High End Gig Bag

mkatz

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I know it has been covered before but would like
to revisit.

I recently traveled with my Kinnard Tenor in an Oahu leather covered fiberglass case. It certainly provided good protection and while I was very comfortable putting it in the overhead, I find a gig bag with backpack straps much more comfortable for travel.

I have a Reunion Blues Continental concert size gig bag which provides great protection but is bulky and much heavier than a hard case and I would imagine the tenor to be even more so. That being the case (pun intended) I ordered a Reunion Blues RBX and will more than likely return it as it does not feel sturdy enough for travel.

The Mono 80 looks like a nice size and weight but no backpack straps which are a must for me.

The Fusion looks as big and bulky as the RB Continental.

Access no longer seem to be making tenor size gig bags.

Does anybody have experience with the Gator Pro-Go Series gig bags? They look decent.

Any other suggestions?

Mitch
 
I have the Fusion Urban series and love it. It is sleeker then the other Fusion bag, if that is the one you are referring to. But the Urban series is as bulky or more so then a hardcase. At first it was a concern but I have traveled by plane with it a lot and no issues in fitting in the overhead. After real world experience I would not be with out it.
 
I just got a Gator 4G series bag to carry my soprano to the LA Ukulele Festival. Seems sturdy & well padded. Definitely beefier than my usual gig bags, but not excessively bulky. Nice backpack straps & decent sized front pocket. I'll report back on how it works after the festival on Saturday.
 
I have a pile of gig bags because I seldom use them. I prefer something more sturdy, like hard cases. Even a well-padded bag will not protect as well as a wooden, ABS, or fiberglass case. I prefer cases with at least one strap, and preferably two.
 
I have the Fusion Urban series and love it. It is sleeker then the other Fusion bag, if that is the one you are referring to. But the Urban series is as bulky or more so then a hardcase. At first it was a concern but I have traveled by plane with it a lot and no issues in fitting in the overhead. After real world experience I would not be with out it.

Thanks Dave. It looks like the choice for me will be either the Reunion Blues Continental or the Fusion Urban series.

Mitch
 
I have two of the Gator tenor cases. I haven’t flown with any ukes but I would feel perfectly comfortable doing so.
 
Thanks Dave. It looks like the choice for me will be either the Reunion Blues Continental or the Fusion Urban series.

Mitch

I have both the Reunion Blues Continental and Fusion Urban series bags. If it's better protection that you want, go with the Fusion, hands down, without question. It is bulkier but the padding is thicker and stiffer, which provides the better protection. I don't know about the Gator.

Luke
 
I have the RB Continental. I don't know that it's heavier than my hard case, but it's about twice as thick. I've had no issues flying with it. It's at least as protective as a hard case, and the backpack system is quite comfortable. So for travel, I find it better than a hard case, and use a hard case just for local destinations. The front pocket is big enough for a regular ipad, and you can rig more storage in the back, where you could carry a larger ipad. If it weren't so bulky, it would be an ideal case. At this time, though, it seems no matter the brand, you trade bulkiness for protection and a good backpack system in gig bag land.
 
OK, from the sublime to the ridiculous:

I just got a double tennis racket bag (half off, so $5) from the Salvation Army Family Store, to transport
my reentrant Soprano and my low-G Concert :)

I mention this because, as you may know, some golf bags have backpack-like harnesses that may be
attached to almost any item so the item can be carried like a backpack :)

if the suggestion appeals to you, you might shop at one of my exclusive men's stores (Goodwill) and
pick up a used golf bag with such a harness.

just my 2 cents :)

keep uke'in',
 
I just received the following email from a luthier friend: enjoy the read :)

[[Good score on the double tennis racquet case!..I haven't seen any in a while (but have 10-12 for storing instruments on shelves.I do have a few extras here also. I buy them when I see them,usually $8-10. They work well hung off a bar stool (or chair) back by the shoulder strap with two ukuleles. easy to switch off. You can leave the pockets half open and just slide them in and out. I use them mostly for 4 and 8 string at the same time.
One other good thing about the tennis racquet cases..NO ONE will steal a tennis racquet case out of a car!..Unless you write Kamaka or Martin on it! ;^)
The one I use the most has two pockets on the outside for books,the music stand,or even sopranos.I find them handy also for carrying others (ukes) home to work on. The single, padded vinyl tennis racquet cases will fit inside the larger cases with ukuleles in them also for extra padding when needed..so look around for those for $2-3..Make sure the head areas are wide enough for the geared tuners though on the single ones....some have mesh on one side by the tuners so you can tell what is in it from the outside.
Usually when I drive past a thrift store..I'll do a walk-through...never know what you will find..
The extra side pockets are good for books,music stands,clothes, and all the other junk I need to carry between meets. I don't fly..so I really don't use hard cases other than for storage around here for better vintage ukuleles and for "forms"(and measurements) for building them to fit snug in the cases..like that one does.]]

keep uke'in',
 
I know it has been covered before but would like
to revisit.

