Over The Shoulder Guitar Holder

The bag arrived, and I'm delighted to see that it has everything I was hoping it'd have, and nothing I don't care for.

It feels very high quality, solid and rugged. According to the spec sheets, at 8.1 pounds it's lighter than the Gator Icon by a pound and a half, and 2.5 pounds heavier than the Mono M80. Compared to my 18 pound hard cases, it still feels like a featherweight.

It's more rigid than the Mono bag, and that's probably where the weight differential comes into play. There are a few benefits to this that I'll get to in a few moments.

The outside of the bag is the 1680 denier ballistic nylon found on good luggage. There's a fairly large vinyl trim panel in the middle of the bag on both sides that's made to look like carbon fiber. It feels like it will hold up.

EDIT: I just realized that these vinyl pieces keep the rougher exterior of the ballistic nylon shell from abrading one's clothing while side-carrying. so they serve a purpose that's more than decorative.

I was worried about the possible cheese factor with these panels, but the bag looks much nicer in person than it does in the B&W photos I saw on the Gruv Gear website and places where the bag is sold.

There are two zippered compartments that are padded top and bottom. The top compartment has 3 large pockets, a couple of smaller elastic mesh pockets, and a strip of 8 catch-all loops that individual items can be attached to. The pockets are a nice, woven fabric of some kind that feels smooth. The bottom of this compartment is reinforced with something rigid, and it's padded on both sides. Because of the rigid panel between the storage compartments and the guitar compartment, the stuff in the pockets won't bounce against the guitar and damage it. That's a nice detail.


wdoHelC.jpg


The case is solid enough to stand on its side. It doesn’t need to lean against a wall. That’s a benefit of the solidity of construction.

B9gLmYd.jpg


The zippers are covered with fabric so rain doesn’t drip in. The pulls actually have an interlocking feature. If you look at the pulls on the left there are two circular structures. You can see on the right that these overlap, so a small padlock can be inserted if you have one.


YiquDmk.jpg


The compartment that holds the guitar has a rigid floor under the padding, and as previously mentioned, a rigid top to the compartment under the padding. Wherever the guitar touches the bag, it's padded. The fabric is very soft to the touch. I like the fact that it doesn’t have the rougher-material string protectors that always seem to be in the wrong spot in the bridge area in most bags. I’d rather protect the finish of the guitar than the bag, but for anyone concerned about the bag, I’d just put a microfiber cloth in place. Probably not something I’d bother with, YMMV. The neck rest is attached via a Velcro strip. It’s easily moved or removed, and its interior is a zippered storage compartment! In this pic there's a protective tape I forgot to remove from the logo on the neck rest. Sorry, it comes right off.


W2QrbA7.jpg


The bottom of the neck rest is also velcroed in place, and can be adjusted for a good fit.

There’s an electronic code tag in the handle area that someone finding the bag can scan to get it to the owner. There’s also an in-airport (or wherever) app to help locate the bag if baggage handlers can’t find it, or if a thief needs to be chased down by security. [Edit: there's a serial number and the code is scannable, but there isn't a homing device in the tag for an app.]

There’s very little side slack on my PRSes. Most of that tightens up when the bag is zipped up, and the beg holds the guitar in place very well. The neck rest is high enough to not let the headstock touch, though the tuning machines can. I’ll experiment with its placement but it seems like a good fit. For this shot I removed the protective film over the logos on the neck rest. The bag also has the film over the exterior logos on the bag. It comes right off with no residue.

vpRD0N3.jpg


The shoulder carry works as advertised. The strap is grippy enough to stay in place on the shoulder without slipping. The handle can also be grabbed when using the shoulder strap to lighten the strain on the shoulder if needed. You can also use the bag with another strap as a more traditional backpack bag. You have to buy the second strap. I wouldn’t need it.

