The debate - case vs bag

[Mike Kent]

Bags.

 

Some years ago I flew from Vancouver to San Fransisco and back with my XP-50 checked in inside a padded bag and a Fragile flag on the handle. It went there and back with no problem. Of course, we've all seen the stories of airlines and smashed guitars, including ones in the most sturdy of flight cases. I wonder if the padded bag got better handing than a road case would. It's certainly easier on the baggage handlers.

 

I use padded bags most of the time*. I carry gear to play out of the house 3-4 times a week. I prefer the lighter weight. They save wear and tear on my car and the walls and doorways of my house. They take up far less space in storage.

 

*I have 1 hard case for keys, a rifle case that is a perfect fit for my VR-09. I'm in a band that plays weekly outside in a dirty, wet, street environment. It's for a soup-kitchen kind of place that feeds the homeless. It's not a friendly environment for most gear and not good for bags. I have a dedicated set of gear for this. Cables, power bar, sustain pedal, etc. are in a small Pelican case.

[The Real MC]

I've gigged with Anvil ATA cases for over 30 years. Yes they're heavy but I'm strong as an ox and they keep me fit. Always used a hand truck or cart.

 

Very very few bags offer adequate protection. But you can't stack them like cases. I used the bag Moog offered with the Voyager and it was one of the good ones. Got rid of it because the zipper pull tags broke off.

 

I've bought gear from eBay where the bag was included, and they were poor protection.

 

Polymer hard shall cases are better. But the shell cracks/breaks with age and does not protect from a hard impact. I have Anvil cases 30 years old that are still going strong.

 

You get what you pay for.

[RandyFF]

Another soft bag proponent. I recently got the Gator Pro-Go, the G-PG-61 for about $180. The sides are fairly rigid, and for this much protection, being only 10 pounds is reasonable. I got the backpack straps case instead of wheeled cause staircases are far more an issue for me than trekking long distances. My only real issue is it's taller/wider/deeper than my keyboard, which makes a good case for buying a bag that fits your board, though having more space for extra padding for the top panel is not a bad thing, and I imagine that you could throw in various cables, pedals into the bag if desired.

 

However, any board over 30-35 pounds seems a likely candidate for a beefier case, hard shell or not.

[CEB]

Regarding broken zipper tags ... if necessary you can use Key rings.

[stoken6]

Bag. A 22lb Nord in a 6lb bag is easy. In a 20lb case, not so much.

 

When I bought my Stage (classic) 76 36lb it came with the 20lb Nord semi-rigid wheeled case. I couldn't sensibly lift it, in the case, into the car. I got a lighter non-wheeled soft bag which makes all the difference. (My NS2 compact lives in its Nord soft bag, no issues).

 

I also have a trolley (cart) for longer distances, plus a couple of heavy-duty velcro straps.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[mate stubb]

I do have one bitch about my Stage gig bag. The wheels are not offset to a corner but directly underneath, so that you cannot stand the bag up on end even temporarily. When I roll my case, it always seems to want to run away from me.

[stoken6]

You"re right Moe, I had forgotten about that. The nord wheeled case drove me nuts at a gig-finally convinced me to sell it on.

 

Cheers, Mike

[Canoehead]

I"m a hard case believer. For me, the extra weight is a fair trade off for the added protection. I once slipped going downstairs sending my VK 8 tobogganing to the bottom. It survived the journey in its hard case. I now get Clydesdale cases for all my keyboards.

 

Cheers,

Gord

[drawback]

I do have one bitch about my Stage gig bag. The wheels are not offset to a corner but directly underneath, so that you cannot stand the bag up on end even temporarily. When I roll my case, it always seems to want to run away from me.

 

This sounds like a similar design flaw to the official CP4 bag. It was impossible to steer because it kept tipping from side to side around the wheels. I sprained my forearm but was lucky I didn"t pull a tendon in my wrist.

[Noah DC]

This may or may not be relevant to the Nord Stage discussion, but I followed a forum recommendation and got the Soundwear Stagebag 88 from Thomann for my CP4 - and man, that was a great move. I drag that thing all over town with no issues whatsoever (minus one zipper handle that bent, but that was likely my fault). If Soundwear makes a bag closer in size to the Nord (I haven't checked), you might consider it.

[stoken6]

+1 on Soundwear. I think brother Aidan recommended it for his CP4, and I have one for my NP30 (one of the few that's made to fit that size).

 

But I don't see one that's Nord 73 sized.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Stokely]

Thanks for that recommendation, I'll check into those.

 

Edit: doesn't look easy to get those soundwear bags in the states. I'm sure it's possible somehow, might cost a lot in shipping though. Oddly no pics of the inside but they look very protective (1000d nylon and patches on the corners)

 

Edit 2: As far as stage compact sized, their chart says the 29113 model. 44 inches wide so that looks about right.

 

And better late than never, I figured some case supporters would come in!

 

I'm torn, because while I try to be careful, knocks happen. That's one reason I like that fusion bag, it does have extra corner protection. Won't help with a big drop though of course. Though flip side, being lighter makes it less likely you'll screw up loading it or swing it around haphazardly.

 

 

[Mr. Nightime]

Last night I was in a rehearsal studio at our local public radio station. I used their Kawai MP5. When I got there, it was in a full flight case, same material as an SKB rack. Very solid case.

 

The case was heavier than the keyboard, and way too large. There was enough room front to back for an extra wide sustain pedal to be in the case with it.

 

I'm not sure I would want that, as it seemed like there would be too much space for it to move around.

 

[RandyFF]

Thomann typically charges $30 shipping, so expensive compared to free but still reasonable for shipping from Europe to the States.

[mynameisdanno]

Definitely get the official Nord bag for now. If you ever need to upgrade to a hard case, get the Pelican 1750 (no foam). As drawback has already pointed out earlier in this thread, the official Nord 73 gig bag fits perfectly inside it, with room for a Yamaha FC7 and a couple of random blocks of foam at each end. Total weight is 49lbs so if you ever DO need to fly with it, you can check it with no extra fees. I have flown with Nord Stage Compacts and Electros routinely in this exact setup for over ten years... probably hundreds of flights... never an issue.

 

I thought I would enjoy being able to carry it around in either but honestly 99% of the time I just carry it in the full Pelican+Nord bag setup. 50lbs is a bit heavier, but you get wheels and a little extra peace of mind.