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Does anyone have any experience with any of the "other" European gig bag brands? Like GEWA, FMB, or another one that is on eBay that I can't remember?

They all seem to be made in Poland or Slovakia... No reason to assume inferior quality, perhaps made there for the economy (real or carried over) of Eastern Europe?

Thanks!

GEWA makes quite solid bags for reasonable money, if your instrument fits for their sizes. I am satisfied with the trombone bag which came with a vintage Selmer and I have one for one of my tenor guitars. But I do not own a fitting tuba for their stuff.
Good quality and protection you can get from Soundwear (http://www.soundwear.com" target="_blank" target="_blank), but unfortunately they stopped making tuba bags some years ago, euphonium and baritone bags are still available.
My personal favourite is Couesnon (http://www.pgm-couesnon.fr" target="_blank" target="_blank), where you get made-to-measure bags (OK, side-loaders!) for every shape of horn. Quality is good, protection is good due to perfect fit and they are easy to carry without being bulky like some other makes. They are handmade in France and normally are shipped around one week after ordering (I have five of them...) And you have a choice of three colours in Cordura and two colours in leather.

Interesting about Couesnon! Price with shipping is around 500 USD (incl VAT... So it'll be less), but still not a cheap bag. Those thick leather backpack straps look a bit Medieval, but probably pretty comfortable, given the width.

Here is the front view. A pretty handsome bag. Not sure it's more handsome than Gotz, but it is nice:
https://instruments-musique.pgm-couesno ... r-495.html" target="_blank

The bag in my link is actually just a one-off bag they have in stock (hence, half price). Price quote for a made-to-order bag to fit my tuba is 399 + 104 euro (incl VAT). Without VAT, and in USD, it's more like $450. Again, an interesting alternative I hadn't seen before... but for the price, not convincing to change course.

Other links, for reference:

FMB bag:
https://www.fmb-direkt.de/fmb-bag-melto ... ra-schwarz" target="_blank

Gewa:
https://gb.gewamusic.com/product/17640/ ... emium.html" target="_blank

PEMA:
http://pema.sk/en/products-page/tasky-n ... a-na-tubu/" target="_blank

I’ve mentioned it before.
Go to an outdoor sport shop and ask what it would cost to have a top loader mega back pack custom made.
-you can have all the extra padding exactly where you want it.
-you’ll get straps that are way better then most gig bags.
-you can have extra straps anyway you want (a large over the shoulder one, grab handles if you like to cradle the bell in your arm, etc)
-life time guarantee.
-get it made like a backpack (with tightening straps) and you can use the bag for large tubas as well as small ones.

I had one made 20years ago and I still use it. No repairs necessary. No wear or tear. It fits a Hagen 5/4 as well as Kanstul F. Over the years I’ve used it for every tuba I’ve owned.
An investment well made.

I bought this FMB bag for my Eastman rotary F tuba:

https://www.fmb-direkt.de/en/accessorie ... dura-black

Is it as soft and plush as a Cronkhite bag, no. Is it as protective, yes. The cordura is fairly dense and the bag does not have much give. The padding is more than adequate and supportive and the bell fits very snugly in the cap. The straps are secure and comfortable, and the lower bow portion of the bag is very, very well protected. I have owned the bag for about 6 months and with moderate use have zero complaints. This is a superior product to any Altieri, ProTec, and Gard bag that I have encountered. I would say that it is a touch beefier than a Gotz or Lion bag. It won't win any beauty contests, but I have zero reservations about the bag. Highly recommended.

Just my two cents.

Andy Rummel

bloke wrote:Is Couesnon a side-loader or top-loader (certainly appears to be side-loading), and - if a side loader - does it unzip *BOTH across the top of the bell and around the bottom bow?

Here are two of my Couesnon bags, the red one for the Eastman comp Eb (17" bell), the green one for the Courtois 166 saxhorn. The zipper goes only along the side and bottom bow. They are stiff enough to get the bell into without a third hand.

Interesting, thanks!

Maybe looks easier for smaller tubas?

Well, the French are known to make a decent handbag, so...

I like it too. Having never owned a 3/4 zip bag like that, just not sure what I'd think of it. At the worse, it could be all the struggle of a top loader, with the zipper issues of a side loader. Pretty sure that's not the case here, but do wonder if that setup is best suited to a top-action tuba, with the valves out of the way. Front action pistons are not looking like a good time in that bag... But I could be overthinking all of that.

For the front-action Eastman I am not worried too much, but for my old F I made a simple (but sturdy) cover for the valves.

bort wrote:
Having never owned a 3/4 zip bag like that, just not sure what I'd think of it. At the worse, it could be all the struggle of a top loader, with the zipper issues of a side loader.

My Dolly Bag I have for my F tuba is a 3/4 zip bag. It's the only Dolly Bag I've ever seen that was made that way, but it's probably not the only one that ever was. I don't mind it, but it does require having to pry open the bag far enough to get the bell in (first) and then repositioning to pry open the lower side/bottom bow area to get the rest of it in. I guess if you combined the worst of a top loader with the worst of a sideloader, this is what you'd get...

I previously had an old-old-old Reunion Blues bag that was the same way, 3/4 zip, just like the one Bloke mentioned. I didn't mind that one either, but I included it when I sold that tuba years ago.

Sidebar for Bort: I do still have the old top loading Dolly Bag you sold me a long time ago and use that for one of my Alexanders.

Oh wow, I forgot about that bag -- it came with my 188, which was probably about 6 years ago.

Good details for the rest, too. Another consideration for me -- the bag lives in my closet 99% of the time right now. I really disklike the TubaWorld bag that I have right now... But for the purpose of sitting in my closet, it works.

I just hate the feeling though, of taking a tuba I like out of a bag that I hate. Those Cousenon bags do look pretty slick though. And I *do* like owning unique things.