Which gig bag?

[bort2.0]

Short version, I can't decide which to buy -- I'm a little stuck between "cordura and top loader" and "leather and side loader." For some reason, "cordura and side loader" isn't as appealing to me, and "leather and top loader" doesn't exist.

Longer version...

I know gig bags as well as anyone else, but I've never shopped for one quite so large. I did have a Gotz for the PT-7 and for the Willson 3050RZ -- both large tubas, but still not as large as the Rudy. So, I'm not quite sure what I want to do here.

Gotz -- love the design, love the style. Harder to lift the Rudy in and out. For such a huge tuba, a svelte bag would be helpful.

Superfine -- Only interested in the clamshell, and would LOVE to get one in leather. But for a 26 pound tuba, a leather bag is going to be weight on top of weight, and that scares me for the long-term/old guy stuff. And long-term, to me, is the whole point of buying a leather bag to begin with.

Cronkhite -- knockoff Superfine, I'm good. J/K... but really, I'm not sure I need to consider both Cronkhite and Superfine, and I guess I've made my choice.

Kariso case -- I'll be real -- if I had an SUV or van or something large enough, I'd buy one of these coffin style cases and deal with the weight for the protection. I'm super nervous that my kids -- being normal kids and running and playing in the house uncarefully -- are gonna trip and fall on my tuba, no matter how careful I am. Seems like an overkill to keep the tuba in a case at home and use a bag for getting around town... but it's an (expensive) option.

Anyway, Alteiri has got to go, so I need to decide the new thing soon...

[bloke]

Which one can be rented by the month?

[matt g]

The old big Tuxedo Bag would be nice to have as an option. Decently built and the big one easily held a 5/4 Rudy in CC.

[Three Valves]

I would not want to pull that thing out of a top loader.

I dig the leather handle side loader cordura.

Messina should have an optional leather handles.

[bort2.0]

Which one can be rented by the month?

Don't forget, I've already owned this tuba for about 7 months. It's just only been in my house for 1 week

[Sousaswag]

Superfine, cordura, side-loader. Leather is nice, but the big horn is heavy enough. I don’t want any extra weight if I can help it.

[York-aholic]

How often do you anticipate transporting the horn out of the house per week (or per month)?

That would bare on on my decision.

[bort2.0]

How often do you anticipate transporting the horn out of the house per week (or per month)?

That would bare on on my decision.

1 or 2 times per week? IDK... Some weeks more, some weeks less. It's as much for protection at home as it is away. The kids are small and small kids are clumsy. Not their fault, just how it is.

[York-aholic]

For once or twice a week, I say leather. Additional kiddo protection being stiffer. I can handle the extra weight a couple times a week. If it were 5 days a week or if I was doing long Carrie’s, I think I’d go with the lighter cordura.

I like the smoothness and firmness of the leather bag on my York 6/4 (against my back). The cordura on my York 4/4, while being a perfect size fit for the horn and purchased at a very good price, doesn’t feel as good against my back.

[bloke]

almost off topic:

I always carry my cimbasso in its case, and - ever since I built that Holton compact B-flat - I have carried it in its case. I might end up with another tuba that has a case and a bag. I suspect, I will choose carrying it in its case.
Virtually every instrument I own actually has a case and a bag. Supposedly, old guys like me – particularly those of us who have had hernia surgery - where the doctor told us that our hernias were epic, are looking for lighter weight stuff.
In the meantime, I’m thinking about moving over to hard cases for everything. Nearly every venue to which I commute is at least an hour away in various directions, and – with more and more people looking down at their phones while driving (and/or DUI), I’m thinking more about how I place my instruments in the car (bells to the back) and other ways to protect them in the car. The trip from the car to backstage is never that far, and putting the flashers on by the stage door for a minute, taking my instrument(s) backstage, and then parking my car, just isn’t that inconvenient.
(I also own one each of those thick fiberglass legendary Walt Johnson road cases – one medium and one extra large, both of which were purchased for astonishing low prices. I’m not interested in selling them, because - every once in a while - I need one or the other of them: when a bunch of people are expected to stuff their instruments underneath a bus. In which case, I would rather my case destroy their case than their case destroy my case .)

We all have our reasons for our decisions, don’t we?

[ronr]

I have a Suoerfine clamshell bag that I love!

