MONO Vertigo & CE24 Question

[Monahan]

Greetings all!

Been shopping for a case to house my newer CE24.

Over the weekend, I left it in my 10+ year old Mono Vertigo, borrowed from my old Carvin SC90. This morning I opened the case and noticed that the tuners are really leaving their mark on the bags headstock protector:





Makes me wonder if the pressure being exerted on the tuners by the bag is any worse than using the flimsy gig bag the CE came with... Tempted to just buy a used PRS hard case from Reverb, as I know the guitar is safely secured in those.

MONO bags seem to be pretty popular around here, so I'm wondering if mine is an outlier, or perhaps this is just a symptom of the age of this bag...

Is this something that has happened to anyone else here?

Considering buying one of the new Vertigo Ultra cases for my CE, but having second thoughts after discovering what the tuners are doing here.

Thanks!

~M

 

[László]

Seems that protector is there for that very purpose. It doesn't look like it'll puncture; it's a pretty tough material.

 

[jak3af3r]

I have one of the mono sleeve bags from nearly 10 years ago and it does the same thing. The only problem I ever have is sometimes the PRS with the locking tuners will be out of tune on the D and G strings where the case pushes on them.

 

[dogrocketp]

I have a mono vertigo. My Se custom 22 semi hollow is in it, and I don’t love the fit. I do love my S2 gig bags for my 24 fretters, but then I never use hard cases.

 

[László]

Speaking of gig bags, my son traveled from CA to Chicago for his concert with one of those Mono double guitar bags. He brought it over today, and I have to say, it was a really well made thing.

 

[Lewguitar]

Seems that protector is there for that very purpose. It doesn't look like it'll puncture; it's a pretty tough material.

I think I need a new windshield for my Toyota.

It keeps attracting bugs and bug juice gets all over it when I'm driving.

Bad design I guess.

Oh well...at least it keeps bugs out of my teeth.

 

[László]

I think I need a new windshield for my Toyota.

It keeps attracting bugs and bug juice gets all over it when I'm driving.

Bad design I guess.

Oh well...at least it keeps bugs out of my teeth.

I found a simple solution - don't drive your car!

Mine's got 8,000 miles on it, and it's two years old. Most of the miles have come going to Chicago to visit my kids.

 

[Monahan]

Seems that protector is there for that very purpose. It doesn't look like it'll puncture; it's a pretty tough material.

Agreed. However, there being that much pressure on the tuners when in a neutral position, what happens when the case takes a face-forward spill?

Yes, I'm probably overthinking it, but when spending $350ish I need to make it count Comparing options, I'm considering one of these alternatives which are not in constant contact with the tuners:

SKB i-Series

Gator Titan Series

Both are within a few dollars of the Mono, offer better protection, and still weigh less than a PRS factory case.

The research continues...

Thanks all!

~M

 

[László]

Agreed. However, there being that much pressure on the tuners when in a neutral position, what happens when the case takes a face-forward spill?

Yes, I'm probably overthinking it, but when spending $350ish I need to make it count Comparing options, I'm considering one of these alternatives which are not in constant contact with the tuners:

SKB i-Series

Gator Titan Series

Both are within a few dollars of the Mono, offer better protection, and still weigh less than a PRS factory case.

The research continues...

Thanks all!

~M

I think it all depends on what a person's needs are, whether to go gig bag or hard case in general. For me, the advantages of a gig bag are for travel.

For example, my son tours with a Mono double gig bag because he carries his guitars aboard airplanes, Ubers, etc, both in the US and for shows in the UK and Europe.

A hard case is much more difficult to deal with, and on planes would probably have to be checked as baggage. In cars, a hard case generally has to travel in the trunk, which isn't the best solution. So gig bags like the Mono work best for him.

I'd rather keep my guitars in an SKB case, long-term, than a Mono bag for multiple reasons, and in fact, have an SKB case for my bass.

However, I've traveled on planes for sessions with the SKB cases, too, and I said, "Never again" due to the bulk and pain in the rear of actually having to use a hard case for travel.

As an example, in Paris, where I spent about 10 days recording years ago, none of the taxis were SUVs; the cases didn't fit in the trunk of the taxi leaving the airport, or in fact any taxis available at the time.

I had to sit with two cases straddling my lap in the back seat of taxis at weird angles. They didn't fit in the plane's overhead bin, so I begged the Stewardess to allow me to prop them up in the closet of the plane. I was lucky she agreed.

Once I got to the studio, I had to leave the instruments there when I went back to the hotel, which made me nervous, but no way was I going to stuff myself and two cases in taxis unless absolutely necessary.

The following year I traveled to Amsterdam for similar-length sessions, and took gig bags. It was SO much better!

The drawback with gig bags is very simple: A hard case is not only better protection, it's more impervious to weather and humidity changes.

But I've also traveled extensively with the older style, less-protective (compared to the Mono or other new protective bags) Reunion Blues leather bags, including for sessions in Europe, and kept them close at hand. So yeah, I was careful for obvious reasons, but they worked out very well.

The Mono bags (among others) have headstock protection, don't they? They're probably less prone to neck breakage. My old gig bags didn't have that feature. Discretion being the better part of valor, I was simply careful.

The advantages to a gig bag for travel are the best reason to use them, and the only reason I would get one.

To just keep a guitar at home, or travel around town with an SUV, etc., I'm fine with hard cases. But my days of using a hard case to do any travel are long over. I wouldn't consider using a hard case for that.

 

[aamefford]

Vaguely related add on to the OP:

Airline travel with full size a guitar in a gig bag - do most allow it as a carry-on? Does it fit the overhead bin? Anyone ever challenged or forced to check one? Do you have to fly business or first class to make it work? I know folks do it all the time, I’m just curious of the pitfalls.

