Gig bag recommendations?

[bort]

I started to search for this, but 1) there is a lot of info there, which is hard to sift through, and 2) opinions can change over time...

I will soon be looking for a gig bag for my new (to me) Marzan tuba. Right now, I'm looking at Alteiri, Miraphone, and Cronkhite bags. Here are my requirements, in order of importance:

1) Protection. I'll be schlepping this around New York City, so I need something that is up to the task.
2) Easy to carry. Comfortable backpack straps are a must.
3) Weight. This is already a heavy tuba (thick brass), so help me save my back.
4) Cost. Less than $300 if possible?

Anything else I'm not thinking about? I've not seen the Miraphone bag up close, though I did use an older one a few years back in Austria. I don't really care for the "super" blue, but if it's the same bag otherwise...

As far as rough dimensions go, it's 36" tall and the bell is 19" in diameter.

Thanks everyone!

[Bill Troiano]

PM sent

[windshieldbug]

I use an Altieri with my Marzan CC slant-rotor, and it feels good, is strong, well-made, well ballanced, and hasn't had a hint of a problem in years of use.

Downside (you knew there had to be one, right?): it's a top-loader, and like you said, it's a heavy horn, so you have to put the horn on it's bell and put the bag over it. You also have to use the supplied bell cover in bad weather.

I got a Pro-tec side loader for when I need it, but it doesn't wear nearly as well.

[Neil Bliss]

Cronkhite.

They will even make it in the exact size and dimensions to fit your horn. Got one for my Cerveny 603, in forest green. Very comfortable and side-loading. Tuba Exchange has an inexpensive copy that fits the St. Petersburg 202 and it is every bit as good as the original Cronkhite.

Not to gainsay you, but the bag they sent along with my 202 was significantly too big for the horn. I went up to Glenn Cronkhite's place in Berkeley and had him make a pattern, and now I have a green leather bag that fits my 202 perfectly. It's a little more expensive than the OP's $300 price point, but that's mainly due to me needing it custom patterned and choosing leather.

In any event, unless it's out of your price range you'd be hard pressed to go wrong with a Cronkhite bag.

[sinfonian]

My vote is for the Soundwear bag. It has unique inner frame around the bell that protects it from bumps and such.

[ufoneum]

Cronkhite bags are the best in the business. At Just For Brass they are $329.95 and right now have a sale going on for ITEA members - 10% off, so $300.

http://justforbrass.com/index.php?main_ ... cts_id=583" target="_blank

Best,

Pat Stuckemeyer

[windshieldbug]

Be sure you get the proper pattern, no matter what bag you choose.

My Marzan has a 19" bell, but only fit correctly upside-down in the old Cronkhite-built Reunion Blues bag that I had years ago. It was never a problem then, because I carried it to gigs.

It fit fine, but meant that you could not wear it because the action was always in your back.

I don't know that so many makers ever had the Marzan pattern, so make sure that you can measure AND specify which way works.

[Arkietuba]

I have a Protec but I'm not 100% happy with it...mainly since they only had 2 sizes to choose from and I had to pick one much bigger than what I needed. I play on a Sam Gnagey horn with an 19" bell and these bags only come in 18"-22" and my horn is fairly compact so there is about a foot of extra room in the bag so it kinda "leans" to one side when I walk with it and it's kind of embarassing.

On the other hand, it has TONS of storage for music. I can fit all of my solos, etudes, piano parts for the solos, all 12 of my ensemble folders (yeah, I was highly sought after one semester), mouthpiece, oil, metronome, tuner and tuba stand all in the bag. It also came with a mouthpiece pouch and shoulder strap if you wanted to carry over the shoulder as opposed to the back-pack. It has a zipper that goes down the side and you load it in the side. The inside is very soft and plush (and is actually pretty comfortable if you need place to take a nap...lol). I got mine only for less than $200. I'm going to get a different one that fits my horn better, but this is a good gig bag for the money.

[billeuph]

My vote is for the Soundwear bag. It has unique inner frame around the bell that protects it from bumps and such.

I'll second this. I have used both Soundwear and Cronkhite bags, and both are good, but the Soundwear has better bell protection and a much more comfortable backpack strap arrangement. They are quite expensive, though. About $100 more than Cronhkite, which aren't cheap either.
http://shop2.ezentrum.de/1917616/i6Ht72 ... rowitems=6

There are two Soundwear models, "Professional" and "Performer", and the latter is much less expensive:
http://www.wwbw.com/Soundwear,Cases--Gi ... ories.wwbw,
but the backpack strap arrangement is quite different and not nearly as good as the more expensive Soundwear line. Bell protection is excellent, though. I have one of these also, but if I have to carry the horn very far, I'll swap bags so I can use the better Soundwear Professional.

