I really don’t get gig bags

HAL9000

Not overly impressed with hard cases I've had. Fusion gigbags for me.

thegummy

They're lighter and much easier to carry. Not bulky so they bump in to the walls everywhere leaving marks. Can just strap it on the back.

I take it you've only seen cheapo gig bags cause the good quality ones don't leave any questions over protecting the instruments.

Treewig1

Does sound like I need to rethink.  The  Reunion Blues Continental especially looks amazing.  

mbe

You don't have to spend a fortune to get a decent gig bag. I  have the Warwick Starline Rockbag, maximum protection for £60. May be a little on the heavy side but won't cripple your hands like a plywood hard case. 

https://www.peachguitars.com/rockbag-by-warwick-starline-electric-guitar-gig-bag.htm

ZenOvertone

Treewig1 said:

Does sound like I need to rethink.  The  Reunion Blues Continental especially looks amazing.  

Reunion Blues are very very good, the handle is in just the right place too for balance, plenty of interior padding and lining (use CV model and also the cheaper RBX one).  I've had a Mono Electric double that fell apart gradually over a few years, now use a Gator Pro Go double bag instead and that's just as good and under half the price.  Hiscox cases are OK but the aluminium edges and locks have scarred many friends guitars on removal from case in a tight space plus they don't store well upright at gigs or at home for that matter..  

Rabs

Depends on what type of gig bag.. You get a lot of hybrid soft/hard cases these days with neck support and stuff..

Really like the Gibson one they do these days
https://i.imgur.com/Ai912mt.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4MuC8iq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hqkw9IF.jpg

Devil#20

ICBM said:

I have to say I'm surprised that more guitarists don't use the semi-hard rigid foam cases though - they have most of the advantages of both types in that they protect the instrument almost as well as a hard case (arguably better against a drop, since they're less likely to transmit shock to it), but are lightweight and usually have shoulder straps and good pockets like a gig bag... and they're quite cheap.

Most classical musicians - who have instruments that are usually far more valuable and fragile than ours - use this type of cases.

Yep. Gator do a foam oblong case with a cordura type outer and I've got one. It's my favourite case. I reckon it affords the guitar better protection from drops than a hardcase which is more likely than it being rolled over by a truck. You drop a Les Paul in a Gibson hard case and the headstock can still snap. I got one delivered by Andertons with a snapped headstock so I know these things. They didn't put it in the case broken (or I'd hope they didn't). 

PC_Dave

Treewig1 said:

Does sound like I need to rethink.  The  Reunion Blues Continental especially looks amazing.  

Just get one. You won’t be disappointed.*

*No affiliation. Unfortunately.

ArchtopDave

Treewig1 said:

The sooner I can get my guitars into a Hiscox hard case the better.

The only guitars I’ve bought with unnecessary dings and dents came in gig bags.

Ive had guitars in good gig bags too, including the lauded Suhr gig bag.  Hiscox every time for me.  I don’t understand why expensive guitars come in gig bags, either.  It’s an expensive instrument, so protect it. 

I agree with you. Flimsy gigs bags are a waste of time in terms of protection, and, most of the time, I use hard cases, especially Hiscox. I do own a Reunion Blues Continental, which is good. I find useful on occasion because it has a number of pockets, but I largely only use it when travelling abroad in which case I buy an extra  plane seat for my guitar. Reunion Blues padded gig bags, and Mono ones, are both substantial, and they cost much the same as a Hiscox case.

roberty

You would understand gig bags if you were on public transport, like I was for years in London

Stuckfast

or if you ever had to cycle to gigs / rehearsals...

Devil#20

As an aside, as hard cases go I prefer SKB over Hiscox. 

hollywoodrox

I used skb hard foam gig bags successfully excellent on the bus or car ,I’ve also sent a gibson les Paul and and epiphone les Paul through the post in them . I’ve got a gator pro go at the moment ,it seems very sturdy 

TTBZ

Are there any that are actually suitable for a Gibson SG if you want the headstock/neck to remain attached if it gets knocked? I don't really like the bulk of a flight case and I'm getting lazy with gear now so the lighter the better, and if it can go on my back to save more than one trip from the car then better still.

Majorscale

TTBZ said:

Are there any that are actually suitable for a Gibson SG if you want the headstock/neck to remain attached if it gets knocked? I don't really like the bulk of a flight case and I'm getting lazy with gear now so the lighter the better, and if it can go on my back to save more than one trip from the car then better still.

My Reunion Blues Conti protected my Collings in a plane hold! That wasn’t the plan but BA were being objectionable that day. On the return it was in the cabin cupboard.

ICBM

TTBZ said:

Are there any that are actually suitable for a Gibson SG if you want the headstock/neck to remain attached if it gets knocked? I don't really like the bulk of a flight case and I'm getting lazy with gear now so the lighter the better, and if it can go on my back to save more than one trip from the car then better still.

Mono M80. The neck support lifts the headstock clear of the back of the case.

newi123

PC_Dave said:

You should try the Reunion Blues Continental - it’s bloody amazing.

I've had the fender customshop logo'd version for 14 or so years now. It's great.

I'd use this rather than a hard case every time for any of my fenders. It's safely gone in the hold a few times too.

Only downsides are quiet bulky (guess it has to be) and one of the puller tags fell off a zip (Need to lighten the link), and it wasn't cheap. 

Pockets big enough for three or four pedals, so I really can gig with just this and a small combo. 

Five stars from me! 

TheBigDipper

I keep my electrics on a rack and my acoustics in their hard cases. Gigging with an electric, going in the car, I use a hard case. But when I walk a mile to the local pub for an open mic I put my acoustic in a Mono gig bag with the Fly Rig, cables and my iPad. Lighter, just as well protected for the journey and easier for me to manage so I don't need to drive there and can have a drink. 

I think buying a decent gig bag for less than 10% of what the guitar cost you is a good investment. 

grayn

Cases are needed if the guitar is going somewhere like a band van or an aeroplane.
Otherwise I always prefer a good gigbag.
My favourite gigbag is the Mark Bass one, I got with my last bass.
Very protective and has amazing, expanding pockets, that hold all my leads, plugs and strings.
Having said that, if I had a very pricey acoustic or jazz box, I'd use a hard case.

skullfunkerry

newi123 said:

PC_Dave said:

You should try the Reunion Blues Continental - it’s bloody amazing.

I've had the fender customshop logo'd version for 14 or so years now. It's great.

I'd use this rather than a hard case every time for any of my fenders. It's safely gone in the hold a few times too.

Only downsides are quiet bulky (guess it has to be) and one of the puller tags fell off a zip (Need to lighten the link), and it wasn't cheap. 

Pockets big enough for three or four pedals, so I really can gig with just this and a small combo. 

Five stars from me! 

I've got a Protection Racket case that's pretty similar to the RB one from what I can see, but it was quite a bit cheaper; might be worth a look too