cases - the best / what to look for

[congabebe]

I made my cases. It was a pain but they look great just not very easy to deal with. And they have turned out to be not what I wanted. I should have just bought some. I designed them for the conga to sit with the head up and I am actually having to use them upside down cause the padding is better on the bottom. This means that the head is on the floor when they are standing and when I use a dolley to transport them. Is this going to ruin my congas? I saw the Giovanni cases are designed that way. I want to get the LP soft cases on wheels but I have not found a music store that has them locally and I want to see them and how the conga fits in before I purchase them.

Anybody have any advise ?

Thanks,
Congabebe

[REQUINTOFUNK]

you can order them from any guitar center near you.you can also order them online from http://www.guitarcenter.com.the design of the giovanni signature bags are probably the best i've seen yet. cause when you are done after a long gig,you just lay them down instead of lifting them up and having to hold the bag with one hand and th rest is history

[JohnnyConga]

The cases I use for my congas are just called "hardcases' they are durable "hard rubber" type that is flexiable and has a foam cover to it inside to protect the head.. It also has wheels for rolling and an adjustable strap that closes it down. The LP cases are to cumbersome and oversized with those wheels they put on them, and the shape of the case. Also chek with your local drumm store and see what catalog he has that carry or make "conga cases"..At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA.....

[benbaboon]

drumworld.com has good deals on lp bags, and they can order items their online catalog was not yet updated to reflect.
-bb

[congabebe]

To Anyone shopping.

Here is my review on Giovanni Bags.
I just got my tumba and I got a Giovanni bag. I like the way the zipper runs from head to foot of the drum. I can slide this over the conga on the stand when they are not being played. The bag is padded well. But the shoulder strap is ackward. The metal rings on the ends attaching to the end of the cases are not on the edge. One is in the middle and the other is on the edge. This means it will shift over and move once you have it on your shoulder. Works great on a dolly. But carrying them is ackward. It was easy to load the conga in and out of the bag. And the price was lower than the others I looked at. I think that hard cases with the wheels are still probably the best way to go, but I am pleased with my new bag. Meets my budget.

Congabebe

[carlitos]

I just got two humes and tuxedo bags off ebay and they seem to be well made but they are designed for the drums to be up side down. Is that right?
Carlitos

[congabebe]

Humes and Berg look alot like the Giovanni bags. I think they are meant to stand on the head. I know the Giovanni bags are. I still like mine. I had problems with the zippers and getting my Tumba stuffed into them. It seems that the bad is supposed to be one size fits all but they definitely aren't the same. To cure the zipper problems, I took a bar of soap and scraped it up and down the zipper while it was closed then gently moved the zipper up and down. The first time I tried to zip them up the teeth got off track/match and left a hole, so when I got it backed down and rezipped after the soap was applied they did better and has not done that again.
I think the Humes and Berg are better made from what I can tell, but they expensive.

Good Luck,
Congabebe

[Mike]

I´ve got the ROCKBAG Congabags, and they weren´t pricy. Plus they are quite durable and OK with two handles and a strap.

[KingKongas]

I've got 3 Gio-series congas and 3 Gio-style bags. Zippering them up from the bottom is a pain especially for the tumba which is a tight fit. Shouldering them is a pain. The adjustable length buckle are made of plastic and one has broken in half on me leaving quite a sharp piece. Be careful. I bought some very inexpensive luggage racks with wheels which are foldable and have a bungee cord to strap down my bags. For the budget... this works for me! I can now easily move my drums in/out of the car with the racks attached to the drums, set them down and roll them 2 at a time very easily. I know the bags arent waterproof but... one nite it was raining pretty good and not only were they getting wet but one actually toppled over and fell into a puddle. I was surprised to see that once I got into my percussion class the drums were dry and had no scars on them from the fall.

Just my experience...

[120decibels]

I use LP quilted conga bags. They are a pain because you have to lift the drums into them and the have a tendency to fall over as you try to put the drums in them. However, I like the bags for thier protection, closure (like an army duffle bag), and utility. If I had to buy again, I'd probably try something else, but these bags feel like they'll last for many years, so I'm not going to worry about it.

I got the bags from Steve Weiss music in Willow Grove, PA. For those of you not familair with Steve Weiss Music, they are probably the foremost percussion retailer. They sell everything from Timpani and Marimbas to guiro scrapers. They also have an incredible selection of sheet and recorded music. They're prices are also very good.

http://www.steveweissmusic.com

The web site is bad, but you can order thier catalog. I ordered a high hat stand from them once in an emergency at 4PM in the afternoon and they got it to me by 10AM the next day with no extra shipping cost. They made a customer for life.