Cat likes it too

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[Kirley]

Back when I had a Mirafone 186 I got a Miraphone gig bag for it.They're nice bags and "top loaders", though I never once loaded it from the top. I always stood the horn on its bell and placed the bag over it with the bell flap open. Then, with my right hand using the very conveniently located side handle, roughly located where the receiver is, I'd tip the horn away from that handle and with one swooping motion, I'd grab the bell with my left hand as it came off the floor and swing the whole horn 180 degrees so that it was now standing upright on its bottom bow and in the bag. Then I'd flop over the bell cover and zip it up. It always worked great for me. The idea of holding a bag open and lifting the whole tuba up to put it in just never made any sense to me and I'm a pretty big guy (6',1" 210lbs).

I know all bags are different but I just get a little concerned that with everyone calling them "top loaders", folks don't consider loading them any other way. That system worked great for me with that horn and that bag. Different horn and bag? Maybe not so much but I'd definitely go at it a few ways before settling down on one. YMMV

Whatever you choose, I hope you pick a cool color scheme. And share pics. Congrats on the new horn!

[tofu]

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[tofu]

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[bloke]

These circumstances don’t overlap very often, but they do overlap:
Some community band will do a Fourth of July concert, all or nearly all of the tuba players decide to go visit their grandchildren, I am hired to fill in for them, and their concert is in a place remote to the parking.
If it’s a couple of hundred feet - or even five hundred feet, I’ll probably just pull down the bag that I have (that fits whatever tuba I’m going to use), instead of using the hard case…
… but just about 100% of the time, there’s at least one person who is shuttling some sort of people and some sort of equipment back-and-forth with some sort of golf cart at such events, and I’ve never had any problem engaging the golf cart people and using their services.

Oh yeah:
One orchestra I work with has told us to not park near the stage doors for the concerts, because they are allowing some of the larger contributors to park there… The bass players and I ignore those instructions, and park there, anyway. Seemingly, the cellists - with their $5000 to $50,000 cellos - just allow themselves to be bullied (even when it rains).

bloke “It’s not difficult to be resourceful, when there are resources.”

…so what were we talking about, anyway?

[Nworbekim]

i have messina cordura sideloader for my king 2341... i really like it. the 2 horns i purchased last month have the Altieri (sp?) top loaders... i've never used one before but will learn to shortly. i appreciate the description of loading a TOP LOADER from the BOTTOM... i had decided that's the ONLY way to do it. trying to lift the 186 up with one arm and holding the bag open with the other seemed dangerous.

i have hard cases for everything except the meinl CC... it's just a tad taller than the king, about an inch i think... maybe the messina will fit it.

the hard cases just make transporting the horns too ponderous... so long as all i have to do is roll them, fine, even up a few steps is ok, but climbing several flights or carrying it over long stretches of grass/gravel... nope. i can do it, but my back complains for several days afterwards. i'd rather use the bag or take the cart.

[bort2.0]

Thanks everyone!

@bloke, it's a question of plastic vs cow.

[bloke]

Speaking of plastic, the hard cases that I seek out for everyday use are mostly MTS (relatively thin plastic), and I judge the JP/Jupiter types (for my own everyday use) to be just a bit over the top, as their thickness makes them weigh quite a bit more, though it does also make them nearly as strong as fiberglass.
Even nylon bags weigh more than a lot of people think they do. Often, an MTS case only weighs another twelve-or-so pound. For reference (along with a bit of levity), imagine carrying your tuba in a nylon bag - plus two chickens…and the difference between an MTS case weight and a quality leather bag weight is even closer.

All of that having been said, I am a “bottom feeder” - as far as what I try to pay for tubas, but with expensive tastes – as most of my tubas would be considered to be pretty valuable. Cello players could lighten their loads by using bags instead of cases…and some of them do use carbon fiber cases (which still weigh more than bags)…but more of my tubas are probably closer to the value of some of the cellos, rather than just being a little bit more valuable than a typical bass trombone… and I think about this stuff - when they are in my 70 mph car, and when carrying them through doorways with automatic closers.

Thanks everyone!

@bloke, it's a question of plastic vs cow.

[kingrob76]

@bort2.0 is resourceful.

Really the question should be which electric golf trolley should he buy to move his horn between his car and the performance spot.

[bloke]

ok...but (ruining your joke - sorry), if a (driven) golf cart can drive to the venue, why can't I (simply) just drive MY car to the venue (as those who drive the golf carts are often teenagers), unload, and then go park MY car in the parking area?