Gig Bags

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.
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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.
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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.​