Drum soft cases

[Music72]

Hi all !
Can anyone recommend any drum soft cases brands that are decent and affordable ?
I now Protection Racket is good but they are a little more pricey.......

Thanks !!

[js218]

Ahead Cases, I have a 7 piece kit plus 2 extra snares so 9 cases ran me $325.


Jim

[drummerMD]

I have both brands and more, to me the best bags out there are BEATO bags they are really made well. Very decent prices I might ad.IMHO. (they also make custom bags).

[slinglander]

I have the Beatos with the cymbal pockets built in to the top flap, so I can carry cymbals without a cymbal case + the cymbals protect the top of the drums from punctures. Great bags.

[markthechuck]

i used to use the Gator ones, cheap and cheerful but they did the job, had to move to hardcase cases as we got more and more gig as i didn't want to take any chances with them getting damaged.

cheers mark

[marko138]

Presumably, you want the cases to protect your drum investment, right? I'd save a little more and get high quality cases. Hard cases are my preference, especially if anyone else is helping you load in or load out?.

Not sure where you're from, but if you're in the USA I'd keep a hard eye on craigslist for used hard cases or Amazon for deals.

I like Humes & Berg Enduro. Top notch protection. And the deals I found on them didn't break the bank at all. I got enough for my 4 piece kit for under 200 bucks.

[Cdeleone]

I have a Beato bass drum bag and it's a piece of garbage. My Body Glove bass drum bag that I picked up at a pawn shop for $15 is awesome...who would have thought they made drum bags? I have several Road Runner and Gator bags. I'd go with Gator. Unless you're packing in a van and hitting the road with the rest of the bands gear (in that case, I'd recommend hard cases) - using Gator bags are totally fine.

[Bish]

I like Humes & Berg Enduro. Top notch protection. And the deals I found on them didn't break the bank at all. I got enough for my 4 piece kit for under 200 bucks.

I've used this brand previously. When I sold the drums they carried I included the bags since they were those specific sizes but I did keep the snare bag. It's over 10 years old, has seen many years and miles and still looks brand new. It's been protecting my 15 year old Mapex Black Panther Snare.

[BigFatDrummer]

This is an area where scrimping really doesn't pay. Sure, look out for good used deals but you do need to buy quality for it to do it's job.

I've used Protection Racket from day one as I only ever pack my own gear into my own vehicle. I would use Hardcase otherwise as I currently do for my cymbals.

I've heard really good things about the Ahead range and the top of the line Protection Racket provide the benefits of a hardcase in a softbag - Pink Floyds Nick Mason has been known to use these on tour!

[SpazApproved]

We had some Gators at my music store they seemed nice.
I personally could never run soft cases. They are just padded dust covers.

[EyePea]

SKB Soft Cases are very good.

[Music72]

Thanks everyone so far for the great feedback and experience. I agree cheaping out is not an option, especially when it's for a Ludwig Legacy Green Sparkle John Bonham spec drum kit!

[gdmoore28]

I never had any faith in soft drum cases when it came to protecting the shell against errant pointy things or dropping or crushing. If you are fortunate enough to have well-meaning help in loading/unloading your drums (as I usually do - thanks guys!), then you've experienced having speaker enclosures and lighting cases stacked atop your floor tom. That's why I bit the bullet and bought SKB hard cases many years ago, and they have been the life of my drums. Even if you have to sacrifice to do it, buy hard cases and sleep well at night.

GeeDeeEmm

[marko138]

We had some Gators at my music store they seemed nice.
I personally could never run soft cases. They are just padded dust covers.

Exactly. Total waste of money, IMO.

[Bish]

I'm kinda partial to these bad boys.

[VIbes]

There is a relatively new brand of drum bags called RoadRunner. I just bought one for. 10"x14" tom and they blow the H&b Galaxy, Gator, of which I have many,and protection rackets away. Glow in the dark rubber size indicators, nice sturdy bags. Not super expensive.

[N2Bluz]

I have Gator bags and a few Roadrunner bags for snares. Both brands work well and have held up for several years of moderate gigging. I would prefer to have hard cases (for obvious reasons), but the bags offer one nice advantage; when I'm done setting up, I can put all the bags in the bass drum bag, zip it shut and compress it almost flat. That makes it easy to slide under the pool table or stick in a corner behind stage. Finding places to store our equipment cases during a gig is always a problem. It's a lot nicer to have them close by when it's time to pack up.

[Bish]

Mine will nest inside the next largest and when I'm done setting up I have a bass drum case, (the others are inside) and a trap case that doubles as my table by putting it on end.

Put the bass drum ( collection ) in a corner and the rest of the band will lay their amp covers and other soft bags on it. Our floor space is set up pretty efficiently.

[crispycritters]

I have a 'set' of mixed soft cases. They are - Stagg 22x18, Ritter 18X16, Drum Sacks 14x14, Ritter 13x11, Stagg 12x10, Protection Racket 10x9 and a Guvnor 14x6.5.

They all work perfectly and I can sort through them and use the appropriate ones for whichever drums I want to transport. I have complete trust in them if I load them myself into my own vehicle with no other equipment, if it came to using them in a 'band' vehicle, forget it (with the exception of my single protection racket case) you may as well wrap your gear in old towels and bed linen.

I'm gradually putting together a similar set of (used) hard cases, personally I have no brand preference as the ones I have seen all seem good.

[Music72]

I'm kinda partial to these bad boys.

What brand are these hard cases ??

[Music72]

What brand are your hard cases ??

[jedi]

If you lug your own stuff , as I do , bags will do just fine . However if it goes in a trailer or a big truck with other people's stuff then you may want to go with the heavy duty top of the line bags or harde cases .
Playing four nights a week here locally I find that the bags work better , for me , because some of the paces are small and there is no room for the cases inside the club . And sometimes I have to climb stairs ! The bags weigh less but offer me enough protection that I sleep real well at night .
I have three sets of the Road Runner bags and a set of DW padded vinyl bags that the guy at GC threw in when I bought my Yamahas . And a set of the Gator bags . Nice bags . And I also have a set of SKB hard cases for when I have to hit the road . I also use the Ahead OGEO hardware bags ( 4 of them) .
Got to protect your gear ....

[pcs90]

I have a mix of bags from Beato, Stage One and Liberty I. All have worked great. All the drum bags I have with the exception of the Liberty I (Deluxe Snare Bag) have a separate pocket on top for cymbals or other things. The Liberty I snare bag is great because it stays stiff even if no drums are in it, whereas some of the other bags will sort of fold down.

[nubdrummer]

I have all SKB soft cases which are fine for me since we only play out about once a month and I load and transport my own gear. I do have a Gator hard case for my cymbals because they need more protection and are worth more than my drums (as is usually the case). I also picked up a used SKB golf club flight case which I use for my hardware. It's easier to move because it has wheels, even though it's heavier than my soft hardware case, which is now used for mic stands.

[slinky]

Just a word of caution with bass drum bags. If your bass drum has T handle tension rods or spiked spurs or both like mine do then it's going to be a chore getting it in and out. Also run the risk of ripping through the nylon inside like I did. Not knocking bags but if you move your drums regularly hard shell would be better.

covering drums - soft cases

covering n protecting drums - hard cases