Recommend me a good Gig-Bag

[fretmeister]

Mono Vertigo for me. Excellent design and I don't find it uncomfortable.

I've not tried the M80

[ambient]

I carry my basses miles every week in a Mono Vertigo bag.

I have a mile and a half walk to the train station, it goes in the overhead luggage thing on the train to London. I then carry it on the tube to uni and carry it around from one class to another all day.

Then same in reverse on the way home.

That's 3 maybe 4 days a week.

If my trains don't work out right, I have to wait around for a few hours, and I like to walk down by the Thames. I catch the tube to Westminster and walk down to tower bridge, have coffee then walk back up to London bridge and catch the tube back to the train station.

That's several miles, and I have no problem carrying the bass.

I'm 6ft tall and weigh around 11 stone, so I'm not exactly well built.

I've got soaked more than once this year, and the bag has remained watertight every time.

My choice would undoubtably be the Vertigo.

I sold a Contego to pay for the Vertigo, it was too heavy.

[mcnach]

[quote name='michinho' timestamp='1394729242' post='2394547']
Hi there,

Could someone please recommend me a good top of the range hybird gig-bag?

I travel to gigs a lot into central London (I live in South London) so that means I get on a lot of public transport, Buses, Trains, Trams etc. Sometimes this can include a bit of walking too.

I always want to take what Bass I want without having to worry about the safety/protection of it.

So... The main feature of the bag has to be PROTECTION. The bass has to be fully padded from knocks and bangs. Completely Shock proof, because I often find myself getting onto busy trains/buses and walking through crowds etc. I really don't want to get to a gig and find my bass has any dings or scratches!

Another feature i'm concerned about is weatherproof. The case has to be completely durable against any form of rain/wind/heat/snow/mist/heat/cold... you name it! I'd hate to find the inside of the case damp, moist or any form of condensation!

It also has to be reasonably weighted and comfortable to wear on my back, because as stated, I can sometimes find myself doing a bit of walking.

Finally, Height. I'd prefer one that didn't put the top of the neck and headstock of my bass waaaaaay above my head! Like I said I get on a lot of buses so I don't want to be ducking about all over the place! Maybe an adjustable strap height would be good?

Bags i've been looking at/researching:

Mono M80
Mono Vertigo
igig G515
Fusion F1
Protec Contego
Sadowsky Portabag

I have heard different reviews for all these cases but still can't tell which one is the best!

Please, any input would be highly appreciated since I need one fairly soon! have a few gigs coming thick and fast!

Cheers,

Mike
[/quote]


Fusion F1, and don't think anymore

Really good protection, both from bumps and weather, and really comfortable to carry. Good storage space too.
I got mine last year and have used it a lot, it shows no signs of wear whatsoever.
It's pretty hefty, but not overly so. The bass is nicely hugged inside and it just oozes quality. Really well thought out design, in every way. I was a bit unsure before I bought it because I could not try one first and I could not find much in terms of first hand reviews... but I'm really glad I went for it. I've carried a range of basses there, from 4-string Stingray and Jazz, to 5-string Lakland 5502, and they all fit nicely.

Edited March 14, 2014 by mcnach

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='michinho' timestamp='1394790031' post='2395197']


Would you say that it does well against the elements?

Have you been caught in heavy rain with it?
[/quote]

I put my bass back in the Contego after a soundcheck once and left it in the back gear room while we went for some food. I came back to find that the room had flooded, and the case was standing in an inch of water! Thankfully the case was bone dry inside.

[Lozz196]

I`ve never used a gig-back for wearing on my back, just as a slightly lighter option for practices. Plus, the Contego, having a fair amount of storage space, when I`m gigging with a provided rig, it can take my bass, strap, leads and Zoom B3 so everything I need in a one-hand carry. Which is nice.

[mcnach]

Here's my F1:



one of the things I liked about this, apart from the protection and comfort, was the storage...

It has three nice pockets on the front. The first one is not very deep, but can carry a bunch of accessories, cables, etc. The second one is the main compartment. I can probably fit my Shuttle 9.2 head there although I prefer to carry it in its own bag separately. It has tons of space. I typically carry spare strings, instrument cables, a power extension cable, multi-plug adaptors... It has several zips and smaller pockets inside too. The third one is the deepest pocket, but it's a bit shallower. Itll fit A4 notepads etc. Probably a thin laptop too. A tablet/iPad will fit without issues. Deep. There is nice separation between the pockets too.










