Great Conga Bag recomendations any one?

[Mr. Conga]

Hey guys, i am looking for some good conga bags, at a good price.
I saw ABAKUA, posting pictures of his bags, and read how great they have protected his congas have no scratches..i was wondering what kind of bags they are.

I like the gator bags, and saw them on clearance for $30 each, a few weeks ago from a scratch and dent sale, but i slept on the clearance sale.

I am looking for good conga bags at a good price.

Any recomendations, or if you guys could help me find some would be great.

[bongosnotbombs]

Abakua endorsed Protection racket, I'm getting ready to order a few myself, some of the
online guys have them going for pretty good prices.They sent me a more accurate listing of their sizes.

The cases my Resolutions came in are also
very good, I think Meinl uses the same case from somewhere. Those Gon Bops cases going for so cheap
right now are garbage, I ordered two and sent them back, the zipper on one broke in my hand the first day
and seams were coming undone here and there.

[OLSONGO]

For the local gigs I like my Gators, they have wheels, good padding, back pack like straps, straps to really secure the conga and heavy duty handles, Hard cases when I am not handling the tubs all the way.

Paz
Olsongo

[Mr. Conga]

Thanks guys!
Who sells those protection rackets? where?

I do like the thick padding on the gators, the wheels etc...is just that isaw them on clearance for $30, now they are back strtinar $ 7O something bucks, and right now is better to save any way possible. i should have order the ones on clearance..so now i am looking to buy some protecting bags, by spendind less than $50 A bag, i take used bags too.....haaaahhaaa..

[umannyt]

Mr. Conga,

For local gigs or band practices and for my cheaper congas, I use Gator softcases. Yes, I got them when they were on sale at Musician's Friend at 2 for the price of one (around $60 then). I love the wheels which make transporting much easier, but I wish that they have thicker padding for greater protection.

For my top-of-the-line congas and gigs where I anticipate that someone else might be handling my congas, I use hardcases--Humes & Berg Stealth, also with wheels, which I got for a very good price (close to the best softcases).

There are many other good ones. Humes & Berg softcases (the over-$100 Tuxedo model or the under-$100 Galaxy model) and Beato come to mind. And they're both made in the U.S.

Protection Racket conga bags (made in the U.K.) are good, too. I like their sheepskin-like interior lining and cushioning, but they're priced above $100 each.

I once ordered Meinl conga bags (made in China), but I returned them not too long after. I liked the thickness of the material and the padding and are reasonably-priced (less than $100). However, the quality of the stitching wasn't good. Same with Gon Bops (although 4 of my congas are Gon Bops CAs) and Pearl bags, which are also Chinese-made.

Resolution's bags, are made by JP Cases in Southern California. Unfortunately, I believe that they seem to have closed shop or, at least, you can't order from them directly anymore. They no longer have their old website. I was interested in them once. They're very well-made and the materials are excellent (I know 'cause they made the softcase for my Fat Congas Cajon), but they were rather expensive--over $100--for softcases.

Given your situation, I'd recommend looking into Kaces softcases. Musician's Friend, Music 123 and Interstate Music, to name a few, carry them. Musician's Friend and its sister company, Music123, both sell them for "only" $64.99. Check them out at: http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=549415 They look well-designed and, more importantly, have wheels. If I could do it all over again, I'd buy them instead of my Gator cases.

Hope these help and good luck,

[Derbeno]

I have three Meinl bags for quite a number of years and luckily had no problem with the stitching.

Not knowing you economic situation,....... but it would unwise to skimp on a cheap bag, it will not protect your prize possession properly and you may find yourself replacing them after a short while. The adage buy wisely once comes to mind, in saying that ....no need to splash out above $100 though.

[bongosnotbombs]

Actually the Protection Racket cases are easily available for about $79 - $85 dollars from some of the
larger online music and drum stores.
I can't say for sure if my Resolution bags are made by JP or not, they resemble JP bags, but they look similar to many other kinds of bags as well, especially the older Meinl bags, but the newer ones look a lot different now that I check. As Ralph is still supplying the bags with his congas, and JP may be out of business, the bags may be from somewhere else.

