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Double Bass Sound Wear....Worth it??!

#21
Calvin Marks said:
The 3/4 and 4/4 size models are too small for my bass...they only go to 26" on the LB!!! I was under the impression that in order to get a custom size you need to order directly from them in Europe.

Soundwear Performer (their website) - 619.00 USD
+ 25% Surcharge for a Custom Bag - 773.75 USD
+ Sales Tax - 889.81 USD
+ Shipping to Canada - I'm guessing at least 100- 150.00

Now convert that to Canadian dollars, you're at 1k.
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What's wrong with a custom Mooradian bag? I have one on a Bass of mine and it's just fine. No Bass should ever be banged up in a bag thinking you are protected. That's what trunks are for but if dropped even in a trunk, you can expect internal 'shock' cracks or breakage without any damage to the trunk itself.

Calvin, I think you are a little intense on this new possibly first custom Bass you are getting. I take my Basses out in any padded bag that fits, period. I am very careful with my Basses as you could imagine. I don't think you need to go 'bullet proof' on a Bag. Just be careful and tell others around you as well to 'watch out'! Be careful where and how you lay or store the Bass as well. Non Bassists care zip about it so it's up to you to provide a safe place for it each time you move it.

Now, if you just bought Dragonetti's d'Salo, I am all with you. Contact NASA and get a special Nuclear suit made for it. Short of that, something that fits will do.

I just had a new longer neck put on the Bass that has the custom Bag. It may have to be sent back for a modification. If a C-Ext gets added, it may need another Mod as the case fits snug all around the Bass. Imagine you spending a ton of money and then you alter the Bass somehow. What will you do with the Bag then if it no longer fits?

I usually use Bobelock or a Mooradian if they come with the Bass and occasionally a TKL. Basses that come in with Bags stay with each other. A Bag is a Bag to me if it fits and works. I play the Bass, not the Bag. That's just my opinion about the Bags.

Oh, and 26" on a 4/4 Bass LB? I have many 27s" that are barely a 7/8ths. What are they thinking? Should be 30"-32" I think.
 
#22
KSB - Ken Smith said:
Calvin, I think you are a little intense on this new possibly first custom Bass you are getting..........Oh, and 26" on a 4/4 Bass LB? I have many 27s" that are barely a 7/8ths. What are they thinking? Should be 30"-32" I think.
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Ken, firstly thank you for your reply, your posts are as usual very interesting. Unfortunately, all I asked for were peoples opinions on Sound Wear bags, not what your specific opinion is on how I view my gear/take care of my instrument. That's quite frankly none of your concern in relation to this thread. If I wanted a lecture I'd happily ask for one from you because I know that you know what you're talking about, but that's not why I'm on Talkbass.

I don't know if you realize but gigging for me is how I earn cash to put food on the table, pay rent and save for upcoming grad school. I just spent my life savings on a custom bass that fits all of my needs. Is it hasty to want the best possible accessories for this instrument? I know that this bass is not a Panormo but that's no reason to not want to take care of it.

I've thought about Mooradian bags, and they seem like excellent cases but they don't provide enough protection from the cold weather. Toronto can be freezing in the winter, and the humidity is always up and down. Especially since this instrument will be in storage at a University I won't always have full control of what is going on in that room, so I'm trying to find a bag that will keep the instrument warm and also keep it safe because I gig several times a week.

Thank you everyone for all of your insightful information regarding gig bags. I hope this thread can become a worthwhile utility for someone seeking more information on soundwear.

