Protect Your Guitar in the Best Guitar Gig Bag
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Gator ACOUSTIC 4G Series Acoustic Guitar Gig-Bag -
SKB Acoustic Guitar Gig Bag -
MONO Vertigo Electric Guitar Gig Bag -
Gator G-PG Electric Pro Go Series Gig-Bag -
Buyer's Guide
Do you ever plan on taking your guitar out of your house? If so, you’re going to need a gig bag. In addition to keeping your instrument safe and protected from any potential damages from the outside world, a gig bag can also make traveling with your instrument exponentially easier. Picking the right option is no casual choice, so definitely check out our buyer’s guide and our list of the best guitar gig bags in 2022 below to learn all about the essentials that make for a great gig bag.
Compare the Best Guitar Gig Bags of 2022
Gator ACOUSTIC 4G Series Acoustic Guitar Gig-Bag - Best Guitar Gig Bag Overall
I’ve never really felt the skin of a live alligator, but context clues tend to make me think that if I wanted to store something important under the protection of an animal’s skin, the gator wouldn’t be the worst option. Regardless of where it gets its name from, the Gator GB-4G Acoustic guitar gig bag is an ideal choice for acoustic guitarists looking for something to easily transport their axe when traveling or doing gigs whilemaintaining flexibility so said travel isn’t cumbersome. Its heavy padding (8mm GFLEX) ensures that your acoustic guitar will stay safe, while the exterior shoulder straps and back padding also make it comfortable to carry around. Other exterior features also make this acoustic gig bag a great option. The company’s patent-pending Pick-Clip gives you ready access to a spare guitar pick, which definitely comes in handy when you’re on the move or even when you’re in the middle of a gig and need a pick quickly. The bag’s large outer pocket is perfect for storing guitar accessories like cables, a tuner, capo, slide, and more.
SKB Acoustic Guitar Gig Bag - Runner Up
The SKB 1SKB-GB18 acoustic guitar gig bag is built for any style of dreadnaught shaped acoustic guitar. Its ballistic nylon build gives this bag great durability to protect your instrument from the normal wear and tear that comes from carrying your guitar around with you. This gig bag also features an ample amount of room to store other guitar accessories such as cables, spare strings, and more in its three-tiered accessory pouch. There’s also a useful compartment on the inside that can be used to store picks, a capo, picks, and more. If you want to carry this bag around on your back, you’ll love the adjustable padded shoulder strap; if you aren’t into that method, it can easily come off and you can carry this gig bag by hand.
MONO Vertigo Electric Guitar Gig Bag - Honorable Mention
One of the biggest draws of the Mono Vertigo electric guitar gig bag is the ability to access the guitar while the bag is in standing position, thanks to the company’s award-winning Top-Loading design. This enables you to easily grab your axe and take up less room on the floor space that most guitarists have to rely on in order to grab their instrument. Vertigo combined manufacturing methods from a variety of external sources on this product, including the military, footwear, and extreme outdoor industries, and it shows. The bag is equipped with a proprietary boot on the bottom which employs sneaker technology in order to protect the axe from any damage incurred from vertical drops. On the inside, the Vertigo keeps the guitar firmly in place with an automatic Headstock which grips around the neck of the guitar while it’s in place.
Gator G-PG Electric Pro Go Series Gig-Bag - Consider
Gig bags, though typically providing protection for the guitars that they house, can sometimes have a reputation of being too flimsy to offer security on par with more heavy-duty cases. Gator has proven this idea to be a complete misconception, particularly with their Go-Pro series, which walks the line between being lightweight and easy to maneuver with while still holding its own as a solid means to hold an electric guitar. Their electric gig bag offers ultra-thick padded sidewalls and a Body Block Internal Shock Absorber to prevent any damage from occurring to your guitar while it sits in the bag. A protective rain cover protects it from any weather-related damage while multi-adjustable backpack straps can help you travel with your axe hands-free; if you don’t like them, they can be removed. With a foot in the modern world, this bag also comes with a tablet pocket, internal cable management system, and sheet music pocket so that you won’t require an additional bag for when you go to gigs.
Buyer's Guide
Playing your instrument can be fun, but every time you take your guitar outside of a controlled space you’re running the risk of inflicting some sort of damage. While a hard case is probably the best way to protect your gear, the gig bag is ideal for the musician on the go who needs to travel with ease. Everything from weather to incidental damages can potentially harm your instrument, so you'll want a durable gig bag designed to keep your cherished guitar well-protected.
Before making your guitar gig bag purchase, be sure to keep these key factors in mind.
Padding/Protection
The level of protection and padding can vary depending on the model and cost. Some gig bags are quite thin, while others are padded enough so a light drop on the ground wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the world. Similarly, the interior protection can range from bare-bones to extreme padding. While extra padding means that the guitar will be more secure in a variety of traveling situations, this can also make the bag bulkier, and consequently more difficult for travel.
Features
Should Straps
While some bags may only be held by the attached handle, others have straps that enable owners to wear the bag like a backpack. Carrying the instrument on your back makes for two available hands which can be used to carry amplifiers, effect pedal boards, and other gig necessities.
Exterior Pockets
Many bags come equipped with additional pockets on the exterior of the bag. This is an ideal feature for musicians who need to travel with other equipment such as cables, capos, tuners, strings, and other essentials.
Flexibility
While hard cases may protect a guitar from a wider range of potential threats, the gig bag has the advantage of being more flexible for travelers navigating through tight spaces where there’s very little room to spare. Whereas a hard case is difficult to squeeze in a packed van or into a half-full airplane overhead compartment, the gig bag can be a bit easier to work with in more constricted situations.
Zipper Access
Another advantage that guitar gig bags have over hard case counterparts is the ease with which owners can access their instrument. Because most bags are opened just by unzipping the zipper, a guitar can be pulled out at a moment’s notice whereas many hard cases require unbuckling several latches on the exterior first. Many gig bags also allow owners to pull their guitar out while the case is still standing up; most hard cases need to be set down on the floor in order to pick up the instrument.
