shoulder

[Guest]

I've a Gator thing that in return for 40 quid is incredibly uncomfortable after 5 minutes and crippling after 15. The shoulder straps aren't shaped to fit at all, just two strips, stitched on so far up the bass that instead of carrying it on your back, you're bouncing it on your posterior as you stagger along.

 

I've just been browsing through what else gear4music have. I've reached £180 and still no signs of anything that looks like its been designed with reference to carrying a bass guitar further than 20 yards.

 

If such a thing existed as a bass bag that fits like every single rucksack made in living history,with the weight where it should be, I would be prepared to be very thoroughly ripped off.

 

 

Edited December 7 by Munurmunuh

[Lozz196]

Mono M80 or Vertigo. I use the M80 as the straps can be folded away, but they are pretty rucksack like on both of them.

[pineweasel]

Agreed, I have a very comfortable Mono Bass Sleeve

[Guest]

The straps join the bag even higher up than on the Gator, there's no way that's going to sit up on the small of the back, above the belt.

 

 

 

 

With something like a rucksack, the weight is supposed to up near the shoulders – the straps need to be joining the bag near where the side handle is.

[Bunion]

5 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

With something like a rucksack, the weight is supposed to up near the shoulders – the straps need to be joining the bag near where the side handle is.

You’d then have a huge piece of wood stuck above your head and hit every doorway or possibly lamp post you walked under 😜

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Bunion said:

😜

 

[Owen]

I have a bit of a thing for gig bags. I have a Protection Racket one at the moment which sits nice and high. I have a Gigblade one which sits over one shoulder but to the side which is very easy to carry. 

[BigRedX]

This is the problem with most bass guitar sized gig bags, as hardly any of them are designed for walking a significant distance (further than from the pub car park to the pub). What I have found is that on most the straps join the bag too close together at the top because the bag mimics the shape of the bass too much, and it is this rather than the height on the bag which makes it uncomfortable to wear. However the overall height of the neck/head of the bass will also be a factor. Also what suits one person is completely impractical or uncomfortable for another, due to us all being different heights. The most comfortable gig bag I have ever owned was a Ritter one that I got free with my Sei Bass. I've just had a look on their web site and none of the current offerings look much like the one I had. I suspect it was close to the bottom end of the range because it was free and the alternative was a Hiscox case that would have had to pay close to list price for. However the down side was that after about 4 years of weekly use it was completely worn out and I ended up using it as additional packing when I shipped a bass to Japan.

 

The only advice I would have is if possible to try before you buy ideally with the bass(es) you intend to carry and any additional items you want to fit in the various pockets. It is also my experience that lots of additional carry capacity is not so useful in practice and overloading the case is just as bad for comfort and balance.

[Guest]

55 minutes ago, Owen said:

I have a bit of a thing for gig bags. I have a Protection Racket one at the moment which sits nice and high. I have a Gigblade one which sits over one shoulder but to the side which is very easy to carry. 

 

It feels like I've looked at every photo of every gig bag on the market today, and the one which made me think, that might be what I'm looking for, was a Protection Racket one. I'll try to work out the dimensions from the photos.

 

Otherwise, I think I'm at a loss. Just stick being annoyed with the Gator bag, I guess.

 

[jazzyvee]

Not cheap but Harvest make good quality bass bags.

[Owen]

33 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

 

It feels like I've looked at every photo of every gig bag on the market today, and the one which made me think, that might be what I'm looking for, was a Protection Racket one. I'll try to work out the dimensions from the photos.

 

Otherwise, I think I'm at a loss. Just stick being annoyed with the Gator bag, I guess.

 

I am happy to measure mine if you like. 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Owen said:

I am happy to measure mine if you like. 

