Local old-time sessions have been canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and I suspect festivals will start feeling the effects soon as we move toward summer. For instance, organizers have recently announced that the John Hartford Memorial Festival has been postponed until September. My local festivals don't start rolling along until July, so hopefully they'll still be able to continue. Chances are I won't be hauling my banjo anywhere soon.
However, I did get chance the last two months to test my new Boulder Alpine gig bag. I lugged my banjo to the Lake Erie Folk Festival in February and to a local jam at the beginning of March before Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine closed local businesses and issued a stay-at-home order. Now, the only place I take my banjo is to my front porch. And I don't need a gig bag for that.
In my two experiences using it, however, I was very pleased with the results. The Boulder Alpine gig bag is lightweight and comfortable to carry. There are a series of storage areas on the flat section that covers the banjo head that are perfect for collecting fliers, holding accessories like picks and capos, and tools like a bracket wrench and screwdriver for emergency adjustments.
The padding seems sturdy enough, although I do wish there were more support for the neck. The outer material is nice and stiff, so I don't worry about anything possibly puncturing the gig bag.
The backpack straps are very comfortable to carry, and frees up an arm for shaking hands (pre-virus, of course) or holding a beverage. My only issue with the backpack straps is that it really feels like a backpack.
I'm used to whipping the backpack I use for carrying work stuff off my shoulder an into the car or onto the floor, and that's not a good thing to do with a banjo. More than a couple times, I've had stop myself mid-whip to avoid tossing the gig bag into the backseat of the car.
I mean, I guess it would be a good test of the padding ... maybe not.
My only other gripe is that there's not good place to store a water bottle. There is a mesh pocket that seems like it's meant to carry one, but it's placed a the curve from the neck to the pot, which didn't work well for my needs.
Overall, the Boulder Alpine banjo gig bag works as anticipanted. There are a couple shortcomings, but not enough for me not to recommend it to my fellow banjo fiends. If you have any specific questions about this product, please let me know in the comments. I'll try to answer them the best I can.
[Editor's note: This was a gift from my parents, so I am not beholden in any way to the manufacturer. These opinions are my own.]
In my two experiences using it, however, I was very pleased with the results. The Boulder Alpine gig bag is lightweight and comfortable to carry. There are a series of storage areas on the flat section that covers the banjo head that are perfect for collecting fliers, holding accessories like picks and capos, and tools like a bracket wrench and screwdriver for emergency adjustments.
The padding seems sturdy enough, although I do wish there were more support for the neck. The outer material is nice and stiff, so I don't worry about anything possibly puncturing the gig bag.
I'm used to whipping the backpack I use for carrying work stuff off my shoulder an into the car or onto the floor, and that's not a good thing to do with a banjo. More than a couple times, I've had stop myself mid-whip to avoid tossing the gig bag into the backseat of the car.
I mean, I guess it would be a good test of the padding ... maybe not.
My only other gripe is that there's not good place to store a water bottle. There is a mesh pocket that seems like it's meant to carry one, but it's placed a the curve from the neck to the pot, which didn't work well for my needs.
Overall, the Boulder Alpine banjo gig bag works as anticipanted. There are a couple shortcomings, but not enough for me not to recommend it to my fellow banjo fiends. If you have any specific questions about this product, please let me know in the comments. I'll try to answer them the best I can.
[Editor's note: This was a gift from my parents, so I am not beholden in any way to the manufacturer. These opinions are my own.]
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