good and I've not seen anything to raise concern.

In short, the thing has performed just fine, thank you. I do all my own bass handling and don't use too expensive an instrument, so I don't regret at all NOT shelling out the extra dough for the more premium bags. I reckon I still have lots of service left in the BG.

I understand Bob's made several improvements since I bought mine. On the basis of my experience so far, I'd certainly buy another one. (Unless I get a much more valuable instrument or start having other people wrangle the bass...)
 
#39
brandonwong said:
I recently got my Messina bag from a TB member.
It's the best bag i have seen and used.
Top quality materials, cushioning and handles everywhere... plus lots of compartments for scores, bows, preamp, wheel, books.

I recommend it highly. Especially when its at the sma eprice point as mooradian.
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Since this is sort of turning into a "who makes a good bag" thread, I'll second the Messina. I have been lugging my Shen around in mine for a few years now. It still looks new. Very thick and tough - if a little heavier than some others.
 
#40
all_grown_up said:
You must be kidding yes?

I have really got some great information and feed back on this. But Silversorcerer I think your projected return on the difference between a Bob bag and any other bag is a little optimistic. Perhaps if you put the difference into Google stock. But if you assume a 5% interest rate and a four hundred dollar price differential at two years the return is about $43. The point is, the Bob bag is not going to last long enough.
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Well, the kind of investments I make return me about 1200% in 6 years or so. And the difference I was thinking about was between a Reunion Blues or Sound Gear bag;- more than $400. And I would think most banks compound the interest, so you get interest on the interest after a day or so. But whatever you want to compare it to, the bag Bob sold you was a good deal. You can barely buy 4 yards of upholstery cloth for that price and you got a zipper and some handles with the bag, and someone had to put it all together. I know you're OK with it now, but really, it's like a pair of shoes. These bags all wear out eventually.
 

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