Best Gig Bag for PRS DGT SE ?? - Suggestions please.

[SJC]

Hi all.
My 3 week old PRS DGT SE has done a bunch of gigs now and I am in love with it.
But the supplied gig bag isn't really protecting the headstock, so I wonder if anyone has any suggestions about a good gig bag that can protect the headstock thoroughly? I have a flight case - I just want something lighter but more protective.
Grateful any thoughts.

 

[ViperDoc]

Mono.

 

[bodia]

Mono.

+1

 

[Alnus Rubra]

For that sort of money, I’d look at Gator LP hard case. I know it’s not as convenient, but takes a lot of heart ache and worry out of transport to/from/at gigs. After all how many times does a drunk person nearly knock over/fall on a cased guitar.

Suffolk people aren’t the most careful

Edit: All mine are hard cased (apart from gift guitar), as I’m a clumsy f***.

 

[László]

The Reunion Blues Continental is also protective, like the Mono. Both are worth looking at if you're concerned about neck support.

 

[11top]

Mono overpriced, imo.

 

[nac]

Mono or Gator.

 

[nac]

Mono way overpriced, imo.

Personally I agree. It's a nice bag but they are $$

 

[11top]

I’m not a gig bag fan. I prefer the soft cover semi-rigid bags. A bit bulkier, but way more protective.

 

[László]

I’m not a gig bag fan. I prefer the soft cover semi-rigid bags. A bit bulkier, but way more protective.

I've traveled to Europe, NYC and California for sessions using only a simple leather Reunion Blues gig bag without issue, though they aren't making them the way they used to any more (their bags are now made overseas). I've also used the older PRS leather bag, that looked a lot like the RB bags. I wish I had them still, but like an idiot sold them because it seemed the travel slacked off, and I moved and wanted to get rid of stuff.

One nice thing about leather is that it's pretty stiff and protective stuff.

After lugging an SKB case (itself light weight) on a trip to do some work in France, I said 'never again'. A gig bag is so much easier and more convenient.

There's one caveat I follow with a gig bag: Keep it in hand at all times, and keep it close to my body, unless it's going to hang in the coat rack on the plane, or sit on top of everything else in an overhead bin.

Doing that, I found the level of protection to be just fine, and the size and lack of weight were a joy. I've always lugged expensive guitars in them, and wouldn't hesitate to use a good one, even with my PS models. Since I'm so fussy about my guitars, I wonder if liking gig bags for travel is my version of a contrarian streak!

But I do agree that the semi rigid bags you use are excellent.

 

[watelessness]

Mono all day long

 

[dogrocketp]

Remember, Paul uses a red se gig bag.

 

[Martin Lenihan]

Mono is the best I've seen. I also have a higher level PRS gig bag that has been designed for protection of the headstock.

 

[watelessness]

Remember, Paul uses a red se gig bag.

a good bag in its own right but it's no mono case.

 

[dogrocketp]

All my core, save one, are in gig bags.The guitar neverbleaves my sight on a gig.

 

[starscream67]

No love for the PRS Premium gig bag? I don’t gig, but I keep my cores in them as cases are a pain. But they seem way sturdier than the SE or CE gig bags, like the sides don’t squish much on the Premium like the 2 cheaper bags do.

 

[SJC]

No love for the PRS Premium gig bag? I don’t gig, but I keep my cores in them as cases are a pain. But they seem way sturdier than the SE or CE gig bags, like the sides don’t squish much on the Premium like the 2 cheaper bags do.

Unfortunately I haven't seen a Premium PRS bag. I do have an older grey SE bag which is OK for my Strat - it's pretty well padded but I wouldn't fly with it. But the bag that came with the SE DGT doesn't have as much padding as my older SE bag which is why I reached out.

 

[László]

I like the PRS Premium bag, it's pretty darn nice for a traditional gig bag.

Last night I was puttering around on the web, and saw the Access Stage 5 gig bag, a 'hybrid' bag. Well, actually they make several versions of it; there's a French fit version cut for Strats, a French fit for Teles, but it looks pretty sturdy and protective even without the French fit inserts.

From the looks of it, the bag reminds me of the late, great Incase gig bag, which is unquestionably the best I've ever owned or seen in person (the original John Mayer Strats came in them also, and they were discontinued). It's more expensive than the Mono and I haven't seen it in person, but it might be worth taking a look at.

 

[SJC]

Those Access Stage 5's do look nice...

 

[László]

Those Access Stage 5's do look nice...

The only question I have about it is the bridge and headstock protectors. I can't tell if they're leather, a plastic of some kind, or a woven fabric from the pic. The material matters if a guitar is nitro-finished.