Topic: Cymbal Bags and Cases

[DR]

I've been reading some on-line reviews of cymbal bags and cases.  I'd like to know what DrummerCafe members use to protect cymbals while going around town?  Bag?  Hard case?  Other?  Please share your opinions and suggestions.  Thanks.

[Dave Heim]

I've been reading some on-line reviews of cymbal bags and cases.  I'd like to know what DrummerCafe members use to protect cymbals while going around town?  Bag?  Hard case?  Other?  Please share your opinions and suggestions.  Thanks.

I use an old (mid 1970s)  Reunion Blues leather cymbal bag for most gigs.  It has plenty of padding, it's roomy, and it has held up for years and years.  They make quality stuff.  Mine is pretty scuffed up with lots of character after all these years.

I have an inexpensive Zildjian cymbal bag for gigs that call for a small drum set and a small number of cymbals.  I also have an old Humes & Berg hard fiber cymbal case with a center post for travel.

[Bob Dias]

I use an SKB cymbal hardcase. Best out there I have seen.  I usually roll with 2 rides, 3 crashes, hats and a 22" china in mine. I wouldn't want to carry them (the full gig compliment) around any other way.
Cheers, Bob

[Chip Donaho]

I've got an old Zildjian bag. A Humes and Berg case, plus an SKB case. The SKB is the best choice for me. 

[Don Elkington]

Roadrunner rolling case

[Gregg Rivers]

I bought a Sabian bag with my cymbal set years ago. It's held up very well. It's also protected my cymbals well and takes up less space than a hard case. I am careful to not stack things on the cymbal bag however. The bag goes on top of everything else!

[David Aldridge]

SKB Cymbal Vault FTW!

[Todd Norris]

I have a Precision Instruments bag.  It's basically a "generic" bag, but has strong handles, nylon outer and thick dividers.  It serves me well. 

[Jon E]

I have some store brand cymbal bag (Sam Ash I think) that I carry from gig to gig--Ride, 2 cr. 2 sp. HH.  I've had it 8 years now and it's still going strong.

I also have a Zildjian Cymbal Safe.  I hate it.  I keep my currently unused cymbals in it.  I added some straps so the the thing wouldn't bend and flex open and stuff. ymmv

[Mark Schlipper]

I also have a Zildjian Cymbal Safe.  And not only was it annoyingly flexy as Jon mentioned, but I found that generally having two nuts to remove to open it was just too slow and impractical (not to mention the risk of losing one) for gigging.   So now it holds the larger pies in my collection at home (anything 14" and under is in a shallow SKB snare case). 

For gigging I have two:

One tan codura bag, whos make I don't recall (I got it from Interstate a while back), but which has ample padding, red velvet dividers, and an outside hat pocket that I keep the Istanbul set in. 

One Protection Racket bag with ample padding, white wooley dividers, and an outside hat pocket, for the Bosphorus set.

I'd recommend both, especially if I can recall the name of the tan one

One big thing for me was the outside hat pocket.  Honestly I rarely use hats so it rarely matters.  But when I do, I feel like having bells lineup in a case makes everything MUCH safer from impact than if they weren't. 

[lopan]

I use a Protection Racket bag. I like that it's durable, light weight, well padded and has a zippered closure. There is a 14" padded side pocket for hats, but it's very tight if you use 14" hats. 

[Todd Norris]

If I ever get a jazz gig (hey, crazier things have happened!), then I'll need a bag to hold my 24" Agop Signature.  Won't transport that without protection!

[Jon E]

I also have a good old fashioned trap case with the slot down the side for cymbal.  My "lesser" cymbals go in there--relatively UNprotected--if I am doing a "junk" gig.

[Donald Mcnany (boomerweps)]

Whatever the carry method, cymbals really need dividers to avoid unnecessary scratching. I use a 22" early model HardCase brand cymbal case. Center post type. The bottom cymbal catches on the plastic molding holding the center post. Works well enough but nothing great for or against. I use sheets of thin packing foam as cymbal dividers in that. Got a 20" Zildgian bag given to me, dusty and unused from a drum shop. Nice, easy to carry but no dividers or hat pocket. I use that for minimalist gigs and to haul practice cymbals. I picked up the cheapest bag MF sold on sale for storing my 22" & extras. Does have a large hat pocket at least. Only $20 so no excuse for those starting out not to have a bag for their cymbals ;>)

Getting decent cymbal protection is worth a litle extra $$. It makes your gigs a lot more stress free. Face it, quality cymbals that you like and work well togther are like gold. Not cheap, not easy to replace, somewhat heavy, and easy to scratch up.

Boomerweps

[Jim Martin (cavanman)]

I have a Protection Racket cymbal bag as well. Nice enough that I've followed up and bought PR snare and hardware bags. They make good bags.

Jim

[DR]

Thanks for all of the replies so far.  Very helpful stuff.

[Christopher]

I've had a DrumSlinger bag for... I don't even know how long. More than 15 years... it's gotta be.

Still works / looks great.

Outside pocket for my stick bag is great. Leather bottom. Good stuff.

http://www.toughtraveler.com/ttds.asp

[DR]

I also have a Zildjian Cymbal Safe.  And not only was it annoyingly flexy as Jon mentioned, but I found that generally having two nuts to remove to open it was just too slow and impractical (not to mention the risk of losing one) for gigging.   

Me, also. 

[Thunderbird]

I'm also in the market for a new cymbal bag... after several years of hard use, my Protection Racket finally wore through the bottom.  Leaving it resting on a very hot light during a show didn't help ... it's now a burnt molten plastic holey mess...

I'm half tempted to get the same bag again - I like that you can slide the cymbals straight into their individual slots, zip the zipper, and throw it over your shoulder for a really quick carefree loadout.

Subsequently what puts me off some of the other higher end cases is the centre-thread malarky.... put a cymbal on , place a protector on, cymbal, protector, cymbal, protector, and screw on the holding nut.  Seems like a faff - especially in the context of a dimly lit corner of some basement club.

Any thoughts? Any other products out there I should know about?

Advice appreciated.

[MOUSE]

My first worst drum roll was watching a singer drop my snare at the top of a flight of stairs, down it went ,bounce bounce. Dented badly it never tuned up again.
Since then i have been protective of loading and unloading my gear. It was also that very day i nearly starved because i went out and bought some decent cases for all my gear.

I use Ragone and Hygrade ( Australian ) hard vynal type cases with easy attach straps.

Best investment ever, my drums and cymbals have now since done some miles over the 30 years and kit and cymbals look like new.

I got tom cases a size up and glued soft foam to inside them,snare case to bottom/top and sides,and in the cymbal case lid with a piece of carpet on the floor. These help take up any slack and stops movement inside the cases during transit.
China goes on top of cymbals from big to small, and i'll always stack closed case so top is topmost, and nothing heavy goes onto it, or stack it sideways where it won't get squashed by speakers etc.
Also with cymbals i have a very light towel which i flip flop layer between each cymbal.

Also helpful the fact i load the van, and the drums always go on top 

Pedantically protective of me, but there a few grands worth in there.