Guitar case or Gig bag?

[Robert****]

What do you prefer - a hard case or a gig bag?

I prefer gig bags, since they take up the least space.

I usually get Ritter gig bags from Long & McQuade - they are quite nice.

[Tone2TheBone]

I'm with you on the gig bags. Take up less space and are easy to move around and store. I do have hardshells for the Les Pauls and Tele though.

[Jampy]

I am 100% a case man, I can't stand gig bags. I see far to many kids with these flimsy cheesy bags strapped to there backs and it scares the heck out of me. I do however own one guitar with no case or gig bag, I should one day actually spend some tiem to find a proper case for it so it could actually leave the house.

[sunvalleylaw]

Because I tend to try to carry too much at once, a case works better for my guitar. I would strap the gig bag that came with my Strat over my shoulder and try to haul other things in my arms out to the car and load them, thus risking bonking the top of the bag on the door frame of my car. It once or twice touched lightly, with no damage, but it scared me out of that habit. I cannot do that with the traditional Fender style hard case I now have, and it forces me to take more trips. Sometimes I have to do things to defeat my own impatience.

[t_ross33]

I was leary of bags until I got my Washburn. It came with a very good quality gig back, pretty tough and well padded in the right places. No issues hauling to and from practice, gig etc. as long as I don't stack an amp on top of it or something stupid like that. I like the light weight, shoulder strap option, accessible pockets etc. that a bag offers. I admit being a bit rougher with the hardshell (plywood/tolex) case I carry my Tele in

[elavd]

Gig bags are more practical, but hardcase are more classy...

[Plank_Spanker]

Hard cases all the way. You can cram them into a van full of gear and not worry about crush damage.

[Spudman***]

Traveling + touring = hard cases

Weekenders + jams = gig bag

Any guitar that I think has lasting value I try to get a hard case for it to protect the investment. But if I'm going somewhere just for a quick jam I'll put the guitar in a gig bag.

Planky is right about the hard cases too. I'd hate to think what would have happened to my guitars if I was on the road with only a gig bag for them.

[Robert****]

Investment? What does that word mean? Guess why I only have a bunch of dirt cheap guitars... hehe

I throw them around my neck and up in the air like Yngwie every night! I even catch them sometimes!

[pes_laul]

im with jampy on this one cases for a guitar with a tremolo you have to store a lot of stuff Whammy bar i store extrat strings picks stringwinders and stuff

[Brian Krashpad]

Depends on the guitar.

For a setneck or neck-through, no question: hardshell case ONLY. I might take such a guitar to a church gig in a gigbag but NEVER NEVER NEVER to a bar gig.

For a bolt-neck guitar it depends. They are a lot sturdier. I've taken some cheapo beater bolt-necks to bar gigs in a gigbag or a chipboard case but would not take an expensive boltneck to a bar gig in anything but a hardshell case.

I have a HSC for almost all of my guitars. Some of my recent cheapo bolt-necks I currently don't have cases for, and put them either in my one gigbag or change out another guitar from its HSC for any gigs.

[helliott***]

Used to use gig bags, still have some. Guy I know had an amp fall on his guitar while driving to a gig. Guitar wasn't flat on the floor, amp fell on it, stress fractures in the neck. I use cases for most everything now, 'cept don't have one big enough for the Epi Sheraton, so he don't get out much.

[abraxas]

Investment? What does that word mean? Guess why I only have a bunch of dirt cheap guitars... hehe

I throw them around my neck and up in the air like Yngwie every night! I even catch them sometimes!

This deserves a place to somebody's signature! Classic!!

OT: The best thing would be a "hard shell" gigback, like the one that came with my (now sold) Yamaha acoustic. It's light and protects the guitar more than a gigbag; also has straps for carrying around.

My EBMM Axis case is also nice, small and light (made by SBK??). But the Axis is a small guitar anyway.

[Jimi75]

I have a case and a deluxe gig bag for each of my guitars.
I am more of a gig bag type of guy.

For gigs I check the location and storage possibilities in advance and then I decide to take a case or a gig bag.

For rehearsing, jams and home use I only use gig bags.

What I love about gig bags:
They are comfortable like a Rucksack!

What I love about cases:
The smell and the plush!

[Ro3b]

I'm with Spudman; for anything that involves a bunch of gear stuffed into a car, I use a hardshell case, otherwise I like gigbags.

I've got one by Gigskinz that I like very much. It's silver, so it doesn't soak up so much heat while I'm tromping around an outdoor festival trying to find the stage. The only problem I've got with it is that is that the backpack straps are placed so that my guitar sits high up on my back, which is very comfortable, but makes me seven feet tall. I've had to learn to duck under doorways.

[sunvalleylaw]

I have a case and a deluxe gig bag for each of my guitars.
IWhat I love about cases:
The smell and the plush!

Ahh, kind of like the inside of your buddy's old 70s Dodge van with the pyramid window at the upper rear corner with Dark Side of the Moon rainbows painted down the sides and that nice dark red shag carpeting inside. Sorry, the reading Jimi's comment and thinking about the red plush inside my tweed case gave me a vision. LOL!