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Musicman no longer including hardshell cases?

#221
sleddogn said:
Can't we like different things? I've never owned a bass that i gigged that didn't have a hard case. But I also rode around in a band van, and band things happen in vans that would damage a bag of sorts. I love my serek case that came with my grand, super awesome for me now, but wouldn't have lasted 6 months back in the day...:)
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totally can disagree, and if i were buying a new musicman I’d ask the dealer “eh bro, can I get any ol hardcase instead?” I just don’t think it’s a rip-off that’s all, i think the real world implications is just that, asking a dealer to give you a hard case instead and the musicman mono case ends up with someone who wants that, someone’s gonna want the hard shell and someone’s gonna want the mono instead, most people aren’t gonna care about the logo, and it doesn’t realistically change the resale value of the instrument. Most dealers have piles of old cases
 
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#224
bobdabilder said:
I may be. Every mm bass I purchased new came with a case. They didn't charge extra. It was included. That's the way it should be at that price point. My point with the mono is that I firmly believe this is a cost control measure and some folks think it's not. Just calling it out. That's all.
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It's the power of branding. Many people in this thread seem to believe new MMs are shipping with a Mono hybrid bag, or equivalent, worth $250 retail. They are not, it's a rigid foam case, and I'm also confident it costs MM less than their current offering.

For comparison, a Gator rigid foam case is 2/3 the price of their cheapest ABS hard case in my country. The foam case knocks 5lbs off the weight, though, so there is definitely a reason for the product to exist. Good enough if you transport your bass in the backseat of your car.

EDIT: Added a video showing the new case.

 
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#226
Windreaper said:
It's the power of branding. Many people in this thread seem to believe new MMs are shipping with a Mono hybrid bag, or equivalent, worth $250 retail. They are not, it's a rigid foam case, and I'm also confident it costs MM less than their current offering.

For comparison, a Gator rigid foam case is 2/3 the price of their cheapest ABS hard case in my country. The foam case knocks 5lbs off the weight, though, so there is definitely a reason for the product to exist. Good enough if you transport your bass in the backseat of your car.

EDIT: Added a video showing the new case.

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Darrell Vachon said:
At least this thread has got me thinking about quality gig bags after using hard shells for over 40 years. I find it baffling though that the MM ones don't have the shoulder straps. I wouldn't buy one without them!
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Wow, the case in that video without shoulder straps looks like one of the dumbest ideas.
 
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#227
sleddogn said:
Can't we like different things? I've never owned a bass that I gigged that didn't have a hard case. But I also rode around in a band van, and band things happen in vans that would damage a bag of sorts. I love my Serek case that came with my grand, super awesome for me now, but wouldn't have lasted 6 months back in the day...:)
Click to expand...

I bought one of my basses from Japan, a Tune TWB. It came with a very basic gig bag. I spent a fair amount of $$ to get the appropriate TUNE HSC; the TWB shape is very distinct & I don't think it would fit well at all in a standard J/P bass case.

So yeah, if your instrument is going to be "cargo", loaded in with cymbal stands and amps, better get the best case you can afford I would THINK that would be obvious.. - Ever see a Carbon Fiber ATA? Nice.

I think I might have come up with a viable solution: The new EBMM/MONO bags should come with a Hang-Tag as follows:

images.jpg
 
#228
Windreaper said:
It's the power of branding. Many people in this thread seem to believe new MMs are shipping with a Mono hybrid bag, or equivalent, worth $250 retail. They are not, it's a rigid foam case, and I'm also confident it costs MM less than their current offering.

For comparison, a Gator rigid foam case is 2/3 the price of their cheapest ABS hard case in my country. The foam case knocks 5lbs off the weight, though, so there is definitely a reason for the product to exist. Good enough if you transport your bass in the backseat of your car.

EDIT: Added a video showing the new case.

Click to expand...


If and when the new MM/Mono case bag whatever is offered as an accessory, we'll see what it would sell for. MONO's least expensive offering is their sleeve for, what $180.00? I'm thinking at least $200 for this product; we'll see soon enough I guess.