There is a fourth deep pocket on the neck. I don't normally carry much there, because everything I need fits elsewhere.




This is the case open:



The bass is well protected from the sides (there is some hard reinforcement in addition to the thick dense padding), front and back. The neck rest is repositionable.




Whatever is in the pockets will not hurt the bass underneath




Nice solid comfy handles




In addition to the normal handle, it's got this kind of "pocket" that's used to grab/handle the case. You can grab it like a handle, slide your palm in.. it's simple, but very effective, comfortable and secure way to lift it and move it about.

One on the back:


one on the front:



It has very nice back support and straps (another small pocket in one of the straps, which I don't use), which will be very welcome if you need to walk with it on your back for any distance...




I also liked the idea that you can get extra smaller bags that attach securely to the gigbag, but I never found I needed extra storage.

[mcnach]

... and no, I am not related to Fusion in anyway. Just a very happy customer.

[gary mac]

Great set of pics and write up.

[michinho]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1394893127' post='2396381']
Here's my F1:



one of the things I liked about this, apart from the protection and comfort, was the storage...

It has three nice pockets on the front. The first one is not very deep, but can carry a bunch of accessories, cables, etc. The second one is the main compartment. I can probably fit my Shuttle 9.2 head there although I prefer to carry it in its own bag separately. It has tons of space. I typically carry spare strings, instrument cables, a power extension cable, multi-plug adaptors... It has several zips and smaller pockets inside too. The third one is the deepest pocket, but it's a bit shallower. Itll fit A4 notepads etc. Probably a thin laptop too. A tablet/iPad will fit without issues. Deep. There is nice separation between the pockets too.










There is a fourth deep pocket on the neck. I don't normally carry much there, because everything I need fits elsewhere.




This is the case open:



The bass is well protected from the sides (there is some hard reinforcement in addition to the thick dense padding), front and back. The neck rest is repositionable.




Whatever is in the pockets will not hurt the bass underneath




Nice solid comfy handles




In addition to the normal handle, it's got this kind of "pocket" that's used to grab/handle the case. You can grab it like a handle, slide your palm in.. it's simple, but very effective, comfortable and secure way to lift it and move it about.

One on the back:


one on the front:



It has very nice back support and straps (another small pocket in one of the straps, which I don't use), which will be very welcome if you need to walk with it on your back for any distance...




I also liked the idea that you can get extra smaller bags that attach securely to the gigbag, but I never found I needed extra storage.
[/quote]

Fantastic Review cheers!

Seems like it could be between this and the Mono!

[michinho]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1394893127' post='2396381']
Here's my F1:



one of the things I liked about this, apart from the protection and comfort, was the storage...

It has three nice pockets on the front. The first one is not very deep, but can carry a bunch of accessories, cables, etc. The second one is the main compartment. I can probably fit my Shuttle 9.2 head there although I prefer to carry it in its own bag separately. It has tons of space. I typically carry spare strings, instrument cables, a power extension cable, multi-plug adaptors... It has several zips and smaller pockets inside too. The third one is the deepest pocket, but it's a bit shallower. Itll fit A4 notepads etc. Probably a thin laptop too. A tablet/iPad will fit without issues. Deep. There is nice separation between the pockets too.










There is a fourth deep pocket on the neck. I don't normally carry much there, because everything I need fits elsewhere.




This is the case open:



The bass is well protected from the sides (there is some hard reinforcement in addition to the thick dense padding), front and back. The neck rest is repositionable.




Whatever is in the pockets will not hurt the bass underneath




Nice solid comfy handles




In addition to the normal handle, it's got this kind of "pocket" that's used to grab/handle the case. You can grab it like a handle, slide your palm in.. it's simple, but very effective, comfortable and secure way to lift it and move it about.

One on the back:


one on the front:



It has very nice back support and straps (another small pocket in one of the straps, which I don't use), which will be very welcome if you need to walk with it on your back for any distance...




I also liked the idea that you can get extra smaller bags that attach securely to the gigbag, but I never found I needed extra storage.
[/quote]

What is the bottom of the case like in terms of protection?

