Hard Cases vs Gig Bags

Very happy that the Magic Fluke bag I have is pretty much a drawstring denim sack and not something that looks like a rifle case!
 
I'm guessing you don't have one of those little back fender Shelves. If you do, then try Rock-straps. They hold much better than bungee cords
Thanks. The ROK straps look pretty sturdy. I have a rack and panniers - I'm fully kitted out for bike commuting - but I tend towards larger ukes (baritones and basses) and I don't want the use hanging out too far behind me. Instead I wear the instruments in a back-packish gig bag, strap my music stand and a folding chair to the rack, and tuck the bass amp and iPad into a pannier.
 
I have some of each and like each for different reasons.

Hard cases are great for protection, including protection from humidity changes, but they frustrate me with their lack of storage space.

Gig bags tend to have lots of space for sheet music, strings, tuners and such, but obviously offer limited protection.

Bottom line: My solid wood ukes live in hard cases, others, including solid tops, are in high-quality bags.

Jim
 
I have a rack and panniers - I'm fully kitted out for bike commuting - but I tend towards larger ukes (baritones and basses) and I don't want the use hanging out too far behind me. Instead I wear the instruments in a back-packish gig bag, strap my music stand and a folding chair to the rack, and tuck the bass amp and iPad into a pannier.
A picture would enhance 64 words :)
 
I keep my Southern Cross Banjo Uke in a Reunion Blues gig bag. The Fluke bass in the original gig bag. The Risa Stick in the original bag (For now - there is no protection). The 1920s Stella Banjo Uke is in a gig bag, hanging in a closet, and the Les Paul is next to it, in another gig bag.

Everything else is in a Hardshell Case with a Humidistat.

I do have a tenor Reunion Blues bag I bought used from Gerald Ross - I've used it twice, and I'm satisfied with it for festivals, but not a daily case.
If I need to walk a distance, and have more than 1 ukulele to carry, I put it in service, and wear it as a backpack.

I do have an Ameritage Silver case for my custom Donaldson Concert Uke, purchase used from a forum Admin (Thanks again, Stacey!). It is indeed the heaviest, most well-built case I own, but a screw on the handle has fallen out, and i haven't replaced it yet.

-Kurt​
 
I'm super super picky when it comes to cases. I like both hard cases and gig bags, but they've got to have shoulder straps. And I don't really like backpack straps. So I prefer cases with duffel-bag style shoulder straps. That really limits me, but I like what I like.
 
I like the hybrid cases with rigid foam and a ballistic nylon covering. Uke Crazy is a good example. They are lighter and have a large external storage pouch. The hard cases all have a tiny internal pocket.
 
I worry about the soft case that came with my Magic Fluke tenor... and it has nothing to do with the level of protection it offers my uke...

When I was in LA recently, my sister was looking in my trunk as I was packing up to head home. She saw my Fluke sitting on top of my luggage.

"IS THAT A GUN?!? she exclaimed.

This case was made by a company named TKL, and it does indeed look just like the case you might put an assault rifle into... I'm pretty sure this company does also make gun cases.

I keep it in the trunk when I travel with it... I'm worried if I keep it in my back seat, someone will break into my car. And won't they be disappointed when they unzip the case... and...

My friend has one of those new laminate Martins, and it has the same style of case... so it looks like this might be an emerging trend...

Since there is no humidity issues with "plastic" instruments, that's not a concern.

I'm just worried someone will think I'm bringing an AR-15 to my next gig...
Remember the mobsters in the 1930s with a Tommy gun in a violin case. 😁
 
I only have one ukulele and have two cases for it. My uke is a Kanile'a K1-T and I have the Kanile'a gig bag it came with, but purchased an Oahu hard case from TUS/HMS because the humidity levels were dropping in the case during the winter (I live in Pennsylvania and have forced heat). I like both, but I think I feel a little more protected with the hard case.. and I like to put stickers on my cases :)
 
I only use hardcases for my ukes because they are pretty small and convenient. I carry my ukes around a lot; and hardcases are actually faster access and easier to store. This is totally different than guitars, where I prefer gig bags for carrying them to places because those hardcases are very heavy and bulky.
 
I bought a cheap Amazon guitar gig bag to use as a dust cover, but it has a strong plastic smell. I hung it in the patio for a day and now in the garage. We sprayed it with some sewing material stuff, and it’s some better. I‘d like it to be smelless though. I’m afraid it’ll make my guitar smell. Anybody got any suggestions to de-smell it?
 
Anybody got any suggestions to de-smell it?
I had the same problem with a Tiger case, which was a sort of vacuum-formed fuzzy plastic inner with a hard fabric shell. Dreadful stink, absolutely eye-watering. It took several weeks, but eventually frequent airings in sunlight, putting bags of baking soda inside and, finally, letting it sit with a Neutradol air freshener in it for a while conquered the reek. A UV sterilising lamp may help, although I’ve heard conflicting reports: I suspect those are better for smells with a bacterial rather than purely chemical origin.
 
I find that a gig bag is about as good as wearing a windbreaker on a windy, 40 below zero, February day. Better than nothing if that's all you got.
True, however the other side of that perspective might be that on another day, at a warmer time of the year, the windbreaker might be just right for delivering the protection sought and a thicker coat would be a nuisance. Here in the UK we don’t see 40 below, the colder weather sees us using slightly thicker coats and an extra jumper or two under them - there is no one answer, just use whatever works for you in the situation that you find yourself in.
 
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Would a Risa stick fit in a sopranissimo case? You could ask Mim.
No, not even close. It won't even fit in my sopranino case (it's about an inch too long) and that's bigger than the sopranissimo
 
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