Category: Gator Gig Bags

2/15/2021

Polyfoam Hybrid Cases

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Last week I talked about gig bags. This week, I'll show you a couple of polyfoam hybrid cases. When it comes to cases, I don't really need a road dog. I just need something that will keep a guitar in the closet and get it across town (or maybe across the country) without too much trouble. I prefer smaller and lighter. So, if I'm not using a gig bag, a polyfoam case will generally do.

Now, before I show you mine, I'll briefly describe some differences for you. A gig bag, is a bag, It might have some good padding, but it won't generally stand up on it's on (even on its side), and it would never be mistaken for a case. Some of them are even kind of floppy. After all, they're generally just foam padding inside a tough exterior. A case is generally molded or wooden. It's got some padding of some sort inside it to keep the instrument off the hard exterior. If you need a road dog, a case is usually the way to go. The polyfoam hybrid cases are a good in-between. They look like a case. They act like a case. But they're just the polyfoam that is often found inside a hard case, but without the case. Instead, it's put inside a tough canvas-ish cover. The exterior is pretty similar to what you would find on a backpack. Not the lightweight nylor backpacks, but rather one of those kind of old-school canvas packs. So it has the rigidity and stiff protection that a gig bag lacks, but, although it's rigid, it doesn't have the super tough exterior of a case. But that also means it's not nearly as heavy as a case. It's a nice in-between. I've got several of these cases. They work really well for acoustic guitars. Price-wise, I've found that they run around $100. That's about the price of a low-end hard case, but half the price of most premium gig bags.

No Idea What Brand Case. This is the first polyfoam case I got, and the one that made me a fan of them. It has gotten extensive use and held up well. I think I got it from Musicians Friend about 15 years ago. I had just gotten a Boulder Creek Solitaire dreadnaught sized acoustic, and needed a case for it. When I bought the case, it was one of those times where I really liked the guitar, but I had to find a way to afford it. In other words, we were pretty dang broke. That meant that, since it didn't come with a case, I had to find something super-economical to put it in. I spotted this on the website, and I think it was only like $50. Even back then, that put it a LOT cheaper than a case, and I didn't really want to even consider a gig bag for an acoustic. I have no idea what brand it is because it has no label anywhere on or in it. I assume it is probably Musician Friend's house brand, but I don't really know. Detachable backpack straps (not really sure why). Two pockets on the front of the case and the one big pocket in the neck area like all acoustic cases have. Super lightweight. The handle situation used to really worry me. You can see that it's just two straps that are run around the guitar and sewn on. In my mind, that kind of handle is super sketchy, but it works. Like I said, this case has been through it. I used to use it for my weekly gig at church which meant that, not only was it getting banged around twice a day on Sundays, on those days that I also had to work, it went with me to the office. Super inexpensive, but this is the one that sold me on this type of hybrid cases.

Gator Polyfoam Case. I've got 2 of these in the closet. One has a dobro in it. The one in the pic has a Les Paul in it. Like the no name brand that sold me on this type of case, I would trust these cases just about anywhere. Both of the cases have two pockets on the outside and the standard case pocket inside. They have detachable straps to make it a backpack. (Sidenote: I have no idea why a case like this has backpack straps of any sort. It's too rigid to be carried comfortably. From that perspective, it's closer to a case than a gig bag. No one is ever going to strap this case to their back.) Standard type of handle on this type of case. It's a strappy thing that's got some reinforcing on it. Under the handle is a velcro strap where you can shift the zippers to be sure that they don't get knocked around. Or, as I have been know to do, it's a handy little way to avoid picking up a case and having the top fly open and your guitar fall out on its face. This is a solid polyfoam case that should do well so long as you're not beating it to death or giving it to an airline to throw in their cargo hold. I think I paid $70 for both of the ones I have.

