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Your electric guitar is more than just an instrument – it’s an investment you’ve made in your music and perhaps in your career. If you want to keep it in good shape, you’ll need to tune it regularly of course, but you’ll also want to keep it protected at all costs. That’s where a good guitar bag comes in.
An electric guitar bag or “gig bag” as it’s commonly known, is a soft, padded case that lets you store your guitar easily and securely. Zip it up and keep your guitar protected from dust and debris when not in use. Pick it up by the carrying straps or sling it over your shoulders like a backpack to easily transport your guitar on the go.
What You Need to Know About Electric Guitar Bags
Guitar Bag vs. Guitar Case: Unlike guitar cases, which are hard-shelled and often made from wood, plastic or aluminum, the best electric guitar bags are “soft-shelled” and made from a flexible yet durable nylon material. A hard-shell guitar case is best if you have to travel and don’t want the guitar to be sliding or bumping around in your trunk or airplane cargo hold. If you’re not checking your guitar in, or keeping it closeby, a gig bag is more lightweight and easier to carry.
Storage: Both guitar cases and gig bags offer plenty of storage options. A hard case often has built-in interior compartments sized for things like your tuner, extra strings, etc. The best guitar bags on our list all come with interior and exterior pockets, though they’re more generally-sized, letting you use them for whatever fits (think anything from cables to a laptop). A guitar case will be more rigid; a gig bag lets you stretch the material out to pack more inside (similar to the difference between hard-shell luggage and a duffel bag).
Padding: A hard shell case is lined with felt to prevent scratches, but generally, there isn’t any interior padding, since the external material is already so thick and tough. The best gig bags, however, all have some degree of padding. The options on our list have padding from 10-15mm thick to protect your guitar from any accidental bumps or bruises.
Carrying Style: A final difference: guitar cases are held by handles along the side; the best gig bags, however, offer a variety of carrying options, from top handles, to side handles, to backpack-style straps. In short, an electric guitar bag is more practical and versatile than a hard-shell case.
Whether you’re heading out on tour or just heading to your friend’s place, we’ve found some of the best electric guitar bags you can buy online. These picks are all manufactured with rugged, durable construction, and have plenty of storage, safety features and thoughtful details that will make it easy to keep your electric guitar in tip-top shape.