 

[Moondog Wily]

Agreed. However, there being that much pressure on the tuners when in a neutral position, what happens when the case takes a face-forward spill?

Yes, I'm probably overthinking it, but when spending $350ish I need to make it count Comparing options, I'm considering one of these alternatives which are not in constant contact with the tuners:

SKB i-Series

Gator Titan Series

Both are within a few dollars of the Mono, offer better protection, and still weigh less than a PRS factory case.

The research continues...

Thanks all!

~M

I have Gator Titans for my Strat and EBMM Stingray and I think they are wonderful cases. I would say the protection compared to a PRS hard case is significantly better. And of course, better than any gig bag, but there is the weight. I believe both of my titans have wheels (I touch the Strat so rarely, I do not recall), so that makes moving them around easier in some situations. For gigging or travel though, the weight and size would definitely be a factor I would consider intently!! As for the Mono bag and the markings, all I would be using it for would be travel or a gig, so I would not be concerned about those markings because the guitars time in such case would be very limited.

 

[Mike Duncan]

I take my DGT everywhere in an SE bag. For more intense trips, I use my InCase bag - very similar to the Mono.

 

[László]

I take my DGT everywhere in an SE bag. For more trips, I use my InCase bag - very similar to the Mono.

The InCase bag was the best one, ever. I had one, and nothing compares to it. Like a dummy I sold mine with a guitar because the original case was damaged. What was I thinking!!

 

[Monahan]

Thanks all!

Normally I'm a gig-bag guy. My basses each travel in a Reunion Blues Continental, and I love everything about them.

Sadly, the RBC is no longer produced, replaced with one called the "Voyager". Ordered one for my guitar and returned it the same day it arrived. That one supported the headstock without additional contact, but the 3-way switch was getting crushed when I zipped the bag shut; a stiff plastic 'card' under the thin, soft lining didn't give any.

Because I'm only taking the guitar around town, and not flying (thankfully, those days are behind me) the gig bag is more practical. It's also where the guitar will reside when not in use.

More and more I see folks here say the SE bag has served them well... The PRS "Premium" bag looks to have a bit more padding... and a lot less expensive than a Mono... Maybe i can bring myself to do that...

 

[aamefford]

I've relatively recently had both the SE and S2 bags. I had them side by side for a little while. The SE bag is nice enough, its a lightly padded bare bones bag. The S2 bag seems to have a bit more padding, and it has a velcro'd in headstock protector - just a piece of velvet covered stiff foam that forms a "U" over the head stock. It also has a ring of padding around the body area that the SE bag does not. Given the choice, I'd take the S2 bag over the SE just for that headstock protector. Even so, I'd want something more substantial for anything other than in the "Guitar Corner" storage and taking it to lessons or something. I'm curious about the PRS deluxe bags or whatever. I'm not sure if that is what the S2 bag is, or if the deluxe is a step up. I just went to the PRS accessories page. It looks like the S2 gets the "Signature" bag. The premium bag looks a little more heavy duty. The Signature and premium bags are on sale at about $15 off, $80.75 for the Signature, $89.25 for the premium. I'm kinda tempted for my Santana - the freakin' 20 year old case is a beast!

 

[László]

I'm kinda tempted for my Santana - the freakin' 20 year old case is a beast!

Mine are all in those beastly wooden cases. Great for protection, great for storage when the guitar isn't being used because the wood is a great buffer for temperature and humidity (it absorbs and releases humidity, a good thing depending on the season).

But carrying a 17-19 pound cases plus the weight of the guitar up and down he stairs to my studio every day has gotten to be an unsustainable chore!

Sure, I could keep my babies in the studio, but it's a basement. I don't trust basements due to humidity and potential leaks. It's easy to replace recording gear and amps if I have to. The guitars are irreplaceable. I've curated them over a long period of time, and they're just perfect for me. I'd hate to have to start over!

I'm thinking of getting a gig bag to make that little chore easier. I suppose I don't need a bulletproof one for my own house, but why not get something I can use when I go somewhere else?

 

[aamefford]

Mine are all in those beastly wooden cases. Great for protection, great for storage when the guitar isn't being used because the wood is a great buffer for temperature and humidity (it absorbs and releases humidity, a good thing depending on the season).

But carrying a 17-19 pound cases plus the weight of the guitar up and down he stairs to my studio every day has gotten to be an unsustainable chore!

Sure, I could keep my babies in the studio, but it's a basement. I don't trust basements due to humidity and potential leaks. It's easy to replace recording gear and amps if I have to. The guitars are irreplaceable. I've curated them over a long period of time, and they're just perfect for me. I'd hate to have to start over!

I'm thinking of getting a gig bag to make that little chore easier. I suppose I don't need a bulletproof one for my own house, but why not get something I can use when I go somewhere else?

I just had a correspondence with Reunion Blues. They recommended this case to fit either the S2 Studio or the Santana:
https://reunionblues.com/collection...ntinental-electric-guitar-case-voyager-series

The PRS premium looks good T $89 on sale also. I don’t think I’d fly with it, but really it would just be for taking the Santana to lessons and stuff.

 

[watelessness]

i've been using multiple mono cases for years and never had an issue

 

[rwandering]

I use the Mono Vertigo for my Paul's. Yes, I do see minor indentations on the back for the head stock. I wouldn't think it safe to drop it or stack it. It probably would be fine, but I wouldn't want to test it.

It is so much easier than using the hard case. Now if I could only make my amp lighter (though the one I use is actually a PowerCab so I shouldn't complain).

 

[Monahan]

i've been using multiple mono cases for years and never had an issue

That's good to hear!

Did you notice anything like I've noted with the tuners?