Zach

[congabebe]

Thanks for sharing your troubles on the shoulder strap. I figured the strap was unreliable. I have been trusting it too much. My trouble is people always want to help and they can be angels, however, if they drop it or stumble and hurt themselves it could get very awkward. I have a guitar player in the band that loves to help. He is very energetic and he is legally blind, so he can't see things like there are 2 straps to carry the conga bag with. He grabbed my homemade bags by one strap luckly, he didn't have the full weight of the drum by the strap when he did it or it would have been a disaster. His hears heard the ripping of the strap coming off the vinyl and he put it down and looked closer. He felt terrible, so He has been more careful since then, but it only goes to show you need good cases. So, I got the Giovanni bags and retired my homemade ones. I may have to do some engineering on that strap. My complaint was the metal ring that is anchored to the bag is not heavy enough and looks like it will tear, and the half circle metal ring is for ever bunching the loop of fabric that attaches it to the bag. That means all the weight draws to one point of the metal ring and it could rip or slide off or bend.... I don't know if that makes since, but if I take the strap off, the handles are fine and a dolley works great in moving them. I love using my shoulder to carry it, but I may have to use handles and a dolley just to avoid that problem.

thanks,
Congabebe

[DaBid_Son]

Hola Folks,

Thought I'd try to get in on this topic and tell you about my conga cases. First off I must say to Congabebe that I think its great you took a swing at making your own cases. It shows true resourcefulness in a time of need and I'm sure if you were to do it again you would improve on your design. I don't know,.... you may have something going there!

I know it might be hard for any of us to obtain these, due to living state side that is, but I thought this info would be worth mentioning. Last July I was in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Specificaly to attend their Merengue Festival (but thats another story). A good Friend of mine(a percussionist) showed me around and took me to some of his gigs. Well I noticed his cases and just had to have a pair. They are awesome!! Hand made by a gentleman dedicated to making cases for musical instruments. I will try to describe them to you: First off they stand upright! and are quite stable in this way. The base is stiff and on the outside/underside there are 4 small feet that aid in stability. In addition to this stiff base, on the inside is a second stiff insert(removeable) that is padded on the top(the side the conga base would sit on). The material used is similar to that of the LP cases(heavy nylon/cordura? and many colors to choose from, mine are dark forest green). How ever the construction is quite different. The sides/pieces of the cases are cut to the shape of staves! That is, thinner at the bottom and top and widder at the point where the congas are widdest. They actually have the contour of a conga!(Nice). Oh, and did I tell you they have 1 1/4 inches of heavy padding! One single heavy duty zipper zips across the top(over the head) and completely down the side. Of course both have a small outside zippered pouch. As for carrying them, there are several ways to do so. There are two handles at the widder part of the case on either side of the zipper(typical). There is a third single handle at the top of the bag that make its easy to lift when the case is in the standing position. Yes, there is a shoulder strap too. Actually there are two to each case positioned in a manner such that the case may be easily slung over the shoulder or worn as a backpack!(thats really nice). All Strap buckles are heavy duty, and seams are reinforced (double stiched). I have not seen better made cases(even compared to the Gio's and the Humberg's) and I have been very happy with these. These are truly custom made cases. The pair cost me US$120 :0 , I also picked up a matching case for my Tambora for US$35, and one for my Guira for US$17.50.

So, for those of you traveling to S.D., D.R. or willing to order them directly I pass to you the essential info:

Creaciones "YURISSAAN"
Confecciones de Estuches para Instrumentos Musicales
Ramon Candelario (Presidente)
Hermanos Pinzon #50, Villa Consuelo
Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana
Tel.- (809) 686-9007

So there is my input.
Thanks,

David

[tamboricua]

Hi Congaforum, hope all is well! Check out JP Custom Cases.
All major drum companies like (LP, Meinl, Toca, etc.),have been copying their stuff, but nothing like the original! They make cases for everything batá, congas, timbales, bongó, tambora. Check them out at: http://www.jpcustomcases.com

Saludos, Jorge Ginorio

http://www.rhythmweb.com/jorge

[congabebe]

David,
The cases you describe sound great. I had good intentions, took weeks to come up with a design. They were originally supposed to stand up and be loaded from the top. I put about 1 1/2 inches of batting and lined them with denim. I designed them so I could put an L shaped piece of wood into the vinyl bag, and they would have had wheels on the bottom and a handle to tow, but I couldn't get the lining to stay put, I used lost of heavy duty glue and velcro, the industrial kind, but by the time the summer passed the velcro glue had un glued and the lining got to soft and would shift. The straps were to thin and the zipper was the wrong kind.... my list of disappointment in my design continues. But everyone that saw them couldn't believe they were hand made. So, I may try to remake them down the road. I was planning on making cases for other people and this was a venture really for myself and I got impatient. I have made some amp covers for a few friends and it was fun, but it is harder than it looks, I stabbed myself with the straight pins countless times. Vinyl is not easy to deal with when it becomes a 3 dimensional object. I have some tips if anyone trys do do this ... make their own cases. I love making things, bags, etc. Thanks for sharing about your cases.

chow,
congabebe