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I believe I more or less asked this question a few years ago. There may be more informed people who can chime in this now. Does anyone have experience using either the Gard wheelie or Gard top-loader bags on heavy BAT like tubas? Mine is a rotary Neptune, which is about 39" tall and has a 20.5" bell. I have a beautiful Reunion Blues leather bag, but it's like performing surgery on a un-sedated gorilla every time I go to load the tuba. I'm open to suggestions, as I'm tired of always being the last out the door and feeling exhausted from the ordeal.

Barry Guerrero

I've been using a Gard bag for my Neptune for at least ten years. The bag has held up pretty well. I have had one strap re sewn at the anchor point. The large bag fits the Neptune very well. My two complaints are that the padding is not very thick so it doesn't offer the best protection and the straps aren't very comfortable. I think the newer bags have better straps. The Neptune is a little hard to fit. Most off the rack bags are too small in the bell.

Thank you. Is yours what they call the 'mid suspension' type, with the belts of padding that go around? Does it have the foam thingees that stick down into your bell? And lastly, do you find it easy to stuff your Neptune into the bag? Thank you in advance.

Barry

No, it's not. I have the large mid suspension bag for another horn. In order to use it for the Neptune I would have to remove all the foam blocks and it wouldn't be a mid suspension bag anymore.

Sorry to keep pursuing this, but what about the physical act of lifting your Neptune and stuffing it into the bag - any comments?

With the wheelie bag, you don't have to lift the horn into the bag. The bag can stand freely in a bell-down position, so placing the horn in the bag is the same effort as standing it on its bell. (If you have the wheelie). You can also lay it down on the side like a hard case.

The wheelie does come with foam blocks to go around the horn, and a small (emphasis on small) set of cone blocks to go in the bell. I don't know if the neptune would take kindly to the foam blocks given its size, but they do exist.

The bag is very nice, just make sure you are absolutely sure about the bell diameter and overall height of the horn. The bags have specs listed.

Sorry Barry. I just saw your last questions. I lift it up and over one strap with one strap and slip the other arm through. That's why I had to have one of the straps reinforced. If I can, I sit the horn on a chair or table and slip my arms in. Once I'm done with gig I schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.

Thank you. Your last sentence is the funniest thing I've read here at TubeNet. Although, I realize it wasn't meant purely for humor sake. Thanks again.

Captain Nemo, thank you for your input. I'm now leaning in that direction. However, I'd sure like to try one first.