Other things that should be mentioned:

The rubber running shoe stuff that you find on under the 'foot' on most bags isn't on this bag. the bottom is made of the same indestrictible ballistic nylon as the rest of the bag, but you might not want to set it down in a puddle. The bottom of the interior is well padded enough that I don't think it needs to look like a sneaker on the bottom. But for those with a concern, this bag might not be for you.

None of the bags I've seen have a leather wrapping for the handle. I'd like one.

The way the zippers are designed, the bag works either as a full length open, as shown in the pic, or you can use it as a vertical open bag.

The zippers are smooth and seem of good quality. The padding isn't overly thick but it's firm and I think it'll be plenty protective. It reminds me of the old USA made Reunion Blues bags in that respect, and they were great bags.

There you have my report. It's a very nice bag!
 
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It occurs to me that I forgot to answer the $50 question: Is it worth fifty bucks more than the Mono M80, Reunion Blues Continental and the Gator Icon, or $30 more than the Mono Vertigo?

I have no idea!

I'd say that might depend on the individual. For me, if I like the bag, especially given that my PS guitars are gonna be in it, $50 either way isn't a deal-breaker. The features are the deal-makers or deal-breakers.

The bag's features suit my needs a little better than the M80, mostly the side carry, the interior fabric and padding without roughly finished string protectors, and that it stands up by itself. It feels a little more rigid. Because of the teardrop shape, there's room on either side of the neck for straps, etc., that the M80 doesn't offer. I suppose that's great if you have too many socks, T-shirts and underpants stuffed into the inside pouches for travel, and have no room for your strap!

Nonetheless, I'd have been happy with the M80 or RB Continental if I hadn't found this one. They're great bags, too. I'd have put a microfiber cloth between the string protectors and the guitar to solve that small problem.

The vertical loading and unloading of the Mono Vertigo doesn't meet my needs.

I haven't seen the Gator Icon in person. Seems like a very nice bag based on the pics and online reviews I've watched. I know nothing about it more than that. I do like Gator's decision not to have string protectors above the guitar on the interior.
 
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My God, Les - not only is that bag built like the proverbial brick s##t house, but the accoutrements are well thought out. Worth whatever you paid. I don't need one currently in this life, but if I did, I'd buy that one.

And, as usual, your review was fully detailed, well-written and accompanied by great pics. What else would we expect, coming from you?
 
My God, Les - not only is that bag built like the proverbial brick s##t house, but the accoutrements are well thought out. Worth whatever you paid. I don't need one currently in this life, but if I did, I'd buy that one.

And, as usual, your review was fully detailed, well-written and accompanied by great pics. What else would we expect, coming from you?
Glad you liked the review! I always have fun doing these. :)
 
I forgot to mention that the bag works nicely with both the Singlecut and Double Cut models I have here.

There's one other thing the shoulder/side-carry of the bag makes easier: Doorways! Opening, closing and getting in and out of doorways is a LOT simpler.
 
Looks killer and great review, dare I say "Gruv-y"! Thanks for sharing all those details!! And the new DGT looks comfortable in there!!! On behalf of you back, thank you for buying this bag ;~))
I practiced with the McCarty Singlecut for a while just now. It's pretty heavy, and in the wood case it's a real chore getting up and down the stairs. Today, easy-breezy.

Even ten pounds lighter makes things so much better.

Thanks for putting in a good word on behalf of my back! ;)
 
The bag arrived, and I'm delighted to see that it has everything I was hoping it'd have, and nothing I don't care for.

It feels very high quality, solid and rugged. According to the spec sheets, at 8.1 pounds it's lighter than the Gator Icon by a pound and a half, and 2.5 pounds heavier than the Mono M80. Compared to my 18 pound hard cases, it still feels like a featherweight.

It's more rigid than the Mono bag, and that's probably where the weight differential comes into play. There are a few benefits to this that I'll get to in a few moments.

The outside of the bag is the 1680 denier ballistic nylon found on good luggage. There's a fairly large vinyl trim panel in the middle of the bag on both sides that's made to look like carbon fiber. It feels like it will hold up.