Travelite Polyfoam Case. I just realized I didn't get a pic of this one, and it's far enough back in the closet I'm not digging cases back out again, so it's going to have to be pictureless. It's a beast of a case. Out of all the polyfoam cases I've got, this one is easily the most well made. It has my flamenco guitar in it. The flamenco guitar originally was in the case the dobro is in. When I got the dobro, I bought this case, and moved the flamenco over. So the guitars that go inside are the same size, but the difference in the case size is noticeable. This one is bigger all the way around. On the exterior, it has that same weird strap-handle system as the no-name case above. Like the Gator cases, it has a little cover for the zipper or to keep the case from falling open if you pick it up thinking it's close. This one is different, though, because it's an actual latch and not just a strip of velcro. It also has the same detachable backpack straps on it. Inside, it has that usual neck pocket, but this one you could park a Buick in. This is a behemoth of a case. It's huge! A classical/flamenco sized guitar is a small guitar in the overall scheme of acoustics, but this case is big enough it borders on being awkward. I would hate to see a dreadnought sized case like this one. That said, I absolutely love this case! I would trust this case in most any situation short of putting the guitar on a plane.

Ibanez Polyfoam Case. I got this case with the Nita Strauss Jiva that I bought the end of last summer. As far as this type of case goes, it's a great case. It's got two pockets on the front. The strappy handle has a nice cover to make it a little more ergonomic. A BIG interior pocket. It's got feet on the long end so it stands there nicely. Speaking of standing, it's a rectangle so it'll stand up pretty much any direction you set it. Overall, it's a great case. My only complaint with it is that, because it's a rectangle, storing it in the closet can be a bit awkward. It's a little too tall to fit under the shelf in the closet, and, because it's a rectangle, you can't really lean it over slightly to make it fit. So it just stands up out away from the other cases. But it's a good case. I had almost bought a Gator case that generally followed this design, and always wondered what it would've been like. Now I know.

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2/8/2021

Gig Bags

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I'll just get this out up front. I really like gig bags. Truth is, unless there is a compelling reason to use a case, I'll grab a gig bag every time. Here are some of the ones that I've got along with a synopsis of each of them. I'll tell you which ones I use and which ones are only used as the closet keepers.

Fender Stock Gig Bags. I don't have a pic of one of these bags down below. It's the one that you used to get with some of the MIM instruments. I'm not sure they include them anymore. I'll tell you up front that, I guess you could use these as a real gig bag. They'll get your guitar to and from where you're playing so long as you're not banging it around. They offer some protection, but not a whole ton of it. There's a pocket on the front where you can stick a cable and book or something too. Clip-on back pack straps. I have (and use) several of these bags. They keep some of my Strats and Teles in the closet. If one of the guitars that I have stored in them decides to get played out, I move it to a better bag before I head out with it. From a price perspective, I'm pretty sure you could get one of these all day long for under $50.

Parker Stock Gig Bag. No pic of this one either. It's a bit more padded than the Fender stock bag. Outside of that, it's got an extra pocket on the outside that the Fender doesn't have, but feature-wise, they're pretty much the same. It keeps my Parker (P-44) in the closet, but I have also used it when I've traveled with that guitar. I trust it more than I would the Fender bags. Back when Parker was in business, they included this with all of their non-MIA guitars, and, if I remember correctly, you could buy one for around $80. Since Parker isn't making guitars anymore, I have no idea what they would cost if you went looking for one.

Gator Transit Gig Bag. This is my most recent gig bag purchase. It cost me around $100 a year or so ago. Its protection is about on par with the Parker. It's better than the Fender, but definitely not in the premium bag category. I would consider it a medium tier bag both protection and price-wise. Two pockets on the outside. Hideable back pack straps. A nice, big neck block inside to keep the neck stable. The big selling point about it for me is that, between the two pockets on the front, it has D-rings. Those D-rings are designed to hold an additional bag that you can strap on it. It's custom sized to fit the space perfectly. At the moment, I actually use this bag more than some of the others because of this. Strap, strings, tools to tweak the guitar if I needed, etc all go in that little bag. I realize Gator wasn't first to this game of attachable bags, but their attachment bag, I think, was the best thought out. So far, for the few times I've had this bag out, it seems to be holding up well. Granted, it hasn't gotten the use it normally would because of covid, but it seems like it'll be worth the money I paid for it.

