Cases, Bags, Blankets....using protection.

[017]

I don't gig and am very careful with my drums. I Initially bought Protection Racket bags, because I convinced myself they would be enough. They weren't. Perhaps it was psychological, but I was never comfortable with the perceived level of protection they provided.

I ended up going with SKB Roto X cases, and I'll never go back to bags. I don't think they take up much more space, they're easier to put the drums in/take the drums out, and they provide infinitely more protection.

 

[wayben]

I don't gig, but use Ahead bags to store snares that aren't in use at any given time. They work good for that, but if I was actually transporting drums I'm not sure that would be enough. Probably go with cases in that scenario.

 

[gryphon]

I had fiber cases back in the days of dinosaurs, but for the past 25 years and a thousand gigs have been using bags. I find they are a lot easier to carry and don't beat up the paint around the doors on my car like hard cases do. I don't have to worry about rain, or dropping a drum in the snow on a winter night. Even without tinted windows, the black bags make my drums in the back seat virtually invisible from passersby who may have bad intentions. As far as brands, I have used pretty much all of them and they all work pretty well as long as you are careful with the zippers as some are better than others. Just bought a set of Humes and Berg cases and they seem nice with very smooth zippers.

As far as protection, the Drumseeker bags are hands down the best. They seem to be a cross between a hard case and a bag with a stiff top and bottom and a plush lining. I use them for my best snare drums.

Couple things to look out for: The farther a zipper goes around the case, the easier it will be to get the drum into it. If you have big Rims mounts, be aware that some bag makers are now making bags shaped to accommodate the mount that sticks out from the drum. Shoulder straps make it easy to schlepp 3 or 4 toms and a snare in one trip. If you have a 12 or 13 inch tom, a case that is an inch or two taller can also carry the seat for your throne.

I just discovered that photo light stand bags are perfect for hauling stands and other hardware. A 10x10x30 or 35 is perfect for all the hardware for a 5 piece kit with 3 cymbal stands, hats, snare stand, throne, tom mount, pedal, and stick bag. They also have one or more pockets for tools, mic's, and spare parts. And if you shop around they're half or less than drum hardware bags. The Neewer and LS photography bags seem to be the best for the money.

 

[equipmentdork]

Beato and Ahead make terrific bags, as do Humes and Berg. I was just remarking that I still have my original Beatos in service...from 1988.


Dan