Hardshell case vs. gig bag

Fleacia

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Sorry if this is long... :eek:

I have a Mainland classic mahogany concert I got from a UU member in February, 2015. I love this uke! It was very well cared for with just some strum marks on the matte finish and even came with the tuners and strings I would have chosen on a new uke. And it came in this really heavy, lined Guardian hardshell case. I like the latches, but was thinking of using a gig bag instead. That would make the uke lighter and more portable, this case really is a bruiser!

But only yesterday I found out, looking at the inside label, this uke is 5+ years old! The build date is 12/2009. Wow! I didn't ask when I bought it, it was such a good deal I wouldn't have cared. But I wonder now, could that hard case be a factor in the uke's great condition?

What would you do? I'd like to keep it in the case at home and use a gig bag for traveling. Either way, humidified as needed. Will this keep the uke in good condition? I can't say how surprised I was at its age, in a good way. :)

Thanks for reading and sharing any thoughts!
 
I'm not convinced a bag is good for humidity. It's too porous.

As far as which is better, a hard case gives more protection than a gig bag.
If you're careful though, either would be fine.

I think alot of the dents and dings and scratches.. those happen when it's out of the bag/case anyway.
 
Use the case! Gig bags offer minimal damage protection and you can't do any humidification in a gig bag.
 
Another option might be a polyfoam case. They are very lightweight, although pretty bulky.

When you say "traveling" do you mean taking your uke to a local meetup, or something like flying? If the former, a gig bag would be fine. If the latter, well, you never know when you may be forced to check your uke due to lack of space in the cabin. In which case, a flimsy gig bag is a big risk.
 
Case>Bag always...unless you are too weak to carry the case...but dragging a case>dropping a bag...just saying.
 
Case. If you bang it into something in a gig bag, there's the risk of damage. A case protects the one you love!
 
I got a $99 Córdoba as a Christmas present. It is in a fat poly foam case that I bought. The gig bag it came in holds sheet music.
 
Like you, I generally don't care for hardcases. I use a humidifier in my home where I keep my ukes displayed so I don't rely on using the cases daily. In fact, the only time I use them is when I'm away on vacation and need to humidify the ukes that stayed home (because my humidifier needs to be re-filled every 2-3 days). The Ameritage case that came with my Hive weighs 9 lbs. I'm not kidding.

I strongly prefer a quality gig bag or super light case. I use Mono M80 for my concert and tenor ukes when transporting to a lesson or taking on a flight. I bought a Crossrock1000 for my Kinnard and it's super light so that is the best of both worlds. If you're just going back and forth in your case, personally, I think a quality gig bag -- and you can spend far less than an M80 -- is likely sufficient.
 
I am all about the hard case. I did the Oasis upgrade offered by HMS on my Opio, and never even considered otherwise.

I bought the Musician's Friend hard case for my Luna - only because I saw how badly the gig bag it came with did for protection. (Great as a dust protector, though.)

For me, it is not only protection against hits or things getting placed on it. I like that a hard case offers support for the neck.

However, I really like the padded gig bag that Martin has for the OXK. It is only the fact that the OXK is built like a tank that I only use that gig bag with it.
 
I recently bought a 1920's Martin tiple (tenor-uke size) with a huge heavy bombproof ProTec hardcase that was much more than I need. I don't fly; I put instruments in my car and drive places. At a shop, I swapped that ProTec case for a foam-padded gig bag and an Ohana soprano uke. If I ever fly with a tenor I'll maybe get a hardcase; my best mandolin and guitars all have bespoke hard cases that mostly don't get used. If an instrument can be abused then yes, it needs a hardcase. If you're the only person to handle your axes, you could probably get by with more-or-less-padded gig bags. How lucky do you feel? And how much weight do you want to schlep around?
 
I only use a gig bag for a uke that I could easily afford to replace if it was damaged or destroyed. Or if I'm going to a very safe venue.
 
I ordered a traditional hard case with my Pono from HMS. I don't know how it compares to others in weight, but it's a lot less bulky than hard foam cases, not much heavier, and more convenient to open and close.
 
the hard case vs gig bag is truly the same debate as when we talk about insurance, yes? Life, medical, dental, home, property, etc...we essentially have to evaluate our intended usage, our purpose, what we are comfortable with, our replacement value, and make a decision, no?

I've gone back and forth between the two, but I think I am settling on very nice semi hard gig bag ish thing ;) I loved my mono m80 but I found it did not keep humidity in our cold midwest winter as well as I would have wanted it to. Now we are in the middle of our summer where humidity is not an issue, and I recently started playing in an uke club, so the comfort and easiness and lightness of the gig bag for me is coming back into vogue. I picked up a steady case/bag which is very nice, it is soft outside but houses some harder plastic planels which give it a slightly more protective rigidness while still being call a soft case gig bag thing. The outside pocket is large enough to hold my ipad! Makes my uke club experience that much better.
 
gig bag -- yes

I'd say -- skip the polyfoam canvas case. My "good" uke came in it so I use it, but I don't like it because it is bulky albeit light weight. It'is convenient for going out to jams as I can put in on my back as a backpack but I think a hardcase with a strap is a better idea for strong protection. My jam ukulele comes out with me frequently and for that I have a very sturdy gray cordoba gig bag. They are the heaviest of the soft gig bags. I think your uke would be protected even if it dropped. That said -- it too is bulky-ish.

I just received a new to me Mainland concert mahogny and it came in a less bulky gig bag. I like! I think I will continue to use it because it fits in a shopping bag and I can sling it over to my back. So the advantage of a smaller gig bag (or a gig bag like the cordoba) is that it is easy to carry around. As much as you love your Mainland -- it is replaceable. No need to treat it like the crown jewels.

Mine is from 2010 and purchased second hand. No humidifier has been used. I know a secondary vendor who sells tons of Mainlands. Never talk about the need for humidifier. I think they are more stable than others.
Carry you uke in the bag you find most convenient. opinions opinions opinions abound.
 
I have mostly hard cases, but I do have to say I prefer the hard foam cases with a shoulder strap when I go to my annual uke festival and will be carrying it around all day for a few days.
 
For a more expensive ukulele, I'd always opt for a hard shell case. For the cheaper ones, though, I prefer properly padded gigbags.
 
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