I see that the Mono has a built in type wedge to stop the bottom strap nut going into the body on impact. It looks like it provides a lot of protection for the bottom of the bass too. Just wanted to see how this compares

Also, how has everyone found leaving their bass inside the cases for long periods of time? Does it have any impact on the finishes, neck etc?

Edited March 15, 2014 by michinho

[mcnach]

[quote name='michinho' timestamp='1394925077' post='2396865']
What is the bottom of the case like in terms of protection?

I see that the Mono has a built in type wedge to stop the bottom strap nut going into the body on impact. It looks like it provides a lot of protection for the bottom of the bass too. Just wanted to see how this compares

Also, how has everyone found leaving their bass inside the cases for long periods of time? Does it have any impact on the finishes, neck etc?
[/quote]


That's one thing the Mono seems to be better at than the other contenders, but that's not the say the F1 does not offer protection. The padding is very substantial, and there's an additional protective strip at the bottom. I'll see if I can post a couple of extra pictures. As it is, it does not concern me, but it's perhaps the only one point where the Mono is (slightly) better, in my opinion. In the end, the lack of storage and comfort made me go for the F1.

I have not noticed any issues with the finish of the basses, but I have not carried out any extensive tests. My Stingray tends to live in the case, ready to be taken out to rehearsal/gigs, while at home I just use a SUB that's at hand on the guitar rack. I have not noticed any problems.

[franzbassist]

I've been through lots of different gig bags, and they all bring something different to the table, but I have recently settled on the Mono Vertigo as I really like the weight and protection it offers. I love the low profile of the bag: storage isn't an issue as I have a Mono messenger bag for all my leads etc, or a Mono Tick to attach if I just need the bass and a basic set of accessories. I've never found it to be uncomfortable on the back, but then I have the straps set as long as they go and use the chest strap too.

I like the Contego a lot as well, but that's considerably heavier.

Protection Racket is good too, but quite big.

Best gig bag I have ever had was an Access Stage Five, but that was heavy and almost a hard case protection-wise.

[Kev]

This looks interesting
[url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gruvgear/gigblade-a-revolutionary-side-carry-hybrid-guitar"]https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gruvgear/gigblade-a-revolutionary-side-carry-hybrid-guitar[/url]

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1394962593' post='2397037']
This looks interesting
[url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gruvgear/gigblade-a-revolutionary-side-carry-hybrid-guitar"]https://www.kickstar...y-hybrid-guitar[/url]
[/quote]

Yes it does, but I would suspect it's still at least 6 months from being a shipping product, plus doesn't look like a solution for carrying instruments long distances.

[mcnach]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1394930782' post='2396919']
That's one thing the Mono seems to be better at than the other contenders, but that's not the say the F1 does not offer protection. The padding is very substantial, and there's an additional protective strip at the bottom. I'll see if I can post a couple of extra pictures. As it is, it does not concern me, but it's perhaps the only one point where the Mono is (slightly) better, in my opinion. In the end, the lack of storage and comfort made me go for the F1.

I have not noticed any issues with the finish of the basses, but I have not carried out any extensive tests. My Stingray tends to live in the case, ready to be taken out to rehearsal/gigs, while at home I just use a SUB that's at hand on the guitar rack. I have not noticed any problems.
[/quote]

this is what it looks like at the bottom of the F1



There is some extra protection against wear and tear, but it's not an additional protection against impact in this region, beyond what the rest of the perimeter already offers.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1394962593' post='2397037']
This looks interesting
[url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gruvgear/gigblade-a-revolutionary-side-carry-hybrid-guitar"]https://www.kickstar...y-hybrid-guitar[/url]
[/quote]

interesting... but I would not choose something that's carried only on one shoulder over something that allows me to carry the bass distributing the weight on both shoulders and gives me complete hands free operation... Hmmm.
And that's without getting into the possibility of it sliding off your shoulder, that can get pretty annoying even over a short distance.

