Advice - Acoustic & Electric Dual Gig Bag

[mpisani]

I bought a Levi dual gig bag years ago that holds 1 acoustic and 1 electric. Last year I had the zipper replaced in the acoustic side and now it looks like the zipper is acting up again. I saw a website that had a dual gig bag and didn't know if anyone had any experience with it. It seems too cheap to be good. Here's the link

 

http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_doppel_gigbag_eagitarre.htm

 

This bags works out to a little over $50 US dollars which is very inexpensive. I'll take any suggestions.

 

Thanks,

Matt

[Larryz]

I would invest the $50 bucks at MF on each guitar and buy a hardshell case for each one of them...but, that's only because I'm not a fan of gig bags...especially cheaper ones!

[Winston Psmith]

I'm with Larryz on this. The MF site even had some less expensive HSC's, around $40 each for electric cases, a little less for acoustics. If just one of your guitars drops out of that cheap gig bag, there goes all the money you thought you'd saved.

[whitefang]

I've always felt gig bags for your should be precious instruments was the equivalent of SCOTCH TAPING your kids to the back seat of your car instead of using a sturdy car seat, or at least a factory installed seat belt.

Whitefang

[Fred_C]

I have to agree with the consensus of opinion here.

 

Gig bags should function exactly as the name implies. Your instruments should be kept in hard cases and a gig bag should be used to transport the guitar to and from the gig/jam session/whatever. Nothing more.

 

A gig bag protects your guitar against rain, dust, possibly light snow. It offers no protection whatsoever against anything else.

 

The other members have given you good advice. "Case it or replace it!"

[RLHofer]

Playing devil's advocate..... why would a guitar be any less susceptible to damage being transported to/from a gig/jam session/whatever than at any other time, anywhere else? My way of think is, if ya gots a hardshell case, it would be best to use it all the time(?).

[Fred_C]

Playing devil's advocate..... why would a guitar be any less susceptible to damage being transported to/from a gig/jam session/whatever than at any other time, anywhere else? My way of think is, if ya gots a hardshell case, it would be best to use it all the time(?).

 

Hey RL,

 

Yeah, I agree. I own 4 guitars but not a single gig bag. I think that they are fairly useless as far as protection goes. I think that the only thing they've got going for them is ease of transport (lightweight and easy to carry over the shoulder, etc.).

[whitefang]

My very first "close to" a real guitar was a cheapie acoustic that came with it's own canvas bag sort of "case" that when I would carry it from home to a buddy's place in these Michigan Winters would not provide much if any protection from the cold. Played hell on the strings, so I'm guessing the gig bags in question are probably MUCH better than that canvas bag I had. But in MY opinion, not by much----

Whitefang

[RLHofer]

I can see that gig bags DO offer some protection from the elements and ARE lighter than a hardshell case and ARE cheaper to manufacture and supply when a new guitar is bought. Maybe the weight is more of a factor for some if they haul it around regularly. I only get out maybe once or twice a week, so weight isn't a problem for me. Night after night, every night? I might change my mind if I had to do that.

[harvey]

I've owned a Warwick double electric gig bag for about ten years or so. The protection is good with very thick padding. My guitars have never been damaged due to the gig bag being inadequate. From memory the bag cost around $120, which could have purchased a HSC. I've seen cheaper gigbags with little or no padding and would steer clear of those.

 

Having a double guitar gigbag, plus a fold up trolley for my amp and pedals means I can lug all my gear into a gig in one trip from my car. For some gigs (particularly in the cbd) this can be very,very good!

 

That said, the gigbag sits on my backseat in the car, it's not like it's bouncing around in a van with a PA etc. Next month I have to take a guitar on a plane, so that' s definitely a job for a hard case. And crossed fingers.

[SEHpicker]

I have one gig bag because it came with a guitar I bought. I immediately bought a HS case for that guitar. If it's worth putting in a case, put it in something that will protect it.

You can find decent HS cases online for not much more than the SS cases. my 2 cents.

[Fred_C]

I've owned a Warwick double electric gig bag for about ten years or so. The protection is good with very thick padding. My guitars have never been damaged due to the gig bag being inadequate. From memory the bag cost around $120, which could have purchased a HSC. I've seen cheaper gigbags with little or no padding and would steer clear of those.

 

Having a double guitar gigbag, plus a fold up trolley for my amp and pedals means I can lug all my gear into a gig in one trip from my car. For some gigs (particularly in the cbd) this can be very,very good!

 

That said, the gigbag sits on my backseat in the car, it's not like it's bouncing around in a van with a PA etc. Next month I have to take a guitar on a plane, so that' s definitely a job for a hard case. And crossed fingers.

 

Hey Harvey,

 

Yeah, my original point exactly. It's all about short term transportability. House to car to gig and back again.

[whitefang]

HAH!

 

Hence the NAME!

Whitefang

[Larryz]

The best use for a gig bag is while your waiting for your case to come in the mail or while you're saving up enough money to buy one...I have used a gig bag and will admit it's better than nothing. Some of the expensive ones are so well made they almost make me want to trust them. When I did use one, it rode in the front seat next to me with no other passengers or equipment on the way to and from the gig...