Re: Re: Re: gigbags


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Posted by Rick Denney on April 17, 2003 at 17:59:01:

In Reply to: Re: Re: gigbags posted by old case for a case on April 17, 2003 at 17:30:38:

Okay, Joe, you pressed the pet peeve button.

Percussionists. Let's talk about percussionists. At our last concert, I moved one of the tymps, and the others were moved also by non-percussionists. Our tympanist doesn't have to bring his tymps to rehearsals, and he rarely has to bring them to concerts, just using the ones that are there and getting permission to do so. This is mostly true for the other big percussion instruments as well. Heck, man, the biggest item of personally owned gear I see being carried by percussionists in my groups is a case full of mallets and sticks. So, I don't wanna hear about how if percussionists can do it so can we. In fact, percussionists don't do it in the vast majority of groups that perform music. We have a committe of people just to move their stuff when it is necessary. When we do haul their stuff around, we get special priveleges, like the big overhead freight door being opened, which the tuba players will not get unless they are quick.

I routinely carry two instruments into rehearsal: My Yamaha for quintet (which rehearses before the band) and my Holton for the band. The Yamaha is in a hard case, because it came with a hard case that isn't huge and isn't heavy, and I can carry it in one hand. From the car to the band room, I have to cross a pot-hole-filled parking lot, a dirt parking area, a sidewalk that usually has a car parked on it, a mudhole next to said car, and several steps. Wheels are good for about half that distance and no more, and less if you have to push the case.

When I played in an orchestra, often with two instruments, we rehearsed on the second floor accessible only by stairs.

To summarize, your solution doesn't meet the requirements in all too many circumstances. I need to be able to carry my big tuba in a way that leaves both hands free.

I agree that about spending a bunch extra for a gig bag with heavy protection in it. But trumpet players don't use them any more because they don't have to. When you can supply me with a $300 hard case for my Holton that is as light as a gig bag so I can carry it in one hand, has usable backpack straps, usable pockets for music and other stuff and will fit between the wheel wells of my Subaru, then I'll consider it. I haven't seen a hard case yet for my Holton that meets even one of these requirements. Yamaha, to their credit, gives you a case that meets all but one (there's no pocket) along with the instrument.

Rick "who expects nothing more from a gig bag than a convenient set of handles, but who needs those handles" Denney


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