 

Thank you — I just measured my Gator bag: from the bottom to the strap seam is getting on for 60cm. 10cm less than that would have me 😛 

 

Or to put it another way: my BB is in it, and the straps join around the 8th / 9th fret, and I'd like them down past the 12th fret, between the tips of the horns

Edited April 7, 2022 by Ricky Rioli

[StingRayBoy42]

I like my Protec Contego. 
I've done many miles of walking and cycling with it on my back and it's comfy - it's also well designed and well made with plenty of protection.
£118 from Thomann

https://www.thomann.de/gb/protec_contego_bass_case_ctg_233.htm 
 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, StingRayBoy42 said:

I like my Protec Contego. 
I've done many miles of walking and cycling with it on my back and it's comfy - it's also well designed and well made with plenty of protection.
£118 from Thomann

https://www.thomann.de/gb/protec_contego_bass_case_ctg_233.htm 
 

 

Am I understanding the photo right, that the strap seam is here:

 

[StingRayBoy42]

17 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

 

Am I understanding the photo right, that the strap seam is here:

 

No, they're up a bit, where the handle goes across.

The straps are adjustable and fairly well padded, comfort (or lack of) has never been an issue for me.

[ped]

My most comfortable is a fairly cheap TKL bag. The problem with most gig bags is that the straps meet at the top making then sit really awkwardly on your shoulders and pinch yer neck. This one is like wearing a rucksack and the bottom of the bass doesn’t slap your arse as you walk

 

 

[Owen]

70cm and not tight together shoulder straps. 

[Guest]

While it's good to see that decent shoulder straps are available, none of these will wear high enough for me.

 

Guess I'll just spend the money on taxis instead 🚕

[Richard R]

The problem is that NONE of the bass cases have a waist strap like a rucksack. Even a titchy 20l rucksack has a waist strap and it makes a difference. 

 

I can carry well over the 10kg of my Armourdillo case+bass in my expedition rucksack no problem-  because the hips take the weight and the shoulder straps provide stability. While the Armourdillo is OK, I wouldn't go for a hike with it.

[ped]

3 minutes ago, Richard R said:

The problem is that NONE of the bass cases have a waist strap like a rucksack. Even a titchy 20l rucksack has a waist strap and it makes a difference. 

 

I can carry well over the 10kg of my Armourdillo case+bass in my expedition rucksack no problem-  because the hips take the weight and the shoulder straps provide stability. While the Armourdillo is OK, I wouldn't go for a hike with it.

My Fusion Urban bass bag has a waist strap 👍🏼

[pineweasel]

There’s no market for a gig bag built like a proper rucksack surely? Nobody is going to do the Pennine Way with their Precision. I’m happy to walk a couple of miles with my Mono; any further and I will be taking public transport or driving. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, pineweasel said:

There’s no market for a gig bag built like a proper rucksack surely? Nobody is going to do the Pennine Way with their Precision. I’m happy to walk a couple of miles with my Mono; any further and I will be taking public transport or driving. 

 

Apologies for asking if there might be one single piece of luggage that fits me. Thank heavens there isn't.

[rmorris]

I have one of these (and other sizes for electric guitar and electroacoustic) and find it does the job in terms of carrying height / weight balance.

As has been pointed out - you do inevitably end up with a good height above head height making doors / buses / tube trains interesting 🙄

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_elite_gigbag_ebass.htm

[BigRedX]

12 hours ago, pineweasel said:

There’s no market for a gig bag built like a proper rucksack surely? Nobody is going to do the Pennine Way with their Precision. I’m happy to walk a couple of miles with my Mono; any further and I will be taking public transport or driving. 

 

And I'm not. My Mono gig bag, on me, is a bum slapper as described in the OP, and is fine for a 5 minute walk, but for me not at all suitable for the 30 minutes I would need if I was going to walk to the rehearsal room. I'm only 5' 6" tall which might have something to do with it, but the Ritter bag I had before this was perfect. The Ritter bag while not having a waist strap did have a chest one, which might have been relevant. Before I got my Mono Bag, I didn't realise that some "quality" gig bags were so uncomfortable to wear.

 

For me the whole point of putting my bass in a gig bag was so I could walk 2-4 miles with it on my back. If I was going by car or band van and would only need to carry it a short distance it would go in a proper hard case.

Edited April 8, 2022 by BigRedX

[Owen]

7 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

I'm only 5' 6" tall

I cannot deny, I am proper gutted. In my mind's eye you were 6'5" and probably wearing some sort of platforms on stage becasue of your screen name.