[seisporocho1]

Anybody have an idea of a company that makes softcases with wheels for a 14" tumba? I bought a super tumba from Volcano Percussion a few years back and Tom Alexander (maker) sold me a REMO bag without wheels. I can't explain how uncomfortable it is to carry such a heavy drum by a strap (very uncomfortable one may add!).

Thanks

6x8

[umannyt]

Not too long before JP Cases shut its website and I considered buying their conga bags, I was able to speak on the phone with the Sales Manager (forgot his name) of the company. I remember him saying that they manufactured and supplied the bags of both Timba Percussion and Resolution Drums. The Timba Percussion website (which is still up) states that their bags are made by JP Cases. See: http://www.timbapercussion.com/about.html

I also remember him saying that other manufacturers, such as Meinl and Pearl, have copied their design (could explain why their designs seem to be fundamentally similar) and that they're finding it very difficult to compete with them 'cause the latters' bags are made overseas with much cheaper materials and labor. He took great pride in the quality of both their materials and workmanship.

Now that JP Cases seems to be out of business, I wonder if Resolution's bags are now made by ex-workers/owners of JP Cases on a special-order basis.

[umannyt]

Anybody have an idea of a company that makes softcases with wheels for a 14" tumba? I bought a super tumba from Volcano Percussion a few years back and Tom Alexander (maker) sold me a REMO bag without wheels. I can't explain how uncomfortable it is to carry such a heavy drum by a strap (very uncomfortable one may add!).

Thanks

6x8

6x8,

This is going to be a little tough. I know from personal experience that with my Gator wheeled-conga bag, which is a one-size-fits-all, my 13" Isla Percussion tumba is already a pretty tight fit. I'm almost sure that it won't accomodate your 14" tumba.

Kaces conga bags, which are also wheeled, are also one-size-fits-all. I don't know the maximize size conga that'll fit inside one. You may want to call Kaces and inquire.

Beato, Inc. accepts orders for custom sizes. Their website (http://www.beatobags.com/products.htm) advertise their conga bags as follows: "CONGA BAGS - Available in all styles. Quinto (18" x 31"), Conga (19" x 31"), Tumba (20" x 31"). Custom sizes welcome (2-3 week delivery. Add 10% custom cut)". Their 20"x 31" sizing for the Tumba looks generous. Beato bags are normally not-wheeled, like your Remo bag, but inquire from them if they can add wheels. Why? The wheels of some of their hardware bags look like their simply "add-on" rather than "integrated". Therefore, it looks doable on a custom-cut conga bag.

Or, you can resort to what IMO might be a cheaper and quicker solution: Buy a light portable handtruck (about $50) to haul your 14" tumba inside its Remo bag. Just make sure to bungee chord the bag/conga to your handtruck for security.

Hope these help,

[Mike]

The "MEINL Professional conga bags" are pretty good, they have a thick padding that
will protect them from any scratches.

[bengon]

I really like my "Kaces" conga bags. Wheels on cases, awesome!

[seisporocho1]

How do the "Gators" & "Kaces" compare?
I currently have the Gators and I feel like they were a good buy when they were priced at 2 for 1. I have noticed that they scrape a bit on the bottom edge close to where the wheels are located and they end up with holes in the long run. It would be nice to have a bag with reinforcement on that part so when it touches (seems inevitable) the floor when wheeled, it could last longer. Otherwise, I think they are great inexpensive bags.
I've never had or seen the Kaces.

Thanks

[seisporocho1]

Manny,

I just read your reply. Thanks for the info.
The beato case sounded like a good alternative since I know the Gators don't work for the Volcano. Yet, I would have to ask them if they make a 32" bag (or a bit bigger) since the drum is exactly that height.
At this point, I think I'm gonna run with your handtruck idea! It's definitely the cheapest one.

Thanks again.

6x8

[buckoh]

Hey everyone, when the fabric on the cases gets frayed just put some GOOP on the areas. It really patches the area well and stops the damage. On high wear areas glue leather patches on. I save leather from every imaginable source: discarded furniture, boots, etc. The patches don't look pretty but the function is there. Also, all GOOP is the same. There is plumbers' Goop, Automotive, Household, and so on. That 'Cordura' material doesn't wear very well. Buckoh