Hard-Shell Cases or Gig Bags? What do you prefer?...

[rodeo_joel]

has this ever been posted before? i have a feeling it has... oh well

what do you guys prefer? i've been looking online for a real good gig bag to keep my tele in while i'm going to school. if i'm walking to classes or around the campus i think it'd be nice to have something a bit nicer to carry than a hard shell.

i really like the things i've seen by reunion blues. they look great.

anybody that swears by gig bags instead of hard-shells or vice versa? does one kind offer more protection than the other? (i suppose it depends on the quality of the product too)

What's Your Flavor?

[outbreak]

i feel safer using hardshells but i agree they suck to carry around so for me it depends on which guitar id be moving and where to

[jdredskinsfan]

I prefer gig bags as long as I'm up to feeling a little more careful. They're a lot more convenient, even if they don't protect as well. If you want the best of both worlds, check out www.goincase.com. They have a hardshell gigbag hybrid, and if you have the funds, they're great. I don't have one because I just haven't needed it and it's a bit expensive, but I know people who have them and they're excellent.

[Howard VA]

I just don't trust them to keep my guitars safe. Sure the hardshell cases are more cumbersome and heavier, but to me protection is the most important issue. Now, if the guitar is a beater and you don't care if it gets a ding or scratch, then the gig bag might be ok, but I'd never risk any of my guitars just because of a little inconvenience.

[bender-freak]

hard cases for the guitars i am going to de-tune and "retire" for a while...when i was gigging, a good heavy padded bag

[rodeo_joel]

when i got my first tele it came with a free gig bag (like they all do...), but of course it was prolly the cheapest one possible. I used it for quite a while before i finally broke down and bought a hardshell. it works good, but like i said before it'd be great to have something nice to carry from class to class.

i'm probably gonna need two carrying cases anyways, in a few months i'll have my 2nd build finished (strat) and i'll need something to keep it in for traveling n' stuff.

[neocaster]

If it's a Tele, gig bag all the way for me. Not that cheap-a$$ Fender gig bag they "give" you, either. I bought a pretty inexpensive bag with my first guitar (Rok-Sak) and while it's not exactly road tested, my guitar leaves the house a couple times a week for lessons or jams with friends and so far the guitars still look new and the bag is holding up great. The Fender molded HSC and Gator HSC are in my closet with a half-completed Squier 51 mod and an Ibanez RG-570 in them.

[markinlondon]

Originally Posted by outbreak

i feel safer using hardshells but i agree they suck to carry around so for me it depends on which guitar id be moving and where to

That goes for me too. My tele mostly travels in a gig bag but my Gibson J45 goes everywhere in a Hiscox Liteflite hard case. I find I can usually get more extra stuff in a gig bag than a case pocket as well so it can make loading in and out quicker and more secure.

[voided3]

I have a friend who has the bass version of this and it is a great compromise. Very sturdy but very light and comfy on your back. I carry around my Esquire at school in one of the nicer Roadrunner gig bags w/ the removable backpack and it's great when you have a bunch of other stuff to bring besides you guitar. I assume you're going to be carting around a Tele, but if you're going to bring some other axes, I personally don't feel comfortable putting guitars with tilt back headstocks in gig bag, at least when they're on your back. The bag tends to tug at the head a bit too much to convince me that it's safe. Here's the case though:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ase?sku=549432

[endzone]

I have HS Cases for just about all my guitars. I normally carry my sold body guitars in gig bags but I ALWAYS will carry acoustics and hollowbodies in hard cases. I've gotten real partial to Gator Guitarslinger gig bags. They have a padded ergo styled strap that makes these bags very useable. I have 3 of them and am about to buy a double one.
http://www.gatorcases.com/productsde...x?LID=2&PID=34

[tomi]

For me it depends on where you're going and how you're getting there. If you've ever tried taking a rectangular hardshell case on a crowded subway train, you'll appreciate gig bags. If you've ever had to throw your guitar in the back of a van full of PA gear and amps, it's vice-versa.

A well-padded gig bag provides adequate protection for most of the situations I encounter these days. I have two: a Levy's and a Ritter. (I had a Tough Traveler, but I threw it in with a guitar sale. Big mistake: those bags will last a lifetime, and I may eventually spring for another.) I have one Brand-X plastic hardshell case that I use when the arrangements look a little "iffy," like festival-type things where equipment gets transported in golf carts, etc.

Oh, and my Tokai 335 always goes in an SKB hard case and my acoustic guitars are all in hardshells--IMHO, gig bags are for solid-bodies. A friend of mine totally destroyed a Seagull acoustic when he slipped on an icy sidewalk while carrying the guitar on his back in a gig bag--we're talking smithereens here. The good news is that he might have messed up his back if the guitar hadn't taken the main impact. Energy-absorbing bumper goes "Kabong!"

