I'd honestly rather have the gig bag. All of my hard cases end up stacked in my basement and never touched again.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Is It Just Me?
- Thread starter grooveguru
- Start date
Luckily you don't have to "buy" inflation. It happens whether you believe in it or not. In 1968 the US federal minimum wage was $1.60, compared to $7.25 today. In today's dollars, the 1968 minimum wage is equivalent to $11.79. Things seem to cost more because in a lot of cases, worker wages have NOT increased with inflation.
In 1968, a sunburst Precision Bass cost $239.50, NOT including a case. In today's dollars, that is $1764.55. Today, you can buy an American Professional Precision Bass in sunburst for $1499, including the case.
In 1968 you would have to work a minimum wage job for 149.7 hours to make enough to buy a P-Bass (case NOT included, it was $64.50 extra). To buy a bass at that same inflation-adjusted price at today's minimum wage, you would have to work 243.4 hours. Maybe that's why instruments seem more expensive now. Prices have increased with inflation, but by and large, wages have not. (I understand many people do not make minimum wage, but it is a useful tool for comparison. US wages have failed to keep pace with inflation across the board, not just at the bottom of the market.)
ALL of my guitars and basses are in hard shell cases.
In 50 years I have never owned a "gig bag".
In my way of thinking, the only reason to use a "bag" for a guitar is to keep all the pieces together when it breaks in half....
Even when I've bought instruments without a case I've bought HSCs for them.
When I think back on all the abuse my gear has gotten going to and from gigs and traveling, I just dont think they would have survived without them.
In 50 years I have never owned a "gig bag".
In my way of thinking, the only reason to use a "bag" for a guitar is to keep all the pieces together when it breaks in half....
Even when I've bought instruments without a case I've bought HSCs for them.
When I think back on all the abuse my gear has gotten going to and from gigs and traveling, I just dont think they would have survived without them.
Alan Ace Cooper
Supporting Member
- Jan 6, 2004
- 3,349
- 9,350
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Devon Basses, DR Strings, EMG pickups, Bag End Cabs
I don't have room for storing cases anymore. Heck, I barely have room for storing gig bags...
This Covid crises has given me a lot of time to get myself, semi-organized. I looked around and realized I had 7 cases and 6 gig bags. Since April, early May, I sold 2 cases. Included a case with a bass that I sold and sold one of the gig bags. I will probably include one of the other gig bags with a 4 string Jazz bass I plan to sell.
I used to insist on HSC for every bass I bought. I got a Warwick German-made Katana in 2008 and it came with what seemed to be a really nice gig bag, so I skipped the HSC on that one. Within three years of weekly use, the zippers broke and one of the straps tore off. So, HSC for that one, too.
I recently got a Dingwall Combustion that came with a Dingwall gig bag. We'll see how that one goes, but I will pop it in one of my many HSCs if needed.
I recently got a Dingwall Combustion that came with a Dingwall gig bag. We'll see how that one goes, but I will pop it in one of my many HSCs if needed.
Yup, inflation.
Those basses that were $500 when you started playing, are now the $1800 dollar basses today.
And the basses that were the $299 back then are now the 1k bass today.
+1......over the past three decades I've been through the gamut including a boutique instrument I carted around in a flight case......since the early 00s a lot has changed for me....I generally leave my expensive instruments at home and gig with instruments that cost less than 600 and I carry in gig bags......I'm not a gearhead and I have nothing to prove to anybody
Exactly, Back in the day, I think it was expected to get some kind of case when you bought a New bass, it was one of the perks, you got. a few years back I bought a bass at GC & was kinda surprized by the doesnt include a case speech after haggling for a lower price, but he threw in a strap & straplocks! I guess I understand, It cuts into their Margins. I guess we got spoiled with the throw in case policy, I was almost offended with the Cheap Gig bag he offered in place. I felt lucky to get anything Thrown in!
But come to think of it MF sells a hardshell type case for 49.99, you'd think they'd stock up GC with those, but I know times are tough for that company. Plus gig bags tech. is getting better every year, my buddy swears by them! Cases are cool but gig bags are the future like it or not!
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
The Facts are that I've bought new instruments from GC that were supposed to come with a gigbag or case & the staff could not even be bothered to look for it, because they knew damn well they had thrown them out (or sold them).
I honestly rather them come with nothing or a gig bag. There's much better options for my flying needs than hard cases and if that's some upfront cost off the instrument I'm fine with that. I also don't believe they always came with cases by default?
I'd honestly rather have a high quality gig bag over a hard case. There are pros and cons to both, but I can't throw a hard case over my shoulders like a backpack and make one trip to the car with the rest of my gear. I have a Protec Contego that is more of a hybrid design and it protects my $2k+ basses for my needs. I haven't used a hard case since and they are just taking up half of the available closet space in my music room. They're nice to have in case I need to move the whole collection in a pinch, but not for much else at the moment since my basses are all hanging up on the wall.
I know the thread is about why manufacturers aren't doing hard cases at a certain price point, but honestly I think most people really do not use them and they have taken notice.
I know the thread is about why manufacturers aren't doing hard cases at a certain price point, but honestly I think most people really do not use them and they have taken notice.
Id say that and corporate greed. All they worry about anymore is profit margins down to using cheap electronic components when the better ones only cost a few bucks more.
Everything has been smoking weed. Thats why they keep going higher and higher. Joke aside, corporate greed is involved as well.
I've been buying used gear that have cases & then flipping the instrument to keep the case:
held onto the guitar this came in for a week & then sold it to the nearest pawn-shop, all in the case cost me $60
I could have gotten more from the instrument if I had some patience or was willing to drive 3 hours.
Most shops that sell pre-owned instruments place next to no value on the case, GC will tack on an extra $50. (but only when selling it, not when buying it)
This is my secret as well. I have never paid for a hardshell case or gig bag.
Thank you, Guitar Center used inventory.
I just figure the cost of a case into any offer I make. It's very rare that someone hasn't thrown in some kind of case or gig bag to seal the deal.
One of the things I really liked about both of my American Jazz Basses was that Fender saw fit to include a molded to fit, ABS case. Zero complaints at all. I bought a brand new G&L Kiloton that came with a G&G case. As far as I can tell, that case is a 1950s reenactment accessory. My Fullerton Deluxe LB-100 came with a gig bag, which seems to provide about 85% of the protection and 250% of the usefulness of the G&G case. I haven't settled on one yet, but I'll be buying a real case with a TSA lock before I do any traveling with either.
You know, maybe it's because I'm getting slower in my old age that my Internet spidey sense gets a delay in its tingle... but now I kinda wonder if the OP was baiting us with that original post. If so, we all fell for it hook, line, and sinker; and now the OP is having a good laugh. I did a quick search, and the OP hasn't posted since that first message.
If that's the case and we were all taken for fools, I must give slow applause and say, "Well played good sir/madam/whatever else you prefer to be called. Well played."
If that's the case and we were all taken for fools, I must give slow applause and say, "Well played good sir/madam/whatever else you prefer to be called. Well played."