I recently traveled with my Kinnard Tenor in an Oahu leather covered fiberglass case. It certainly provided good protection and while I was very comfortable putting it in the overhead, I find a gig bag with backpack straps much more comfortable for travel.

I have a Reunion Blues Continental concert size gig bag which provides great protection but is bulky and much heavier than a hard case and I would imagine the tenor to be even more so. That being the case (pun intended) I ordered a Reunion Blues RBX and will more than likely return it as it does not feel sturdy enough for travel.

The Mono 80 looks like a nice size and weight but no backpack straps which are a must for me.

The Fusion looks as big and bulky as the RB Continental.

Access no longer seem to be making tenor size gig bags.

Does anybody have experience with the Gator Pro-Go Series gig bags? They look decent.

Any other suggestions?

Mitch

I don't know if you can buy this one separately but I just received my Martin T1-K and the gig bag that came with it was really nice - thick with very good zippers and very light. It won't provide tremendous protection but it's one of the nicer gig bags I've seen.
 
I went to Reverb.com this morning and found a brand spanking new RB Continental Midnight Series tenor case for $69.99 with free shipping! At that price, how could I resist?

It appears they have a few more in stock:

https://reverb.com/item/11692689-re...l-midnight-tenor-ukulele-case-midnight-series

Mitch

Thanks for the heads up - I went to the site and bought the RB Continental - made an offer - and expect the case anon. I have used RB banjo cases to fly to and from Peru and they have traveled really well, both the older version and the newer one. I know that my hard and semi-hard cases perhaps give more protection overall but these bags travel really well and flight attendants seem to regard them in a friendly way. I am looking forward to working with this one and my next long distance trip is late next month.

I note that RB make a more lightweight case - I have no experience of these.

I will update if there are issues, but I do not expect any.
 
Thanks for the heads up - I went to the site and bought the RB Continental - made an offer - and expect the case anon. I have used RB banjo cases to fly to and from Peru and they have traveled really well, both the older version and the newer one. I know that my hard and semi-hard cases perhaps give more protection overall but these bags travel really well and flight attendants seem to regard them in a friendly way. I am looking forward to working with this one and my next long distance trip is late next month.

I note that RB make a more lightweight case - I have no experience of these.

I will update if there are issues, but I do not expect any.

Glad it worked out for you, it really is a great deal. The lighter weight gig bag that they make is the RBX and it does not provide anywhere near the protection of the RB Continental.

Mitch
 
My gator 4G bag worked perfectly on my flight to & from the LA Uke festival yesterday. Plenty of room in the pocket for all kinds of stuff. I was even able to fit a folded up t-shirt I got at the festival under the neck of my uke.
 
I went to Reverb.com this morning and found a brand spanking new RB Continental Midnight Series tenor case for $69.99 with free shipping! At that price, how could I resist?

It appears they have a few more in stock:

https://reverb.com/item/11692689-re...l-midnight-tenor-ukulele-case-midnight-series

Mitch

Tenor and concert RB Continentals have been selling on Amazon for $60 to $70 for quite a while now. I got a concert to use with my Tiny Tenor, and it has a much heavier duty zipper and think it protects it better than the original one (similar to Uke Crazy lightweight case). It was a little too roomy, so I added a layer of 1/2" closed cell foam encased in long stockings for a glove-like fit. I like the RBC although I could do without the backpack straps - I'm more of a single strap person.

bratsche
 
I have the Fusion Urban series and love it. It is sleeker then the other Fusion bag, if that is the one you are referring to. But the Urban series is as bulky or more so then a hardcase. At first it was a concern but I have traveled by plane with it a lot and no issues in fitting in the overhead. After real world experience I would not be with out it.

Hey Dave, I have seen the fusion bags (Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel always have them when they come to play in Vancouver) and they do look like top notch uke bags. I wondered where you purchased yours as it doesn’t seem that there is a distributor in Canada.
 
I went to Reverb.com this morning and found a brand spanking new RB Continental Midnight Series tenor case for $69.99 with free shipping! At that price, how could I resist?

It appears they have a few more in stock:

https://reverb.com/item/11692689-re...l-midnight-tenor-ukulele-case-midnight-series

Mitch

I'd love to hear what you think of it. I had the cheaper Reunion Blues and loved it. Currently I have a Mono 80
(it has a single strap. did you mean a single strap wouldn't work and you'd like double straps?)
and like it.

A backpack hard case I've seen around recently is Crossrock cases. Fiberglass with backpack straps. Seems strong and still easy to manage.

Another uke case I have is a Calton. It's a tank and tricky to travel with, but at least I know the uke is safe.
 
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