Mid-price gig bag WITH strap/brace for neck?

[Guinness21]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I'm looking at getting a gig bag to use with my Musicman Stingray, the case is a bit bulky to move about. T[/font][/size][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]he Mono M80 Vertigo looks great but I just can't bring myself to pay £150 for a gig bag! I have a TGI extreme, but it's falling apart after having it for 2 years. So I'm after something between the two. I want something that's obviously padded well, but I specifically[/font][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif] want a gig bag that has a strap/brace to hold the neck in place.[/font]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Bags I've looked at so far:
- [color=#111111][b]Ultimate Support USS1-EB [/b](haven't heard too much about them but it meets all my requirements)[/color][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#111111]- [b]Stagg Deluxe[/b] (my dad just bought one and it seems quality, a lot of gig bag for the money)[/color][/font][/size]
For the right product I might stretch my budget to around £100.
- [b]The Mono M80 sleeve[/b] - looks great, but I'm not too confident about how well it would protect my bass.
- [b]Protec Contego[/b] - Looks sturdy and gets good reviews, not happy with the neck just resting on a neck block though, I want a strap or neck brace.
-[b] Fusion F1 [/b]- gets a lot of good reviews, it's available on their own site for £100 (sold out currently). It seems like quite a large bag though?
-[b] Rockready Volo[/b] - very intriguing, haven't found much info on them. Impressive-looking but not cheap, not sure I could stretch my budget quite that far.

What are people's thoughts on the bags I've mentioned? Are there any others I should be considering? I'm not willing to spend what I deem mega money so no Mono Vertigo, Gruv Gigblade, IGig G515 or anything else in that price bracket.

[MacDaddy]

How much is your bass worth to you?

£150 for a Mono gig bag is money well spent, and roughly a tenth the cost of a Stingray?

Yup I got one

[JapanAxe]

Mono gig bags come up used on BC from time to time of course.

[gary mac]

I purchased a Mono Bass Sleeve from Bass Gear a few months back.
The level of protection is impressive, along with the design, build quality and price.

[discreet]

Protection Racket 7051

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/protection-racket-7051-electric-bass-guitar-bag/5444?gclid=CjwKEAjwxeq9BRDDh4_MheOnvAESJABZ4VTqFq8iFXWMCac8OA2KdUeRo1TxWIRZsf4OnG6rwR1RXxoCukHw_wcB

Great protection and good value. Loads of storage in big pockets. Light and semi-rigid. More of a case than a bag though, but well worth consideration.

[Osiris]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1471865134' post='3116433']
Protection Racket 7051

[url="https://www.gak.co.uk/en/protection-racket-7051-electric-bass-guitar-bag/5444?gclid=CjwKEAjwxeq9BRDDh4_MheOnvAESJABZ4VTqFq8iFXWMCac8OA2KdUeRo1TxWIRZsf4OnG6rwR1RXxoCukHw_wcB"]https://www.gak.co.u...R1RXxoCukHw_wcB[/url]

Great protection and good value. Loads of storage in big pockets. Light and semi-rigid. More of a case than a bag though, but well worth consideration.
[/quote]

Another vote for the [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Protection Racket, [/font][/color][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]I have one as well as the highly regarded[/color][/font][url="https://www.thomann.de/gb/protec_contego_e_bass_case.htm"] Pro-Tec Contego[/url][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]. Both have velcro neck support straps. [/color][/font]
[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]​Both are light weight and reassuringly sturdy. The [/color][/font][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Protection Racket is a bit chunkier and has a better carry handle than the Pro-Tec but the Pro-Tec has more pockets for odds and sods. [/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Out of the 2 I prefer the [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Protection Racket, and at about half the price of the Contego it's a no brainer [/font][/color]

Edited August 22, 2016 by Osiris

[Guinness21]

Is it worth paying the extra for the Protection Racket deluxe over the standard?

[deksawyer]

I have a Protec Contego that my Ray34 goes in and it's a brilliantly good fit. Never felt the need to use the neck strap thing on any gig bag that's had one...

D.

[Guinness21]

[quote name='deksawyer' timestamp='1471882182' post='3116675']
I have a Protec Contego that my Ray34 goes in and it's a brilliantly good fit. Never felt the need to use the neck strap thing on any gig bag that's had one...

D.
[/quote]

That's great for you, but for me having used gig bags that don't have them I'd feel much happier having one to use.

[deksawyer]

In what way would it make you happier..?

I have one of the posh Stagg bags as well as a TGI Extreme, but when the bass is zipped up in the Contego, there is no sideways movement, so a strap is going to do exactly [i]feck all[/i]. Hard cases don't have neck straps, and the Contego is more like a soft hard case. I can't comment on the others apart from the Stagg/TGI, and the Contego is in a different league entirely. It's very rigid around the edge of the bag, and that's what separates if from a lot of the others - although some of the more expensive ones are similar I believe.

Good luck on whatever you choose, just trying to explain my own reasons for recommending the Contego.

D.

[deksawyer]

To add: the Ultimate Support bag looks like excellent value for money..

D.

[Osiris]

[quote name='Guinness21' timestamp='1471881036' post='3116662']
Is it worth paying the extra for the Protection Racket deluxe over the standard?
[/quote]

I only have the standard Protection Racket bag, I've never seen or used the deluxe version so can't offer an opinion one way or the other.
However, looking at the specs online - which admittedly are very sparse - it looks like all you're getting for an extra £40 or so is a furry lining and that flap on the back, whatever it does.
Can't say that I've missed not having the furry lining. The standard comes with 2 padded, contoured 'wedges' that you can move about (they're on velcro) to help keep your bass nice and secure, they fit nicely into the contours of the body and along with the neck strap the bass is held tight and doesn't move.

I can't recommend it highly enough - it's every bit as good as the Contego and half the price.

[M@23]

The MONO looks great and not many people have anything negative to say. The thing that puts me off is the few cases of nitro finished necks being stained by their Headlock (I think that's what they call it) system.

I'm surprised Fusion have the F1 for £100 because it has long been discontinued, unless they found some old stock in the factory.
I had its replacement, the Urban, and everything about it was brilliant. Shouldn't have sold it and will likely get another at some point.