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Hey all,

I have a PT-6P and I'm looking for a new gig bag that's durable and sturdy. I'm just wondering on what other people use and what the best brand to go with is. I'm leaning towards a "Gard" bag but thought I'd ask to see.

Thanks!

Joe

Also one more note for those of you with Gard Bags: the dimensions listed say it can hold a 19.5" bell and 39" tall tuba, the PT-6P is 19" bell with 40" height. I don't think the one inch will cause too much of a problem, but if anyone has had one, please let me know!

I would not get a Gaurd bag... They are OK, but I feel there are much better bags out there, especially for the money. The Gotz bags are probably the best top-loader out there (and is the bag that B&S ships with their new horns) and is what I am currently using for mine. I am planning to get a Cronkhite bag to replace my current Gotz bag because I prefer side-loaderes and I have never found a better side-loader than the Cronkhite.

Cronkhite. If you can afford it, buy it, and you will be impressed.

bort wrote:Cronkhite. If you can afford it, buy it, and you will be impressed.

unless you're not.

cjk wrote:

bort wrote:Cronkhite. If you can afford it, buy it, and you will be impressed.

unless you're not.

Correction -- many people are impressed by these bags. Apparently not all.

I'm also a very satisfied Cronkhite user. I've had the one that houses my PT6 for 3 years and have had nothing but good experiences with it. My F bag is an old Reunion Blues, which I *believe* is Cronkhite era, and is still going like a champ (though the pouch zipper needs work - the main zipper is still going strong).

If you want some level of protection, buy a hard case. If you want a gig bag, you're buying a sack with a handle. If you're going to buy an expensive sack with a handle, it ought to be a very functional handle. I find that I typically take the following things to gigs:

(1) Tuba
(2) Mouthpiece
(3) Music in a folder
(4) Tuner
(5) Glasses
(6) Valve oil

I do think that Cronkite bags are very well made and are made of very nice materials. I currently have two. People who love them really love them. The tuba compartment is very nice. It is the design of the bag outside of the tuba compartment which I object to. I find Cronkite bags to be lacking in the way I want to actually use the bag. The storage space for all of the stuff above is lacking. There is the detachable music folder compartment. I am able to stuff all of the crap above in there. It doesn't fit particularly well.
I find the exterior pocket on the side of the backpack straps to be 95% useless. Whatever you might put there will jab you in the back. On Cronkite bags, the compartments outside of the tuba compartment seem to be poorly thought out.

If you are of normal height and intend to use the backpack straps on a Cronkite bag for a big tuba, you will likely be disappointed. I am 5 foot 8 and I find the backpack straps to be much too high. The tuba bonks me in the back of the thighs as I carry it around. I can work around this by putting both backpack straps over one shoulder, but if the tuba is heavy, this doesn't work very well.

Here's a lousy cell phone picture illustrating the backpack strap height difference between my 6/4 size Cronkite, a 6/4 size Altieri, and a 3/4 Cronkite. The small Cronkite contains a tiny but mighty Meinl Weston 182 F tuba. The backpack straps on the big Cronkite are way too high. Even on the small Cronkite, you can see how high the backpack straps are compared to the 6/4 Altieri. The small Cronkite's backpack straps are much better than the big ones.

For the price you pay for these things, I'd rather not bother with these problems.



Altieri bags have the backpack straps at a reasonable height, have large and functional pockets, and also have a shoulder strap which the Cronkite's do not. So IMHO, Altieri tuba bags are vastly better handles than the Cronkite bags. Altieri bags also have more functional pockets which easily carry all my stuff.

Cronkite bags may be better at protection, but not significantly better than a new Altieri. There appears to be a fairly rigid material between the softer padding in the newer Altieri bags.

I like the Wessex bag from Jonathan's company. It is well-padded, designed well as far as pockets, is a side-loader and seems durable. It will not break one's budget, either. Service is exceptional.

Im not a fan of the Alteri bags, the one i have has the bell sitting right in the back of my head.