EDIT: I just realized that these vinyl pieces keep the rougher exterior of the ballistic nylon shell from abrading one's clothing while side-carrying. so they serve a purpose that's more than decorative.

I was worried about the possible cheese factor with these panels, but the bag looks much nicer in person than it does in the B&W photos I saw on the Gruv Gear website and places where the bag is sold.

There are two zippered compartments that are padded top and bottom. The top compartment has 3 large pockets, a couple of smaller elastic mesh pockets, and a strip of 8 catch-all loops that individual items can be attached to. The pockets are a nice, woven fabric of some kind that feels smooth. The bottom of this compartment is reinforced with something rigid, and it's padded on both sides. Because of the rigid panel between the storage compartments and the guitar compartment, the stuff in the pockets won't bounce against the guitar and damage it. That's a nice detail.


wdoHelC.jpg


The case is solid enough to stand on its side. It doesn’t need to lean against a wall. That’s a benefit of the solidity of construction.

B9gLmYd.jpg


The zippers are covered with fabric so rain doesn’t drip in. The pulls actually have an interlocking feature. If you look at the pulls on the left there are two circular structures. You can see on the right that these overlap, so a small padlock can be inserted if you have one.


YiquDmk.jpg


The compartment that holds the guitar has a rigid floor under the padding, and as previously mentioned, a rigid top to the compartment under the padding. Wherever the guitar touches the bag, it's padded. The fabric is very soft to the touch. I like the fact that it doesn’t have the rougher-material string protectors that always seem to be in the wrong spot in the bridge area in most bags. I’d rather protect the finish of the guitar than the bag, but for anyone concerned about the bag, I’d just put a microfiber cloth in place. Probably not something I’d bother with, YMMV. The neck rest is attached via a Velcro strip. It’s easily moved or removed, and its interior is a zippered storage compartment! In this pic there's a protective tape I forgot to remove from the logo on the neck rest. Sorry, it comes right off.


W2QrbA7.jpg


The bottom of the neck rest is also velcroed in place, and can be adjusted for a good fit.

There’s an electronic code tag in the handle area that someone finding the bag can scan to get it to the owner. There’s also an in-airport (or wherever) app to help locate the bag if baggage handlers can’t find it, or if a thief needs to be chased down by security.

There’s very little side slack on my PRSes. Most of that tightens up when the bag is zipped up, and the beg holds the guitar in place very well. The neck rest is high enough to not let the headstock touch, though the tuning machines can. I’ll experiment with its placement but it seems like a good fit. For this shot I removed the protective film over the logos on the neck rest. The bag also has the film over the exterior logos on the bag. It comes right off with no residue.

vpRD0N3.jpg


The shoulder carry works as advertised. The strap is grippy enough to stay in place on the shoulder without slipping. The handle can also be grabbed when using the shoulder strap to lighten the strain on the shoulder if needed. You can also use the bag with another strap as a more traditional backpack bag. You have to buy the second strap. I wouldn’t need it.

Other things that should be mentioned:

The rubber running shoe stuff that you find on under the 'foot' on most bags isn't on this bag. the bottom is made of the same indestrictible ballistic nylon as the rest of the bag, but you might not want to set it down in a puddle. The bottom of the interior is well padded enough that I don't think it needs to look like a sneaker on the bottom. But for those with a concern, this bag might not be for you.

None of the bags I've seen have a leather wrapping for the handle. I'd like one.

The way the zippers are designed, the bag works either as a full length open, as shown in the pic, or you can use it as a vertical open bag.

The zippers are smooth and seem of good quality. The padding isn't overly thick but it's firm and I think it'll be plenty protective. It reminds me of the old USA made Reunion Blues bags in that respect, and they were great bags.

