Anyone suggest good drum bags?

Sorry to be redundant, but yet another Protection Racket fan here. I've been using their bags for my drums, and I just recently purchased a PR hardware bag, which I love. They are sort of pricey, but not so much for me (one of the benefits of playing a 3-piece kit.) I'm not keen on the large plastic logo patch they sew onto all the bags, but they are pretty easy to remove.

Other than those, I use a really nice 22" Beato cymbal bag (not all of their stuff is cheaply made), and a smaller 18" cymbal bag that I got from Cymbals Unlimited on ebay, which is quite nice for the price. I keep my snare in an unbranded drum bag I've had since the late 80s.
 
GrimmReefer said:
Another vote for Protection Racket from my end. Every time I get a new drum or piece of equipment I just go ahead and buy the matching P.R. case.

I will say that after years of lugging my kick drum around one of the handles has become loose but it still works fine and is the only rip or tear on any of the cases.
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I can second this. After years of using my PR bags one bass drum handle is torn, but still works great.

I have been looking at cases for my new kit, and I noticed PR doesn't make "all" sizes so I may end up with a deeper bag than my shell. Anyone have opinions on H&B Tuxedo vs Drum Seeker? Memphis drum shop has both lines in all the sizes I need. (sorry to hijack the thread)
 
Yet another vote for Protection Racket. There's just something about them that makes me confident while carrying them. I like how they offer their bags in sizes that automatically take into account mounting hardware.
 
Humes and Berg all the way! They have a soft shell, but are very durable, especially compared to the GC crap. If you are just doing local and aren't dealing with airplanes, these are the best.
 
steadypocket said:
...I also own some of the H&B Drum Seeker bags which are so well made. The long handles, however, just don't make sense to me as the drum bangs the ground if my arm is fully extended.
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I see this comment in a number of reviews of the H&B bags. I guess if you are short, it would be a factor, but IMO, the long handles are a brilliant design on the snare and tom bags. Why? Because it allows one to easily carry multiple drums in one hand, thus minimizing trips. (When carrying multiple drums, it seems normal to bend the arms at the elbows slightly to provide body clearance and to fit through doorways, thus also providing the necessary ground clearance). It's much more difficult (if not impossible, in some cases) to do this with close-fitting (suitcase-style) handles.
 
FreDrummer said:
I see this comment in a number of reviews of the H&B bags. I guess if you are short, it would be a factor, but IMO, the long handles are a brilliant design on the snare and tom bags. Why? Because it allows one to easily carry multiple drums in one hand, thus minimizing trips. (When carrying multiple drums, it seems normal to bend the arms at the elbows slightly to provide body clearance and to fit through doorways, thus also providing the necessary ground clearance). It's much more difficult (if not impossible, in some cases) to do this with close-fitting (suitcase-style) handles.
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Bingo! I love the long handles because I can throw one drum over my shoulder and carry to other bags in each hand... I usually put my cymbal bag over my other shoulder... the only thing I can't carry in one trip is the hardware bag...
 
I said this before so...

I use furniture moving blankets. They cost about 9 bucks or so and are available at big tool stores, budget joints, etc...

Then I get some nylon strapping material and sew two solid steel rings on one end and make a nice strap to keep the blanket wrapped.

Works great at keeping the drums in good shape during hauls.

Cymbals... I stack them up and put a large nylon bolt and nut through the hole to keep them in place and wrap that up in a nice neat package as well.

Accessory bags are a whole different need. And I highly recommend them. But I use an old SKB hard roller case for stands etc... and it's affectionately called the proton torpedo.
 
This is obviously a personal preference thing. I just hate the handles on my Drum Seeker bags because of how I carry my drums. I don't sling the handles over my shoulder. Just not my style. I'm 5'8" and the drums drag the ground when my arms are extended at my sides, my preferred method to move drums. Glad to hear the Drum Seeker works for so many because they're especially well made. I happily use them to store some of my kits but when gigs or rehearsals are involved, I'm usually using my Protection Racket bags. Plenty of options for all of us.
 
I use Protection Racket and am very happy with them - handles are well placed on them and it's easy to carry two drums in each hand, they're sturdy as well, not like cheaper bags I've had in the past.
 
I have a Meinl bag that I like alot. It takes a beating and has double zippers and has several compartments all for 20 bucks.
 
For drum cases I must concur about H and B especially the Enduro foam protected cases. They're pricey if you're on a budget but I'd rather spend the money than risk damaging an expensive shell.
 
My favorite is the Meinl Percussion MSB-1 Professional Stick Bag, which one of the earlier posters probably meant by a Meinl bag. It holds quite a lot of sticks, is sturdy (consequently, a little bit on the bulkier, heavier side, but that's okay and it's not a huge difference). The front pocket also opens up accordion style, so you can fit a lot if you wish. It includes a shoulder strap.

(Also, as a side note, I'm pretty sure this thread belongs in the Drum Gear thread category.)
 
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