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What would be the best gig bag for a 6/4 tuba.
Cronkite? Alteri?
Inputs wanted...

I don't know about any of the other ones but I have an Altieri Gig bag and I love it. It is well crafted and has held up well for almost a year and it still looks new. You can't get much better for the price IMO.

Sou

runelk wrote:What would be the best gig bag for a 6/4 tuba.
Cronkite? Alteri?
Inputs wanted...

I hate top-loading bags. If I didn't, I would like Altieri bags better. But getting a BAT into a top-loading requires standing the horn on its bell and sliding the case over it. Gravity is not working in your favor--the bag flops around. Lowering the horn into the bag requires good arms.

I have an pre-outsource Reunion Blues "grand orchestra" bag, but it fits my Bb Holton a bit too tightly. I use it for my smaller York Master. Rather than worry about the tautness of the bag putting stress on the bell edge, I bought (used) a "large" Pro-Tec bag. It's too long for my Holton by about 5 inches, but everything else is perfect. The Pro-Tec bags have shoulder straps, but they are too high on the bag and the tuba hangs too low. But I don't use them for the big horn. With the shoulder strap or handle, it works fine, and has a good pair of roomy pockets. And it's relatively cheap.

If I wanted a high-end bag, I'd get a Cronkhite, but I'd want it a bit roomier than the "grand orchestral" size, assuming he's using the same design as he did at RB before they moved overseas.

Rick "thinking a shorter C might leave even more empty space in one end of the Pro-Tec" Denney

Rick Denney wrote:[quote="Lowering the horn into the bag requires good arms.

" Denney

This is also easy if you are Seven Feet tall.

Dollybags made a great bag for my little F tuba and I'm sure they'd do the same for any BAT. One has to wait quite a while with them though before receiving the merchandise.

I have a standard 6/4 bag for my Yorkbrunner that I got from Custom Music. I don't have a problem loading it from the top. I just lean the case against a wall and pick the horn up by the bell and drop it in there. The horn weighs over 50 pounds though, so it may be heavy for some.

Unfortunately the Custom Music bag is quite thin, and barely protects the horn beyond perhaps wrapping it in a thin sleeping bag. With a horn so heavy and large, it is bound to hit against doorways and sometimes even people when walking around, and needs good protection to keep from denting-up.

I don't bring that horn out much these days. If I did I think I'd have to get a more protective case if I was playing it every day. With the bag I have now, maybe 100 gigs and the horn might start looking like Swiss cheese, or perhaps more like steel drums.

My holton is very heavy,but I still think the altieri is the way to go.I hold the bag with my left hand with the back of the bag facing up tilted towards the horn.I grab the horn by the top bow ,lift and slip the bag around the bottow bow and up.Works for me.Fits snug with reasonable protection.My horn is very thick brass and has been through the ringer in it's past life.I don't sweat a new ding or 2,but don't believe I've put any new ones in it in 2 years...