Is a gig bag a better option than a loose hard shell case?

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I've got a Tenor Ukulele that fits loosely in the all the hi-end cases I've got. No matter how I fit it, the uke will have about 7/8" of drift (side drift is almost zero, upper bout fit is close, but head to tail is slipping the full 7/8'). The closed lid lightly contacts the strings/saddle My question is whether it's better to just stick with a good gig bag. Obviously I'll fill the gap with by rolled-up polishing cloth for now. Just trying to see what the community consensus has to say. Thanks!
 
I have a hard shell UKE CRAZY case that I rarely use.
I prefer my soft gig bag with a Velcro strap that secures my ukulele from moving and a front pocket that holds my iPad with all my music plus incidental chord sheets that have not yet been transferred to my OnSong program.
We’re i to ship my instrument I might ant the hard side, but placed in an overhead airline in, the soft side gives enough to allow the doors to close and a cost place around the bag provides sufficient protection.

Plus
DONT HURT MY VERY EXPENSIVE INSTRUMENT!!
 
Couldn't you just stick a couple of pieces of foam in there? Or a towel...maybe a Hawaiian print beach towel?

Oh...I see you used polishing cloth.
 
The answer should depend on the way you utilize the case/bag. If it is just used at home or even transporting to an event, it should not much matter. If it is going to be jarred a lot then you can go either with padding or a gig bag. If it might be crushed with other luggage, the hard case would be preferred.
 
All of my ukes, except my Blackbird Clara, live in hard shell cases in my office. Mainly because I live in a dry climate and use humidifiers in those cases. Humidifiers don’t work well in gig bags. The hard shells also provide more protection in case they get knocked over. Most of the time I move them from the hard case to a gig bag when I take them out of the house to play. However, if it’s snowy & icy outside, and there’s any chance of a slip & fall, then I’ll take them in their hard cases. Some of the cases are snugger fitting than others, but none are super loose. They all get the job done. For air travel I use a Reunion Blues Continental semi-hard case.

It all depends on what you need from your case. Protection? Transportation to gigs? Good seal for humidification? Travel?
 
My preference is a Fusion case. It is very customizable and I adjust the innards for whichever tenor I happen to be taking out of my home to play.
 
Thank you all! You have pretty much confirmed what I believed: The case for "military grade" situations, the bag for normal use. I live in the PNW and only in the most extreme points of the year is humidification necessary, so...again much thanks!
 
I have a long-neck tenor which I keep in a baritone case. I keep it snug in this way. Since I always use a strap, I never take the strap off. When I store the ukulele I just wrap the strap around the lower bout of the body and that keeps the ukulele from jiggling around.
 
I have a Gypsy style cutaway tenor. Oversized body. It only fits Baritone case. Nice lower bout fit. I had Baritone hard foam case that got badly beaten up the one time I shipped the Uke. Never again. I don’t like gig bags for anything more than a simple night out and only if going in my car. I put towel and straps in the end of case which is 4-5 inches too long and no issues. It flying on a plane I would cut foam and cover with valour fabric. Case was Musicians Friends hard case and was only $65.00. Great case. I should get a custom case made to fit but don’t want to drop $700 or more! YMMV but to me you have the hard case. 7/8” in length is nothing. Find a good soft filler!
 
I've got a Tenor Ukulele that fits loosely in the all the hi-end cases I've got. No matter how I fit it, the uke will have about 7/8" of drift (side drift is almost zero, upper bout fit is close, but head to tail is slipping the full 7/8'). The closed lid lightly contacts the strings/saddle My question is whether it's better to just stick with a good gig bag. Obviously I'll fill the gap with by rolled-up polishing cloth for now. Just trying to see what the community consensus has to say. Thanks!

Here's a project I want to do some day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWRfFB3Pz3o
 
I prefer gig bags for a better fit and for safe storage. Cases are a pain if one is usin’ a strap or if one wants to carry anything extra. All my big instrument cases are in the garage! If one carries gig bags carefully, they will do the job, and they’re much less expensive.

