Fusion Urban Series - Double Electric Bass Gig Bag Review

[ped]

Fusion Urban Series Double Electric Bass Bag – Basschat Review
[url="https://www.fusion-bags.com/collections/guitar-gig-bags/products/fg-double-electric-bass-guitar-gig-bag"]https://www.fusion-b...-guitar-gig-bag[/url]

£196 GBP delivery included


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If bass players spend hours discussing the pros and cons of various types of instrument, then ask one to mention how they get those basses from A to B and you’ve got a whole new can of worms.

Once you’ve spent hundreds of hours finding the prefect bass, amp and cab, you realise that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A case is both an investment to protect your beloved instrument but also a practical piece of kit for moving said instrument with the minimum of fuss and maximum comfort. Don’t get me started on guitar straps, either.

Options tend to be one of two camps – a hard case (from full flight case to high impact rigid foam) to a ‘gig bag’ which can be worn on your back. One case can’t do it all; sometimes nothing short of a flight case will do - especially if you load your gear into a van – but we’ve all spent time and energy trying to load a rectangle hard case into the back of a car like customers in an Ikea car park. Let’s face it, for the travelling musician carrying a hard case any distance is awkward. And that’s before the drummer asks you to help with their hardware.

Enter the Fusion Urban Series. A superbly crafted range of bags for a variety of instruments. More often than not, I like to take two instruments with me. I could take two bags, but having both in one is handy, weighs only slightly more (my basses are both under 4kg) and I’ll get told of less if my fiancée thinks I’ve only bought one item.

The bag itself is really nicely made. Time will tell how it holds up but as a bit of an expert on all things bag (I spent a large part of my 20s looking for the perfect camera bag) I can tell that the construction is top notch. Large good quality zippers, double seams, thick but light materials all combine to make a bag which is both light (4.2kg) and actually rather rigid. It would be very difficult to bend the bag when it’s empty. Areas that come into contact with the ground are reinforced and rubberised.

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Many people reading this review will be aware of the other options in this sector. Mono is a name that comes up. So why didn’t I get one of those? Well, partly because I prefer the design of the Fusion, but mainly due to the internal bracing system. There’s a solid foam piece for holding and supporting the neck whilst a removable 20mm padded ‘collar’ can be adjusted to fit the contour of your bass, as you can see in the pictures. You can also use one section for things like a pedalboard, mixer, headphones, cables etc. and use the collar to divide the section into a completely different shape. The bag is even provided with a bunch of medium and short length foam dividers which you can use to further organise this section.

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Are there any downsides? Well, a couple. First of all, because of the close fitting of the collar to the shape of my instrument I have to fully open the bag to remove a bass (rather than opening the top and pulling it out) however that would be possible if I arranged the collar differently. Secondly the access to the sections takes some getting used to. To get the first bass out you can open the top flap and open it right up – the instrument can easily be accessed in this way. However, removing the second bass is a bit trickier. Partly that’s because the fact that the first part of the case acts as a counterweight and makes the whole case want to flip over but secondly I feel that the top zipper should open right down to the neck section on both sides so that the case falls open more easily. Again, a small point, and I’m nit-picking. The main sections open in a zig-zag fashion so one section opens in the opposite direction of the other. I’m not sure why that is, and it’s taken a while to get used to as previously cases I’ve had have always opened on one side only, like a book. Fusion said this was because players they spoke to found it easier and you may find it suits you, too.

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One of my favourite things about this bag is the quality of the straps, both shoulder and waist. Quite often, wearing a gig bag means it slaps against your legs (they wear too low) or feels top heavy. Even more often, the straps simply aren’t comfortable because metal fittings and buckles seem to be in the wrong place. Well, strap the Fusion on and it feels well balanced and comfortable. The waist strap stops the bag flapping and the shoulder straps (which chest strap) hold it securely. It still wears quite high so going through doorways requires a kind of limbo movement, but you can wear it lower if you want by folding away the waist strap.

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The other sections of the case are designed to fit common accessories a musician might take with them; rolls of cable, straps, half a baguette. There’s plenty of room in the well designed and deep pockets – each of the sections on the front goes right to the bottom of the bag. You could reasonably expect to cram 6 pint glasses in the main pocket if the gig doesn’t pay well and you collect that sort of thing.