In relation to your final question Ken, I also found it strange that they consider 26" LB's to be their 4/4 sized case, my bass has dimensions of 20" on top, and 29" on bottom, so I suppose by their standards my instrument would be a 6/4 lol. :smug:
 
#24
KSB - Ken Smith said:
On the Cold, I don't think you are protected from it in any kind of case or Bag. It's more the Humidity or lack of it you need to be concerned with, not the temperature.
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Ken is correct. The bass will reach equilibrium with the temperature outside of the bag (any bag) fairly rapidly. In other words, cold bag=cold bass regardless of who makes the bag. Bags offer short term, limited protection from rapid changes in humidity but I don't think any decent bag is any better than any other in this respect.



mark
 
#26
The only problem is that Reunion Blues bags are almost as expensive as a custom soundwear bag. I think I saw something like $620-650 on WWBW, but I'm too lazy to look it up. :p


EDIT: Ok, it's $529. By his math it would still be ~$800 Canadian.
 
#28
FWIW I am VERY happy with my custom mooradian bag. 4+ years and barely any visible signs of wear. I'm not sure if they still do this, but mine is a custom color as well as custom size.

+1 on the comments that you still need to be cautious with your travels with your bass. In the bag, on the gig, at home in the practice room, in the rehearsal hall, any place there are people or pets, doors, stairs, ceiling fans, amps, PA's, pianos, etc... Into the back of the vehicle, out of the vehicle... You know the drill.

It's a bulky, delicate, expensive to repair instrument. No bag will provide protection for every hazard.
 
#29
ehochberg said:
The Canadian dollar is just about even to the US now.
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Yes, but we don't have to pay customs taxes nor have to ship to Canada.

FWIW I am VERY happy with my custom mooradian bag. 4+ years and barely any visible signs of wear. I'm not sure if t hey still do this, but mine is a custom color as well as custom size.
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Just FYI: When I inquired with Mooradian about getting a custom bag done for my EUB, they took a while to respond and said they were basically slammed until fall 08.
 
#30
hdiddy said:
Just FYI: When I inquired with Mooradian about getting a custom bag done for my EUB, they took a while to respond and said they were basically slammed until fall 08.
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I had one made a few years ago and it took a couple of months to get it. I've been using Mooradian Deluxe bags for years and have never had any kind of problem. I've banged the bass against walls without damage (to the bass or the wall). I originally had their regular bag and it was a little skimpy but the Deluxe bag has been great.

mark
 
#31
In comparing the 'high end' cases (soundwear and reunion blues are the ones I know of), the real advantage of the soundwear in my mind is the heavy-duty backback harness on the soundwear professional. It looks like it's straight off of a trekking pack. That's a feature I'd really like to have, and don't know of any other place to get it.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has experience with that aspect of the case, or with the backpack straps on the reunion blues (or any other) case, as far as comfort, durability and all that goes.

As far as appearance, I vastly prefer the RB, but I think I'd be willing to go with the soundwear for that reason alone. If you need to walk a piece with the bass, I think it's the way to go.
 
#32
danbas said:
In comparing the 'high end' cases (soundwear and reunion blues are the ones I know of), the real advantage of the soundwear in my mind is the heavy-duty backback harness on the soundwear professional. It looks like it's straight off of a trekking pack. That's a feature I'd really like to have, and don't know of any other place to get it.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has experience with that aspect of the case, or with the backpack straps on the reunion blues (or any other) case, as far as comfort, durability and all that goes.

As far as appearance, I vastly prefer the RB, but I think I'd be willing to go with the soundwear for that reason alone. If you need to walk a piece with the bass, I think it's the way to go.
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I bought a used Reunion Blues bag off Ebay last summer. I'm using it with 2 different American Standard basses which are a bit bigger than the Kay in body size.

I also have a ProTec bag that I've used for nearly 10 years. It offers better padding than the Reunion Blues bag and I bought it new for about $230, when a new RB bag was bringing about $500.

I like the protection of both, but the extra handles on the RB bag (along with the backstraps) wins, hands down. Saturday night I carried my bass across 5 lanes of city street in Asheville, NC, TWICE and my back didn't get pulled or strained any way.

With the ProTec bag, I have to carry it either on one shoulder (only one strap) or in front, wrapping my hands/arms around the bass with the neck on my shoulder and the lower body out front. This usually gets a muscle pull going every time I do that.

