New video: hard case vs soft case

I like your recommendations, but I never heard you say jazzmaster , I was waiting for you to say jazzmaster
 
I'm a Mono Vertigo man, but my ONE complaint is the lack of pockets on it. The Gator has always been intriguing to me because of that but I hadn't run across too many people who had used both the Vertigo and the Gator to compare when I was in the market.

I know Mono offers the "Tick" as an add on, but the bag is already expensive enough. Some basic pockets isn't too much to ask, IMO. Otherwise, it's the perfect bag for me.
 
ghostrider25 said:
I'm a Mono Vertigo man, but my ONE complaint is the lack of pockets on it. The Gator has always been intriguing to me because of that but I hadn't run across too many people who had used both the Vertigo and the Gator to compare when I was in the market.

I know Mono offers the "Tick" as an add on, but the bag is already expensive enough. Some basic pockets isn't too much to ask, IMO. Otherwise, it's the perfect bag for me.
Click to expand...

The thing fans usually like most about the Vertigo is that you can load your guitar vertically, which is indeed a handy feature. But the thing is, you can do that with any of these gig bags by just unzipping them halfway. I load up my Mono classic and the Gator bag vertically pretty much every time. Unzip them halfway, put the guitar in, and zip them back up.

So to me that neutralizes the biggest selling point of the Vertigo, and once you've done that I find it lacking compared to the Gator. No pockets, less padding, won't stand on its edge, etc.

I like any of them better than a hard case though. For my purposes at least.
 
aarontunes said:
The thing fans usually like most about the Vertigo is that you can load your guitar vertically, which is indeed a handy feature. But the thing is, you can do that with any of these gig bags by just unzipping them halfway. I load up my Mono classic and the Gator bag vertically pretty much every time. Unzip them halfway, put the guitar in, and zip them back up.

So to me that neutralizes the biggest selling point of the Vertigo, and once you've done that I find it lacking compared to the Gator. No pockets, less padding, won't stand on its edge, etc.

I like any of them better than a hard case though. For my purposes at least.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I actually dislike the top loading feature. I have a cheap bag where I do the method you're describing and I do prefer that. I like the Mono because of how much protection I perceive it to have. I have no idea how the Vertigo compares to the Mono bag you have in the video.
 
Excellent discussion. I agree the Vertigo is not quite a 100% success in that you can effectively do top loading with many bags - but it does still work pretty well, and the sleek form factor is a notable difference from their Classic M80 (can't compare personally with the Gator as I don't have experience with it). When carrying on your back or on a bike etc, the Vertigo is noticeably better for portability.

I do wish it had more storage space - the sleekness of the Vertigo is best in a situation where you only need a cable or 2 and maybe 1 pedal. The padding on the bottom boot has protected the endpins of Strats & SGs well when bouncing against a hard surface, something the Classic M80 does not offer.

At this point Mono also offers the Stealth, which is even more portable, but all Monos are very high priced. I got my Mono cases almost 20 years ago and they've been effective and enjoyable to use, but going forward I'm looking for more affordable but still high-value solutions. One thing about a Mono case is it conveys $$$ externally - not always the kind of attention we want drawn to our gear!
 
It depends on the use case for cases of differing types versus a good gig bag.

Currently, I have more hard cases than I need. I bought them to transport all the guitars for an international move, and they were going to be in the removal truck. I required an extra six for those guitars that did not have them, and a gig bag for a guitar that came with me in the car.

As a widower and having downsized, I have too many guitars and cases and next year I will be thinning the herd as they call it on TGP.
 
For me, I keep it at 7 or less guitars, then part them out when I want to build a new one. I want to build another, but I've just not had the time to part out one of them. Life keeps getting in the way.
 
stratamania said:
It depends on the use case for cases of differing types versus a good gig bag.

Currently, I have more hard cases than I need. I bought them to transport all the guitars for an international move, and they were going to be in the removal truck. I required an extra six for those guitars that did not have them, and a gig bag for a guitar that came with me in the car.

As a widower and having downsized, I have too many guitars and cases and next year I will be thinning the herd as they call it on TGP.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear of your loss and future thinning of the herd. I am sure your guitar stable is pretty nice.
 
Good vid Aaron, I have 4 abs cases, 3 higher end heavy duty gig bags, and a small herd of floppys. The floppys never leave the house. I can just mix and match as since I sold my firebird, I have only regular non-goofy sized guitars.
 
Also, Aaron, you have nice hair. I am thinking of starting a hair rating system, and as it stands now on a 1-10 I am going to give you a solid 8. However, if at some point in a video you have a fan blowing on you and say with conviction whilst staring directly into the lens "I can't believe it's not butter" you could very well be looking at a 9!!
 
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Floppy for my Godin A4 (it never sees the road) otherwise, traditionnal wooden cases since they fit nicely with the rest of our band's gear in our truck, although I agree that they are heavy / less portable. That's why I hire my son as roadie when we do gigs.
 
"...depends on your use case...."

Badum tsss

That first gig bag being reviewed looks exactly like what I transport my bass in. Same zippers, front handle, squared bottom, the dual shoulder strap attachment points, etc. But that's usually to the monthly open jam at the local microbrewery that's literally only two miles away from my house. The foam/canvas case that it originally came with is so big and bulky that it totally violates Aaron's Second Law of Guitar Cases (transportability).

To Aaron's musing about cases for odd/extreme shaped guitars, I bought a Gator hardshell for my V-K. Just pretty much two big open chambers inside with a "bridge" to support the neck. Stuff it with some extra t-shirts to supplement the carpet lining (especially to protect the points), and it's great for local travel (I don't gig so I certainly don't fly with an instrument). It does, however, violate Aaron's Third Law of Guitar Cases. ;)
 
I flew out to the PNW a few weeks ago on business, and was considering taking an instrument with me to just noodle around in the hotel room. But the more I thought about it and with the equipment I have, I wasn't fully confident on checking anything or asking flight attendants to put it in the coat closet. Then there would've been the slog to get from Seatac to my downtown hotel and I was already checking a full-sized suitcase.
 
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