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Let me know if you have any questions about it – and if you’re around York feel free to have a look and give it a try. Something like this is often a distance buy, so Fusion have a returns policy if it doesn’t suit you. There’s a list of UK stockists on the website but you may need to call ahead to check they have one in stock.

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Full disclosure - I got talking to Fusion about this bag with a view to buying one, and they sent me one to review then let me keep it

[franzbassist]

Nice review, nice bag, good score on the freebie!

How heavy is it though? I always love the idea of double bags, but they get serioulsy weighty with two basses in them!

Edited November 29, 2016 by walbassist

[ped]

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1480424019' post='3184220']
Nice review, nice bag, good score on the freebie!

How heavy is it though? I always love the idea of double bags, but they get serioulsy weighty with two basses in them!
[/quote]

The bag is 4.2KG with all the inserts but otherwise empty. Because the weight is so well distributed with the straps, it really feels good to wear. It feels like I'm wearing a large hiking rucksack.

[eude]

Lovely review of a lovely bag!
I've got a few Fusion bags, two F1s and an Urban one and I'm extremely impressed with them.
I wish they did some colour options, but bar they're awesome bags!

Eude

[mcnach]

Nice review, thanks Ped!

I've been using a Fusion F1 for 3 years now. Still going strong and it's a fantastic bag/case. I was a bit disappointed when I heard the F1 was discontinued and the closest new model would be the Urban, as it seemed to me that they reduced the peripheral protection but I guess it's because of the new inserts that hug the body. Eude, how do they compare, the Urban and the F1?
I'm thinking about having a second case and I'd love another F1, but I guess the Urban will have to do. One thing I enjoy about the F1 is that between sets etc my bass is in the case, upright. Often between bass cabs and a guitar cab with a wall behind. To get my bass in/out all I do is unzip the case about half way and slide the bass in/out. It looked to me the Urban makes this harder. Am I right?

[ped]

You could still easily extract your bass in that way - although you'd have to make sure that the neck isn't secured with the velcro block. The internal bracing can be arranged so it doesn't interfere with the taking out of the bass. I've only got my internal dividers around every contour because I wanted to see how well it kept it's shape. I wasn't aware of the F1 and only recently discovered these bags but I know they tend to change designs based on feedback and developments in materials so it's probably worth giving one a try bearing in mind their returns policy.

[eude]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1480681893' post='3186346']
Nice review, thanks Ped!

I've been using a Fusion F1 for 3 years now. Still going strong and it's a fantastic bag/case. I was a bit disappointed when I heard the F1 was discontinued and the closest new model would be the Urban, as it seemed to me that they reduced the peripheral protection but I guess it's because of the new inserts that hug the body. Eude, how do they compare, the Urban and the F1?
I'm thinking about having a second case and I'd love another F1, but I guess the Urban will have to do. One thing I enjoy about the F1 is that between sets etc my bass is in the case, upright. Often between bass cabs and a guitar cab with a wall behind. To get my bass in/out all I do is unzip the case about half way and slide the bass in/out. It looked to me the Urban makes this harder. Am I right?
[/quote]

The F1 certainly feels a little more substantial, however I think the improvements in the design for the Urban negates that, and also means it's a little lighter.
I can't quite compare apples with apples, as my F1s are bass bags and my Urban is a guitar model, don't worry though, I use it with my short scale headless.
The Urban is equally well made, I wouldn't worry about it compared to an F1, as good, if not improved
They do still have some F1s, but in a bit of a nasty colour way >> https://www.fusion-bags.com/collections/guitar-gig-bags/products/f1-bass-guitar-gig-bag

Eude

[mcnach]

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1480682452' post='3186353']
You could still easily extract your bass in that way - although you'd have to make sure that the neck isn't secured with the velcro block. The internal bracing can be arranged so it doesn't interfere with the taking out of the bass. I've only got my internal dividers around every contour because I wanted to see how well it kept it's shape. I wasn't aware of the F1 and only recently discovered these bags but I know they tend to change designs based on feedback and developments in materials so it's probably worth giving one a try bearing in mind their returns policy.
[/quote]

Thanks Ped.