[rhinocaster]

If a Tele can't survive in a gig bag, then it's not much of a Tele!

In all seriousness, for me it's gig bag all the way. I would only consider a hard case at this point if my guitar was going to be out of my sight and hands, and was going to be tossed in with a bunch of other gear.

Gig bags makes for one trip from the car to the show. I just love that!

[bowlfreshener]

I have a gig bag that I use on the 2 hour drive to my parents house, but other than that, I usually opt for the hardshell cases since I feel a bit less worried when using a hardshell case versus a gig bag...

[tiktok]

I prefer hardcases. People will sit things on top of a gigbag--heavy things, like pedalboard cases, and assume that the guitar is "safe" becase it's wrapped up in some nylon and foam. I'm always worried about the fretboard being knocked by something so the strings dent the frets, which happened to me twice back in my gigbag days. I've never had anything happend to a guitar in a hardcase. If you're going to be walking around and have to carry the guitar with you, I prefer the molded Fender type case from the 80's and 90's with a padded grip added to the handle. Those cases aren't very heavy (the classic wooden rectangle ones look great, but weigh too much to haul by hand) but provide all the protection you'll need.

[Guitfiddler]

Hard-shell. In a perfect world a gig-bag is all anyone would need...but I have very little control over everyone else me and my gear encounter at whatever venue I happen to be playing.

Accidents may happen rarely, but when they do happen I want to be sure I've taken every precaution to protect my guitars.

A little extra weight is worth the insurance for me.

[nosuch]

gig bag for me. I am using public transportation (the tube) and my bike most of the times. If I'd fly or tour I'd get a proper flightcase, though.

[stxrus]

HSC for me. peace of mind

steve

[Ira7]

I enjoy a "beverage" now and then so, so it's not the other guy I worry about--it's me. So hardcase. Also, if you're without stand, it's easier and safer to rest your guitar when you're not playing.

The heavens opened when I got this one:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...ase?sku=540002

Light, and not bulky.

The latches won't win any awards and there isn't any room in there to really put stuff, but I still love it.

[beep.click]

I grew up on hardshell cases, but I like gig bags, in the right circumstances.

Main advantage to bags is that YOU CAN PUT THEM OVER YOUR SHOULDER. I'd think that would be a real plus at school.

I'm real gentle with my stuff, but I've noticed that other people tend to be pretty clumsy, and/or thoughtlessly destructive. So that's a factor.

[Rob DiStefano]

Well padded gig bag ... or a bag/foam case. HSC's are false security in every way ... unless it's an Anvil or equivalent.

[Loco]

I've got 9 guitars and have a mix of hard cases and gig bags. My preference is for hard cases: my Studiologic Flightcase probably offers the best protection out of all of them? (My pink Classic '60s Strat is stored in that.) Fender's own gig bags are quite well padded, but suffer from a common fault, whereby the lining inside constantly gets trapped in the zipper. Gig bags offer reasonable protection whilst the guitars are stacked out of use and at the very least - do keep the dust off.

[Vizcaster]

Similar to the Kace cases that voided posted pics of, there are "ultralight" hardshell cases from Stew Mac with ballistic nylon exterior, hard and soft foam and plush inside, and they cradle the neck (I have two of them). Protection of a hardshell without the clumsiness. Besides the black tolex rectangular case my Strat came in still allows the axe to rattle or flop around inside so these ultralights might even be better. Also saw some Roadrunner cases in the store that looked appealing.

[Rizo]

I like hard shells. Not only are they safer, but I like to plaster them with stickers for easy identification.

The only instrument I have a gig bag is my banjo (which is pretty fragile anyway, so this bothers me) but it's an odd size (not the standard 11" head) and hard to find a hard case for....

[CatfishStudios]

I chain my Telecaster to my belt and drag it behind me with no case....tears the sidewalk up though.

[51tele]

Never used a gig bag-----always thought it the lazy way to go------I love my guitars dearly . they are never out of my sight on a gig-----my wife loves to go have breakfast after a gig but that doesn't happen until the equipment goes home first

[Dennis68]

I've always used hardshell cases, even for guitars that come with bags I've bought hardshell cases in their place.

Even the under $300 Fender Acoustic I just bought I order a tweed acoustic hardsell case for it depsite it representing 1/6th the price of the guitar itself. There are some nice contemporary gigbags out there such as the one pictured above in Voided3's post. Even still, I like the peace of mind of a HSC over a GB. YMMV.