Fusion F1 Gig Bag. This is the first premium gig bag that I bought nearly 10 years ago now for like $200. I've got 2 of them, and I don't think they're making them anymore. I don't remember where I first saw them advertised, but I really liked the idea of them. They were the first bag that I saw that did the attachment thing. Super padded. Adjustable neck rest with strap to be sure that neck stays in the rest. Four pockets on the front although they all attach into the same place so I wouldn't recommend using more than a couple at a time or you quickly see that all four aren't really usable at once. Hideable back pack straps with a mesh, polyfoam back support that helps keep your back from soaking when you carry it like that. Big rubber stopper on the bottom. Nice big handle to grab on. There were several different attachment bags ranging from small backpacks to big, console size bags. In the 10 years that I've had this bag, I've probably used it the most. Just before covid, I noticed that the rubber grip had finally torn in the spot where I grab it. No big deal though because it doesn't appear to affect the integrity of the handle. My only complaint about the bag, however, is that, although using non-custom-made attachment bags is nice (I actually use one of the backpacks for other stuff too), they fit a bit awkwardly.

Reunion Blues Gig Bag. This is another premium gig bag that I have, but the sad truth is that I've never used it outside the house. I got it because it has the Fender Custom Shop logo on it, and I lucked into a store that was blowing it out for $99 - 1/2 price for that bag. How could I not pass it up?!? It seems built well enough, and they get great reviews. I mean, isn't this the bag that got famous because they were throwing guitars off a roof in their ads? I can tell you that the Strat that's in it in the closet has never been harmed while inside. Also, I would have not problems using it on a regular basis to gig.

Probag Leather Gig Bag. Got this one three or four years ago from a local guy that makes them. Saw it at a guitar show, and ordered one shortly thereafter. I would put this one in the premium category. Good thick lining with a fluffy, sheepskin interior. Movable neck rest. Attached back pack straps (but not hideable). One zip and one buckle pocket on the front. I've used this one several times when I've traveled on vacation, and I also took some lessons a couple of years ago, and this was my lesson bag. So it's been used a good bit, and been put through its paces. It's a good bag. I think I paid $200 for it (a recurring theme on the premium bags it seems).

Mono Vertigo Gig Bag. This is another really good bag that I have used pretty often. It's the only gig bag that I have that will fit a 335 or my hollow body Gretsch. It's another premium gig bag, although, I think I paid $250 for it. Hideable backpack straps. 3 D-rings on the outside between the pockets for an attaching bag. Mono's bag, I believe is also custom made for the bag, but I've never bought it. Honestly, I use the bag from the Gator Transit series on it, and it works really well. Super padded. Good neck rest inside. Nice big, grabby handle. Rubber stopper on the bottom. The thing that I didn't know when I got it, but I like most about it? The zippers are set up so you don't have to lay the bag down to get the guitar in and out. Rather than the zipper running from the top to the bottom so it opens like a hinge on the side, the zippers stop part way down each side, so you effectively open it from the top. Very nice! I really like this bag, and it has held up really well.

Incase Gig Bag. I'm including this one here because the company that made it called it a gig bag, and, when Fender was including them with the original John Mayer Strat, they called it a gig bag as well. However, I would argue that it's more of a polyfoam case. It's got a big pocket on the front and 2 zipper pockets on the inside. Hideable backpack straps. Like some of the others, a nice big, grabby handle. There's no strap to hold the neck in place. There's a clip-on attachment to use with a weirdly placed D-ring on the back of the bag to use for hanging it in a closet or maybe an airline in-cabin bin or something. I've never used it, but that piece seems handy. Also, it fits Strats and Teles. It's not one of those bags like the Fusion or Gator that you can stick most any electric in. This one originally came with the first run of John Mayer Signature Strats. I got it off eBay for $200 (there's that number again). If I'm carrying a Strat somewhere, this is generally the bag I use. It has held up well. After they made this for Fender, I think the company (Incase) made guitar cases for about a minute, but I don't think they've made them in probably 10 years or so. Out of all the bags, this one is probably my fave, but, again, it's more in that polyfoam case category than it is a true gig bag.

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Polyfoam Hybrid Cases

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