What would make the perfect guitar case and gig-bag ?
What features would make a guitar case perfect for you? Is about weight, strength, how it carries? Is it about storage ? What do you want to carry in your case? What do you really like about your current case(s) - what do you hate about them?
What make a great gig-bag? Do you prefer a gig-bag to a hard case ? If so why? What do you like and dislike about present gig-bag?
Would you pay as much for a truly great gig-bag as you would for a hard case?
The Incase Tour Bag is $199 and has tons of storage features. Is storage what you want from a gig-bag or would prefer less storage and more protection eg for the neck and strap button area?
How about colour - is black the best colour? Would you like to be able to order a customised case?
I'd like to hear your thoughts and ideas so the creation of our cases and bags becomes a collaboration between us and you the potential users.
categories: early development
Calder blog homepage
Calder website homepage
What make a great gig-bag? Do you prefer a gig-bag to a hard case ? If so why? What do you like and dislike about present gig-bag?
Would you pay as much for a truly great gig-bag as you would for a hard case?
The Incase Tour Bag is $199 and has tons of storage features. Is storage what you want from a gig-bag or would prefer less storage and more protection eg for the neck and strap button area?
How about colour - is black the best colour? Would you like to be able to order a customised case?
I'd like to hear your thoughts and ideas so the creation of our cases and bags becomes a collaboration between us and you the potential users.
categories: early development
Calder blog homepage
Calder website homepage
posted by Nick CC at
9:50 PM
10 Comments:
i think probably the most important feature of any case is protection... but of course, you want that protection to be convenient to have. i think the problem with many gig bags is that they're really nice to carry and comfortable (mine even has a zipper pocket with backpack straps inside), but some really sacrifice protection. for someone who's in school and takes thier guitar to school for the band, music class, etc... carrying a hard case up stairs and in cramped hallways is really a hassle and isnt convenient at all. at the same time, the same situation but with a gig bag, theres the constant risk that someones going to bumb into you and mess up the neck on your guitar or the tuners, etc. I think it would be great to have a gig bag with more protection, while still being at least half the weight of a hard case. i've dreamt before about having a gig bag with some sort of arrangement of jointed plastic plates inside to cover parts of the guitar while still being light and flexible. another really important thing i always want in a case is good grip on the handle. if you're carrying a case long distance or around tight corners in a building or something, its always nice to have a handle thats positioned right so that the case balances and its comfortable. storage for me isnt a huge factor, because i can wear a backpack with my pedals and small equipment, or store my cords in the open back of my amp during transportation.
Well, in my opinion, weight and balance is the most that matters when i buy a guitar case
I have a case at the moment, it is built like a birck shithouse, so no bones about protection, it is perfectly balanced, but it weighs an absolute ton.
I would also like to be able to order a custom colour, but keep it simple, Like have a black, grey/silver, white and chrome option.
The feet need to be sturdy, and the handle comfortable. Remember, a metal handle gets sweaty and slippery, a rubberised handle gets worn easily and sticky. The best bet is probably a brushed aluminium handle with a padded insert underneath, a small cutout with a fiber padding if you will.
Thanks Tim and thanks Anon - the practical detail in your comments is really helpful. I'll answer them in a new post I'd as many people as possible to read about the areas you raise.
I'm also posting some tech drawings of our gig bag which show how we intend to use thermo formed components to give the kind of protection anon dreams about.
Hi - I just earned a degree in design, and have played guitar for almost 20 years.
I like your ideas and think the time is right for a case update.
However, I think you are missing some important considerations, namely, where do existing cases succeed and fail beyond looks?
Balance is a huge issue. Also ergonomics of the hand, don't want to tire the muscles there just before a gig.
It should also be "roadie proof" for those of us lucky enough to have them.
What is the most delicate part of the guitar and how can you protect it better than existing cases? (neck joint and headstock)
What about acoustic or semi acoustic guitars? Could you use this case with more than one instrument?
What else could the case do? Use as a seat, stackable, attach to amp, fit in carry-on space?
Translucent is probably a bad idea for most applications and gigging (steal me), but might be great for someone looking to store guitars at home.
Storage in the case, for me would best be limited to a few essentials, like a strap, cord, strings, picks, earplugs, batteries, maybe a pad and pen.
Hope this helps, the questions are intended to stimulate thought, without me feeling like I'm working for free.
Looking forward to see your continued success! Feel free to write me at mrdude@hotpop.com.
-Billy
I might be the only one, but I really liked the molded cases that Les Pauls came in during the early eighties, even though there were many problems with them. Namely, the clasps failed on nearly all of them, they only fit Les Pauls and you couldn't stack them (I take six guitars everywhere I go). But what I liked was they were easy to carry, nice balance, no hardware, no covering to tear or peel, large sturdy and comfortable rubber handle insert and they were washable. The strength and support were beyond question for a case that weighed less than an Anvil ATA. To prove this point, I once tossed a Les Paul STD out the window of the bus as we approached the hotel while still rolling at about 10 mph or so. Two bounces, no damage. To me, what would make a good case is a moving target. I think a case needs to fit it's guitar specifically rather than try to fit the 95th percentile statistically mean guitar. If I could, I'd like to have cases like the molded Gibson case, that fit my guitars, which happen to be mostly Explorers and Vees. They would wind up being monsters of size and weight and prolly be no better or cheaper than the Anvil ATA's they are already in.
Great article! Thanks.
Thanks for interesting article.
Nice! Nice site! Good resources here. I will bookmark!
I see first time your site guys. I like you :)
Excellent website. Good work. Very useful. I will bookmark!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home