[mcnach]

[quote name='eude' timestamp='1480687764' post='3186435']
The F1 certainly feels a little more substantial, however I think the improvements in the design for the Urban negates that, and also means it's a little lighter.
I can't quite compare apples with apples, as my F1s are bass bags and my Urban is a guitar model, don't worry though, I use it with my short scale headless.
The Urban is equally well made, I wouldn't worry about it compared to an F1, as good, if not improved
They do still have some F1s, but in a bit of a nasty colour way >> [url="https://www.fusion-bags.com/collections/guitar-gig-bags/products/f1-bass-guitar-gig-bag"]https://www.fusion-b...-guitar-gig-bag[/url]

Eude
[/quote]

Ha ha! I have the green one too... not because I liked it but because I could not get the blue or orange that were my first choice
Tempting to secure one of those... especially at that price

[eude]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1480694016' post='3186516']
Ha ha! I have the green one too... not because I liked it but because I could not get the blue or orange that were my first choice
Tempting to secure one of those... especially at that price
[/quote]

If you don't mind the colour, I'd say go for it, it's about £50 off, no?

[mcnach]

[quote name='eude' timestamp='1480694070' post='3186518']
If you don't mind the colour, I'd say go for it, it's about £50 off, no?
[/quote]

yeah, about £20 off the normal F1 price, or £50 cheaper than the new model, the Urban.

[ped]

Just to say that in the New Year Fusion will be replenishing stockists so you should be able to try one somewhere near you, or buy directly from them.

Did I say it came with a keyring, too

[mcnach]

Good to know. I'd love to see the Urban in the flesh. Even if it's more expensive, if it's as well made and a little less bulkier and lighter, I might go for it. And in a prettier colour (vain? moi?)

The keyring... not sure that would sway me, unless it has a beer bottle-opener function

[eude]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1480985432' post='3188814']
Good to know. I'd love to see the Urban in the flesh. Even if it's more expensive, if it's as well made and a little less bulkier and lighter, I might go for it. And in a prettier colour (vain? moi?)

The keyring... not sure that would sway me, unless it has a beer bottle-opener function
[/quote]

If you're ever in Moffat, I'm sure Alan of ACG fame will have some in stock to look at.

Eude

[M@23]

I have the single version and it is great. I had before it a Contego and the foamy, confused, hybrid thing that comes with Sadowsky basses; I think Gator and a few others sell them too. This is in a different class. Top comfort, storage and protection; it's light too. Yes, for a gig bag it is dear, but it is a considerable amount cheaper than the MONO offerings at present.
Also, Fusion are run by very nice people, really helpful and are a pleasure to deal with.

[Cuzzie]

Good review, and well done on getting it free!
I have had mine for about 2 years now, i got one of the first lot when they came out (wish i had offered t review it!) it is a brilliant bag, does what it say on the tin and in the review and some. I agree with Ped about the opening of the second bass compartment, but all you have to do as he says is to open it right out and flip the top half to the side and it works a dream. If you have no stand for a guitar but will be swapping, then take the back one out to play and then swap between the top compartments to avoid the difficulty. My guitarist was initially sceptical and was very much a hard case only guy, but he saw it and was really impressed how it packs armour like a chinuck helicopter-chopter.

This bag is still going strong for me, they deliver really quickly and are amazing at customer service.

On an additional note i just picked up their DJ mix bag which is heavuily on sale as it is discontinued and it is a very good bag for you class D amp people out there

[Cuzzie]

Oh, and the dog is the best pat of the pics!

[The GroovyPlucker]

Just seen this review after buying the Mono M80 Dual Bass case. Got it off evil bay £175 used, which I thought was a good price, although it's not arrived yet. This Fusion one looks great too, would be good to have a head to head review, they both seem to present pro's and cons, as with most things of course.
Great review by the way,

The GroovyPlucker

[ped]

[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1481264984' post='3191025']
Oh, and the dog is the best pat of the pics!
[/quote]

Thanks that's my little Sybil. She really likes the bag. It would make a really cool dog bed (she says)

[ped]

[quote name='The GroovyPlucker' timestamp='1481903795' post='3196166']
Just seen this review after buying the Mono M80 Dual Bass case. Got it off evil bay £175 used, which I thought was a good price, although it's not arrived yet. This Fusion one looks great too, would be good to have a head to head review, they both seem to present pro's and cons, as with most things of course.
Great review by the way,

The GroovyPlucker
[/quote]

Yes it would be good to put them side by side. As you say it's probably down to personal taste as both are top quality products.

I've gone a bit case/bag crazy recently, having just bought a neat rolling case for theee basses which will double as a guitar rack for my office.