With the RB bag, the weight is evenly distributed on my back and I squat to get the first strap on and then get the other strap on and off I go! The only drawback is having to be conscious of the neck extending above my head. I'm 6'5".
 
#33
M Ramsey said:
With the RB bag, the weight is evenly distributed on my back and I squat to get the first strap on and then get the other strap on and off I go! The only drawback is having to be conscious of the neck extending above my head. I'm 6'5".
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I'm 3" shorter than you, but I quit using the backpack straps on my Soundwear bag when I almost landed on my backside (and, by proximity, my bass) *twice* in one day by forgetting about the neck sticking up. Once it got snagged on a low tree limb, and the second time on a doorway. I just use the single shoulder strap now. :)
 
#34
I love the backpack straps. Nothing beats having shoulder straps to carry the bass up and down the hills here in San Francisco. The wheel sucks for that and is only good for relatively flat areas. I find myself using them more than the wheel since there are no hassles of keeping putting the end-pin on/off and keeping track of it. Less fuss.
 
#35
Chris Fitzgerald said:
I'm 3" shorter than you, but I quit using the backpack straps on my Soundwear bag when I almost landed on my backside (and, by proximity, my bass) *twice* in one day by forgetting about the neck sticking up. Once it got snagged on a low tree limb, and the second time on a doorway. I just use the single shoulder strap now. :)
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Chris, you got to be conscious about what you're carrying, not what you're going to be playing, at times. :D

DeathWaltz1.jpg
 
#37
This post may have no relation to previous posts .. but ... I have a very standard 3\4 bass that fits like a glove in a Mooradian standard (3\4 size) .. I just received my new Soundwear Performer case today and my bass doesn't fit ... the case is TOO SMALL .. and even if i could try to make it fit .. it puts way too much pressure on your actual instrument .. it could easily move your bridge positioning (you know that set up that cost you almost $100 last week .. kiss it goodbye with this case) and it has virtually no padding on the back of the case .. I don't know about you .. but the wear and tear of sliding your bass in and out of the trunk of your station wagon is pretty substantial .. yeah... the case could probably absorb a bullet shot from the front but when you try to turn a corner in a club and you bang the back of your bass against the wall (you know what I'm talking about .. right at the back corner .. on the seem .. I've had to get my bass re glued because of the shock of that hit) the case will definitely NOT protect that shock. I'm sure some people are very happy with their Soundwear cases .. but just a warning from an experienced bass player .. measure your bass .. and you'll probably need to get a custom size (which is quite a bit more money) .. god luck
 
#38
I just saw this thread--I can't afford it at the moment, but a new bag for my bass is one the agenda.

I'd go with Glenn Cronkhite as well. I have tswo Cronkhite bags--one for my electric bass and one for a Guild Artist Award jazz guitar, a big fancy art-deco-ish archtop. The Cronkhite case are just superb. No nonsense, no hoodoo, just a perfect fit and the best padding I've seen. Elegant and functional. For my guitar, he emailed me a form with about a dozen measurements on it, I took the measurements and sent it back, and a week and a half later there was the bag. I asked Glenn what a bass bag would cost and he said around $500, custom made. He's a great guy to work with
 
#39
Man....just call Dave Messina, pay the 375 bucks for him to custom-make you a case, and be done with it! His cases are ridiculously well-padded, reasonable, and fit your instrument like a glove.
Plus, it's blue! :)

I can't speak for the Cronkhite case, but I've owned a RB bag, and have seen his tuba bag, and I'm sure it's just as good!
 
#40
I just bought a soundwear performer from Quinn Violins, great case, great protection, well thought handles and way less bulky than what i thought. if it will hold nice, then its a winner and a great investment.
i bought a chinese made bass case last year, last me 2 months before falling apart.
It doesn't make sense to save money on a bag , get the best bag you can and stay away from china bags.
just my $0.02

Nuno
 

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