There you have my report. It's a very nice bag!
Very nice! Though I don’t see the bag at all in the last pic :)
 
I know you got a hard case the other day
I know your ruptured disk ain't goin' away,

And baby, you could never stand a single ding
But your back buckles with the weight of the wood (yeah)
Stop draggin' that
Stop draggin' that (stop)
Stop draggin' that case around, yeah...


I stopped draggin' that case around. I'm already using the new bag with my PS and Wood Library guitars. It feels...what's the word....it's right on the tip of my tongue...oh yeah...it feels...free

Feel when I carry you
We move easily
You, you're all I want to schlep

I feel free
I feel free
I feel free
 
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I decided to seriously test how protective the bag is. But how? So I got all inspired, took a flyer, and jumped in front of a bus while carrying it.

I have no idea what happened to the guitar. But I know what happened to me.

This post is from The Great Beyond. It's pretty nice here, if you enjoy a hot climate. Even if it smells a lot like Gary, Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana....Oh, wait, here's a person in a red costume wearing horns. That's the style for the people who work here.

"Here's an accordion, Laz, you must play it for eternity! Bwahahahaha!"

"How did you know I love playing the accordion?"

"I didn't. But I'm glad you told me, because now I'm going to give you a guitar in a hard case to drag through Detroit Metropolitan Airport for all eternity. Bwahahahahaha!!"

"Pfffft! I'm from Detroit. Every trip through Detroit Metropolitan Airport is an eternity. This is just like my vacations. Bwahahahaha!" ;)
 
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The bag arrived, and I'm delighted to see that it has everything I was hoping it'd have, and nothing I don't care for.

It feels very high quality, solid and rugged. According to the spec sheets, at 8.1 pounds it's lighter than the Gator Icon by a pound and a half, and 2.5 pounds heavier than the Mono M80. Compared to my 18 pound hard cases, it still feels like a featherweight.

It's more rigid than the Mono bag, and that's probably where the weight differential comes into play. There are a few benefits to this that I'll get to in a few moments.

The outside of the bag is the 1680 denier ballistic nylon found on good luggage. There's a fairly large vinyl trim panel in the middle of the bag on both sides that's made to look like carbon fiber. It feels like it will hold up.

EDIT: I just realized that these vinyl pieces keep the rougher exterior of the ballistic nylon shell from abrading one's clothing while side-carrying. so they serve a purpose that's more than decorative.

I was worried about the possible cheese factor with these panels, but the bag looks much nicer in person than it does in the B&W photos I saw on the Gruv Gear website and places where the bag is sold.

There are two zippered compartments that are padded top and bottom. The top compartment has 3 large pockets, a couple of smaller elastic mesh pockets, and a strip of 8 catch-all loops that individual items can be attached to. The pockets are a nice, woven fabric of some kind that feels smooth. The bottom of this compartment is reinforced with something rigid, and it's padded on both sides. Because of the rigid panel between the storage compartments and the guitar compartment, the stuff in the pockets won't bounce against the guitar and damage it. That's a nice detail.


wdoHelC.jpg


The case is solid enough to stand on its side. It doesn’t need to lean against a wall. That’s a benefit of the solidity of construction.

B9gLmYd.jpg


The zippers are covered with fabric so rain doesn’t drip in. The pulls actually have an interlocking feature. If you look at the pulls on the left there are two circular structures. You can see on the right that these overlap, so a small padlock can be inserted if you have one.


YiquDmk.jpg


The compartment that holds the guitar has a rigid floor under the padding, and as previously mentioned, a rigid top to the compartment under the padding. Wherever the guitar touches the bag, it's padded. The fabric is very soft to the touch. I like the fact that it doesn’t have the rougher-material string protectors that always seem to be in the wrong spot in the bridge area in most bags. I’d rather protect the finish of the guitar than the bag, but for anyone concerned about the bag, I’d just put a microfiber cloth in place. Probably not something I’d bother with, YMMV. The neck rest is attached via a Velcro strip. It’s easily moved or removed, and its interior is a zippered storage compartment! In this pic there's a protective tape I forgot to remove from the logo on the neck rest. Sorry, it comes right off.