[Kev]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1394979154' post='2397257']
interesting... but I would not choose something that's carried only on one shoulder over something that allows me to carry the bass distributing the weight on both shoulders and gives me complete hands free operation... Hmmm.
And that's without getting into the possibility of it sliding off your shoulder, that can get pretty annoying even over a short distance.
[/quote]

There are a couple of ways of wearing it though if you read the full project/images. True, it will not spread the weight as evenly, but I think it is potentially much more convenient than having the thing stuck on your back, I'v hovered over investing a few times and it is only the shipping cost that has turned me off.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1394989119' post='2397434']
There are a couple of ways of wearing it though if you read the full project/images. True, it will not spread the weight as evenly, but I think it is potentially much more convenient than having the thing stuck on your back, I'v hovered over investing a few times and it is only the shipping cost that has turned me off.
[/quote]

Yes, there is one picture showing you can slide it around your back, but it seems to hang very low then... your legs will keep on hitting it as you walk...

I find the idea intriguing, and the things I don't like about it (other than the weight distribution, which may be a killer on its own) are things that I cannot imagine they would not think of, so perhaps it works ok?
But it's a concern and I'd definitely want to try one before investing.

Interesting idea, 'though... Rather than redesigning an entirely new case, I think I'd like to see some of its key features incorporated into a more "standard" design, giving you the choice. I don't think it would be too hard, and it would appeal to me a lot more, knowing that I can still carry it the usual way with equal shoulder distribution etc, comfortably, when the "new way" doesn't suit.

[michinho]

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]I'm still stumped on what to go for! The Monos seem great but i'm concerned that they are ONLY padding. Even though people are stating it provides ample protection I am worried because the case looks very flexible.[/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]The Contego looks cool because it has re-enforced panels. The same goes for the Reunion Aero and Continental.[/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]My concern is the Contego might not support my bass enough well on the inside. E.g. the neck brace doesn't seem as good as some other makes etc. Plus from some pictures the fit of certain basses looks a tight squeeze![/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Completely stuck still! The worst thing is I am not in any position to try any of these out and I need to get one quick! [/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Does anyone know if the Reunion Blues Aero has any storage compartments?[/font][/color]

[michinho]

Mcnach,

Does the F1 have reinforced panels like on the contego etc?

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='michinho' timestamp='1395069808' post='2398254']
[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]I'm still stumped on what to go for! The Monos seem great but i'm concerned that they are ONLY padding. Even though people are stating it provides ample protection I am worried because the case looks very flexible.[/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]The Contego looks cool because it has re-enforced panels. The same goes for the Reunion Aero and Continental.[/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]My concern is the Contego might not support my bass enough well on the inside. E.g. the neck brace doesn't seem as good as some other makes etc. Plus from some pictures the fit of certain basses looks a tight squeeze![/font][/color]



[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Completely stuck still! The worst thing is I am not in any position to try any of these out and I need to get one quick! [/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Does anyone know if the Reunion Blues Aero has any storage compartments?[/font][/color]
[/quote]

In terms of tight squeeze, my W&T has quite a wide body and it is a tight squeeze for the Mono - the Protec is a better fit.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Roland Rock

[Transmogrifier1]

I've got a Reunion Blues Aero. It offers excellent protection & is comfortable to carry on your back but is short on storage space. It has a zipped area near the bottom you can fit a strap & lead or some music in to. There is another small zipped area near the top for strings etc. It also has a lovely blood red velvet interior!

[michinho]

I went ahead and ordered a Mono M80. Should be with me later today when I get home from work. Will take it with me to practice tonight! I'll let everyone know how I get on!

I plan on buying a Vertigo at some point as well, and maybe a Reunion Blues Aero.

[mcnach]

[quote name='michinho' timestamp='1395311766' post='2400911']
I went ahead and ordered a Mono M80. Should be with me later today when I get home from work. Will take it with me to practice tonight! I'll let everyone know how I get on!

I plan on buying a Vertigo at some point as well, and maybe a Reunion Blues Aero.
[/quote]


Please report back when you get it

(pictures would be welcome too )

[Japow]

I bought a Mono Vertigo yesterday and lugged it on PT from Bromley all the way to Kilburn tonight. I bought the gray / blue one with the orange boot, which IMO would have looked much better with the black bag. Alas, the black seems only available with the grey boot. Strange that.

All in all, I find it an eye-catching, practical and comfortable bag, and I'll be getting a Tick to complement the somewhat tight storage. The price seems to be fixed wherever you look, so if you can, buy direct in-store and save on the £10 shipping.