The Cronkhite bags give less bell protection and the straps leave the horn low enough to hit your legs while you walk, so you walk a bit like a duck. Otherwise, it's a great bag and is very well made.

Bill Anderson

[Mister JP]

bort: thanks for starting the topic, I need a bag too...

Since the topic is live, what about the MTS hard cases? They are still in the price category of the both Soundwear Pro and leather Cronkhite bags, but the MTS is a hard case with wheels. Although they are the the least expensive hard cases, so I'm wary.

Sorry for the slight threadjack.

[bort]

No problem, I'm just glad I wasn't shunned to the archives by the TNFJ.

Anyone out there own/have direct experience with the Miraphone bags?

[tokuno]

bort: thanks for starting the topic, I need a bag too...

Since the topic is live, what about the MTS hard cases? They are still in the price category of the both Soundwear Pro and leather Cronkhite bags, but the MTS is a hard case with wheels. Although they are the the least expensive hard cases, so I'm wary.

Sorry for the slight threadjack.

I have: MTS hard case, Altieri gig bag, and Cronkhite gig bag.
The case protects the horn well. It's rugged, with a resistant & easily-cleaned shell, the hinge is fine, good latches (no locks), interior fit and finish is good, strong & comfortable handles (apparently well-mounted), the wheels are adequately sized and seem nicely mounted and of a sturdy, functional material, although I've never rolled it on its built-in wheels. When I use the case, I mount it on a folding magna-cart. The cart's larger diameter wheels and wider track describe a smoother, more predictable path, and prevent the odd sidewalk crack from catapulting me over the horn.
That said, I rarely use the case. I damaged my lower back by surreptitiously erecting a code-violating fence (stoopid: single-handedly planting 4x4s under the cover of darkness in the cold dampness of a Berkeley fog), so I'm averse to lifting and twisting heavy objects (as to sling an MTS case into a car).
The Altieri gig bag has a large (good feature), built-in music/amenities pouch. It's top-loading, which I find better for enclosed/restricted spaces, but otherwise a bit of a struggle. Not so much for extraction, but can be a challenge when stowing. Padding ~feels~ light. Haven't confirmed through empirical testing (and no intent to do so), but when I'm using the Altieri, I exercise caution when passing walls, entering doors, or the like. Sometimes I reach around to shield the bag with my arms, just in case. And when I pivot, I do so cautiously with my head on a swivel. In backpack mode, I struggle a tad to get it on and off. Not difficult, per se, but harder than I'm expecting to safely mount and dismount the bag. E.g. on occasion, I withdraw an arm, and the bag swings around my body. I'm consciously more careful than I'd naturally expect to be when I'm putting it on or off. I think it has to do with the "floppiness" of the bag, and the absence of a handle to grab for leverage. However, once it's on, I find it very comfortable to carry. It sits in a good location - not so high that I'm whacking door headers, and not so low that I'm getting my thighs clipped.
The bag's floppiness & flatness also make it easier to store when empty.
The Cronkhite is thicker, heavier, feels like it's protecting the horn better. Whether for good or bad, I find myself behaving a little less cautiously when I'm using the Cronkhite. The side-load is quicker and easier, but requires more space to operate. The snap-on pouch is unfortunately too small to carry much other than the mouthpiece, oil, and the like. As a backpack I find it easier to doff & don than the Altieri, probably because it's stiffer, and maybe because the cordura is gripier than the slick Altieri fabric. The Cronkhite is noticeably less comfortable to carry. It hangs low, so the balance is sub-optimal (although not poor) and it can thump my legs. It's not unusable, though, and I can cover fair distance without complaint. When empty, It takes more storage space than the Altieri.

Bottom line for transport: balancing horn protection, portability, and usability, I prefer the Cronkhite over the other two.

[Neil Bliss]

Not to gainsay you back, but the bag they sent me, which is a brand new TE tuba bag, fits my 201
like a glove. I only bought this two weeks ago, so maybe the new ones are different than what you
purchased.

Sounds like they must have a different batch of bags available now than they did around new year's (when I got mine). Good to hear!