I must admit, though, that I seldom carry my instruments anywhere. :eek:ld:
 
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Maybe you need to find a hard case that fits your uke. I have gig bag and it is great for going out to the beach, if I'm riding my bike, or if I'm going to the park, anywhere I can carry it like a backpack. But for general use, gigs, open mics, and anywhere there is a lot of people who could knock it over and step on it, or if I'm going somewhere in the car where I'm packing a lot of stuff that might get thrown on top of it I go with the hard case, which is more often than not.
 
Maybe you need to find a hard case that fits your uke. I have gig bag and it is great for going out to the beach, if I'm riding my bike, or if I'm going to the park, anywhere I can carry it like a backpack. But for general use, gigs, open mics, and anywhere there is a lot of people who could knock it over and step on it, or if I'm going somewhere in the car where I'm packing a lot of stuff that might get thrown on top of it I go with the hard case, which is more often than not.

I do have cases that fit my instruments. They came with the instruments, so, of course, they fit. However, they fit perzactly and, as I said before, there’s not much room for anything else. Even in my instrument rack, they take up more room than gig bags.

I guess you’re a case man, and I’m a gig bag man. Can you believe that I have a hard case for my tuba? Carry THAT around! :eek:ld:
 
I do have cases that fit my instruments. They came with the instruments, so, of course, they fit. However, they fit perzactly and, as I said before, there’s not much room for anything else. Even in my instrument rack, they take up more room than gig bags.

I guess you’re a case man, and I’m a gig bag man. Can you believe that I have a hard case for my tuba? Carry THAT around! :eek:ld:
I meant that for the OP, about getting a case that fits. I'm not averse to gig bags. I use one often, if the circumstances warrant.
 
Ha!, Rollie, when I wanna ride a bike to the park to play to the birds and squirrels, I attach a mailing tube to the bars which holds a tin whistle and a small 6 hole, side blown piccolo.

It’s much more convenient than a giant ukulele in a gig bag strapped to my back, and my audience loves my sounds. :eek:ld:
 
Whenever I travel, or gig, I always use a case, if I have one. My gig bag was for hospice use, carrying a case was out of the question. My banjouke only has a bag, but I'm not worried, it's very durable.
When I put my uke in a bag, it never gets outta my sight.
 
I usually use a UkeCrazy canvas/foam semi hard case to take my tenor to gigs or club meetings. It's larger than the hard cases and I can keep the strap on. Plus it has a storage place in the case that I keep two tuners in and a front pocket where I have a set of spare strings. This makes it much quicker when I am putting everything away. Taking a strap off, especially if I have a lock washer on it, slows packing appreciably. I help tear down the equipment and stack chairs, so if I'm too slow, it's all done!

I use a ProTec canvas/foam case for my Shelly Park, Gypsy Jazz Macaferri-style tenor. The moveable neck rest makes it fit perfectly. Just right for the width, length and depth. (Don't know the model number.)

Mim sells two hard-ish tenor cases for long necks and 8-string tenors. It's a little long for my 8-string at the top, but I don't have to scrunch it in like I did with a regular tenor hard case. The top and bottom of the instrument were pushed really tight in the regular hard cases I have. Now I put a rolled up towel in the extended case at the head. Just to be safe. The humidifiers work better in the hard cases.
 
I have a Gypsy style cutaway tenor. Oversized body. It only fits Baritone case. Nice lower bout fit. I had Baritone hard foam case that got badly beaten up the one time I shipped the Uke. Never again. I don’t like gig bags for anything more than a simple night out and only if going in my car. I put towel and straps in the end of case which is 4-5 inches too long and no issues. It flying on a plane I would cut foam and cover with valour fabric. Case was Musicians Friends hard case and was only $65.00. Great case. I should get a custom case made to fit but don’t want to drop $700 or more! YMMV but to me you have the hard case. 7/8” in length is nothing. Find a good soft filler!

SO, you would agree that a 7/8" drift would be okay if the case was dropped, say. from above your belt to a hard floor? I'm not asking for a ballistics cert, just a reasonable opinion. So far I've been willing to chance it. Hope I'm not wrong. :)
 
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