And I wouldn't be so confident that MM pays less to MONO than they do to whoever supplies their molded cases (SKB, maybe?)
I have a little bit of knowledge (admittedly, just a little!:D) about molded products, and I do know that when the molding production process starts cycling, it can be done pretty much on the cheap.
 
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#231
Mrtoodamnsabre said:
might be, those guys make a lot of airport stuff, production on guitar cases could have fallen way off
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I always felt MM cases were SKB's but that's a guess on my part. maybe it says somewhere on the cases???

I have a VERY limited Bongo (as in the only one, story for another day!) it came in a standard case.
A latch was broke. I called SLO, and IIRC Scott Ball came to the phone, and said, "Sorry, don't worry, we'll send a new case today!" They did, and when it arrived, it was a G&G Tan Alligator case that I guess they provide with BFR's. Nice. They didn't have to do that, but they did. Just about every story I've heard/read re: EBMM customer care reflects this type of attitude for their customer base.

That's why, as for me, I can't see them sitting in the Board Room thinking: "Let's do it! let's switch cases on them! We'll be able to buy one of those Russian Yachts with the profits we'll make! Bwaaaahaaaaaa!"
If they did, well shame on them. I think not though
 
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#232
Confunk said:
That's why, as for me, I can't see them sitting in the Board Room thinking: "Let's do it! let's switch cases on them! We'll be able to buy one of those Russian Yachts with the profits we'll make! Bwaaaahaaaaaa!"
If they did, well shame on them. I think not though
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I don't think that most people would reasonably think this. But sitting around in a boardroom trying to figure out ways to cut costs and manage the profit per instrument sold? Happens all the time, especially when supply chain expenses are volatile as they have been.
 
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#233
Fun Size Nick said:
I don't think that most people would reasonably think this. But sitting around in a boardroom trying to figure out ways to cut costs and manage the profit per instrument sold? Happens all the time, especially when supply chain expenses are volatile as they have been.
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Well, it has been implied that's "what it is":roflmao:

I always thought that the fact that MM brings in a lot of profit from sales of Super Slinkys enabled them to make their basses a tremendous value. They're equal in build quality to just about anything, great woods, finishes, and electronics plus they have a distinct sound all their own.

These days with supply chain problems wreaking havoc, and increasing costs for energy, fuel, etc. every company needs to cut costs as much as possible in order to show a profit. Sadly, it usually involves raising prices, true for just about every commodity.

The point of contention here is that I don't necessarily see the Mono bag as a downgrade or price-cutting move.
Only their Purchasing people & Management know the differentials in costs, and whether the availability of molded cases has anything to do with it.
If the MONO that's going to be supplied with their instruments in the near future doesn't cut it for the Buyer, they can probably always find a HSC for it.
 
#236
A few people saying they love their gig bag for traveling on the subway. I went to a gig on the train once too, and took a gig bag. It was great and I'd love to use it more. But that was once. I'm less confident throwing a bass in a bag into the back of a car or van along with amps, cabs, and other kit all in industrial cases and expecting to find a playable bass at the other end.

Maybe this bag is as amazing as people are saying, but can I let the drummer load it into the back of his transit van, along with the rest of the band's kit without having to worry? Bonus points if we're confident it'll survive when he reverses over it! (to be fair that only happened once and I was driving - rack mounted amp... it was fine).
 
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#240
Leonid Nidis said:
Not sure about this,usually people already have a gigbag they use to take the bass out and use the original hard case to store the bass.
Mono are great but any gigbag will get worn and gather dust and dirt,a hard case will last.
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I agree with that, to a point. If the Gigbag is lighter than the original hard case, then yes, maybe. And if the design of the gig bag is NON universal to the point that the body is tightly contained, then yes, maybe.

Mono never shows what the inside of the bag is like after a body has been moving side to side in a slightly oversized bag (the fabric eventually gets torn up and the bridge has quite a bit of strain applied), nor do they ever show one being dropped on the headstock end. Because when the body can move and act as a hammer, that headstock is in jeopardy.

There's also this: I don't travel with a gig bag, nor do I usually travel with the original hard case. I have Anvil cases for that. And by travel, I mean "by truck, bus or airplane."
 
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