W2QrbA7.jpg


The bottom of the neck rest is also velcroed in place, and can be adjusted for a good fit.

There’s an electronic code tag in the handle area that someone finding the bag can scan to get it to the owner. There’s also an in-airport (or wherever) app to help locate the bag if baggage handlers can’t find it, or if a thief needs to be chased down by security.

There’s very little side slack on my PRSes. Most of that tightens up when the bag is zipped up, and the beg holds the guitar in place very well. The neck rest is high enough to not let the headstock touch, though the tuning machines can. I’ll experiment with its placement but it seems like a good fit. For this shot I removed the protective film over the logos on the neck rest. The bag also has the film over the exterior logos on the bag. It comes right off with no residue.

vpRD0N3.jpg


The shoulder carry works as advertised. The strap is grippy enough to stay in place on the shoulder without slipping. The handle can also be grabbed when using the shoulder strap to lighten the strain on the shoulder if needed. You can also use the bag with another strap as a more traditional backpack bag. You have to buy the second strap. I wouldn’t need it.

Other things that should be mentioned:

The rubber running shoe stuff that you find on under the 'foot' on most bags isn't on this bag. the bottom is made of the same indestrictible ballistic nylon as the rest of the bag, but you might not want to set it down in a puddle. The bottom of the interior is well padded enough that I don't think it needs to look like a sneaker on the bottom. But for those with a concern, this bag might not be for you.

None of the bags I've seen have a leather wrapping for the handle. I'd like one.

The way the zippers are designed, the bag works either as a full length open, as shown in the pic, or you can use it as a vertical open bag.

The zippers are smooth and seem of good quality. The padding isn't overly thick but it's firm and I think it'll be plenty protective. It reminds me of the old USA made Reunion Blues bags in that respect, and they were great bags.

There you have my report. It's a very nice bag!
Thanks Les! Thanks for such a comprehensive rant…. I mean review ;)

Seriously much appreciated. I may look into this product in the near future myself. I would definitely want something much lighter to go in and out of the house with other than my hard cases.

Your DGT looks amazing and it!!!

Rock on, brother
 
I really like the neck support. It looks more substantial methane other cases I’ve used. Excellent review!
The support is made of a fabric covered molded material that's fairly hard, but it'll flex a little. I like that it's longer than most of the other bags' neck supports.

Because it's velcro'd in place, the support can be adjusted toward the body of the guitar or toward the headstock to accommodate the instrument, a two second adjustment. Whether I'll actually make use of its zippered storage compartment feature, I have no idea. Seems like it might be a good place to store those small tools that come with guitars so they don't get misplaced.

Gruv also suggests that the neck support can be removed to work on the guitar, which seems obvious in retrospect, but it probably wouldn't have occurred to me!
 
I practiced with the McCarty Singlecut for a while just now. It's pretty heavy, and in the wood case it's a real chore getting up and down the stairs. Today, easy-breezy.

Even ten pounds lighter makes things so much better.

Thanks for putting in a good word on behalf of my back! ;)
So you bought a big bag to take a guitar downstairs in.
I wonder if I should get one for each floor.
 
One more thought: Air travel is a big issue for me. I've given it some thought since getting the bag.

Would I fly with this (or any) bag? I've flown to sessions with a gig bag in earlier times, but lately the overhead bins are stuffed with heavy luggage.

The Gig Blade seems as sturdy as similar bags, but I'd be VERY unhappy if I had to check any gig bag as airline baggage. I'd need to be sedated!

If traveling to an important session by air, I'd opt for a Calton or similar, something I wouldn't have to worry about if it had to be checked at the gate, but that would still have a chance at fitting into the overhead bin.

I wouldn't want to check a wood or lightweight injection molded case, either. It can take a long time to find a guitar that's as good as the ones I have if I had to replace one.
 
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