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Banjo-Related Holiday Gift: Boulder Alpine Gig Bag

Something happened when I started playing fiddle. I stopped taking my banjo to jams and festivals. The rare occasions when I would lug both instruments somewhere, the unwieldiness of the two handheld, hard-shell cases was overwhelming. I needed a new solution.

Granted, when I first got my current banjo, my wonderful wife offered to make me a well-padded gig bag as a present, but I snobbishly declined. I didn't trust the protective qualities of a soft-sided case. And yet, here I am today touting my new forest green Boulder Alpine Deluxe gig bag from Saga Music.

My wife, rightfully, gave me the side-eye when I opened the gift over the holidays. She threw in a couple choice words for good measure. I admit it: I was an ass when I said no to her offer 10 years ago.

That said, I'm excited to have this gig bag. I know a bunch of banjo players who use them, and they receive strong reviews. I hope to add mine to the list after a thorough testing.

The features I like most are its backpack style straps, light weight and plentiful storage. I'm still a bit leery about its sturdiness, and I wish there were some support for the neck and peghead. I'm looking forward to toting my banjo and fiddle to my next jam or festival.

I got the resonator size because of the deep, 12-inch rim on my banjo. However, I have seen some reviews that say a 12-inch rim will fit in the open back version of this gig bag.

The sad thing is I've accumulated quite the sticker collection on my old case. I'm going to have to find some patches or something to jazz up this new addition.

Do you have a Boulder Alpine gig bag? How do you like it? What are your thoughts on hard-shell case vs. gig bags?
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Comments

  1. ChicagoGenealogyJanuary 21, 2020 at 9:53 AM

    Great choice! I bought the same gig bag and it served me well until I passed it on to my daughter. It even survived a vigorous machine wash after a run-in with a family member’s cat. If I were buying another, I’d add an iron-on patch to protect string ends from catching the lining because I’d expect to use it for a very long time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. B. KramerJanuary 21, 2020 at 4:11 PM

      Thanks for the testimonial. I"m looking forward to putting this gig bag through its paces this year.

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