Beato Deluxe vs Mono Cymbal Bag Backpack

P

Pedro

Pioneer Member
Hi guys,

Need to replace my cymbalbag after 10 years.
Almost bought the Mono Bag, light, compact but expensive.
Now I discovered Fred Beato who makes custom bags, the problem is that I can not test them anywhere. It looks like a super bag, but I'm only concerned about 2 things:

1.What about the ergonomics with the backpack straps? The Mono seems to be very ergonomical, I'm not so sure about the Beato.
2. What about the weight? Since I am carrying a lot of stuff I can't afford to have extra weight of the bag.

All the other optiobs are or too heavy (Protection Racket, Ahead, Leather bags) or too fragile.

Thanks a lot!
 
If I were you, I would go with a hard plastic case, like a Zildjian Cymbal Safe. Fully empty, they weigh basically the same as a cymbal bag.

The Mono Cymbal bag, is much more expensive than a hard case. It makes no sense to me to spend more on a soft cymbal bag than a hard case, when the hard case offers much more protection. Unless you're absolutely insistent that it is a backpack, a hard shell case would be the way to go here. Again, the weight difference is almost the same when they are empty.

If does have to be a backpack, there are far more affordable choices than the Mono bag.
 
I can't speak to the Beato bag because I've never owned one, but I got a 22" Mono M80 cymbal bag for Christmas and I LOVE it!

This is the first cymbal bag I've owned, and the first one I've actually liked. The first was a Sabian single pocket bag that came free with the AAX Stage pack of cymbals I bought. The second one was a Roadrunner bag with the wheels and pull handle, which I disliked so much that I went to the effort it took to remove the wheel and handle contraption.

In any case, I didn't want to compromise this time, so I did a lot of research - I watched videos, did a bunch of reading, looked at all kinds of different bags, and I narrowed it down to three bags:

1.) Mono M80
2.) Reunion Blues Continental
3.) Reunion Blues RBX (not seriously considered - had a couple of minor things I didn't like)

The Mono M80 and Continental were roughly the same price and had similar features, but the Mono bag is A LOT easier to get - it's sold in a lot more places. It also had a lot more reviews, both written and in the form of video. There are a number of video reviews on the M80 that were made by working pros who were all raving about it, so between the stellar reviews and ease of getting it, (I think it was ordered off of Amazon Prime) that was enough to push it over the top.

I use one backpack strap on this - I sling it centered over my back over one shoulder, and it feels good this way - most of the time I'm moving this bag, it's from my vehicle into a building, so it's a short distance. If I'm carrying other things, the single strap over one shoulder keeps it in place well enough that I don't feel like I need to use the second. Also, the single carry handle at the top is very comfortable as well.

The PVC "U" in the bottom of the case is nice peace of mind to know that the edges of my cymbals aren't going to be break through and are going to be well protected.

There are two of pockets on the side, and because I don't have a lot of cymbals, I put my hats in the main compartment inside, and I use the bigger side pocket (which has ample space) for accessories. Right now I have the following in the big side pocket:

Yamaha Click Station
Shure SE215 in-ears
ART HeadTap
Behringer P2 IEM box
12 inch 1/4" TRS Patch cable
Extra Drum Key (in the pouch designated for the clutch)
Extra 9V Battery

I put my 10" splash in the smaller side pocket.

I really, really dig this bag and I appreciate it for what it is every time I use it. It is far superior to any other cymbal bag I've seen or used.

I think that the Reunion Blues Continental Bag would have been good too, but I've never had any regrets about getting the Mono.
 
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vyacheslav said:
If I were you, I would go with a hard plastic case, like a Zildjian Cymbal Safe. Fully empty, they weigh basically the same as a cymbal bag.

The Mono Cymbal bag, is much more expensive than a hard case. It makes no sense to me to spend more on a soft cymbal bag than a hard case, when the hard case offers much more protection. Unless you're absolutely insistent that it is a backpack, a hard shell case would be the way to go here. Again, the weight difference is almost the same when they are empty.

If does have to be a backpack, there are far more affordable choices than the Mono bag.
Click to expand...
Regarding the hard case vs. bag thing, there is PLENTY of protection with this soft bag, and never forget that cymbals are bronze disks whose specific purpose is to be whacked by a hard stick. A hard case may offer more protection, but in the last 15 years that I've gigged around as a drummer, I've never been in a situation where I've damaged a cymbal because a soft bag didn't protect it well enough. Unless you are putting your cymbals in a truck or trailer, or you allow others to handle your gear, a hard case is overkill 99.8% of the time. but hey, that's just this guy's opinion.

FWIW, I don't like hard cymbal cases. At all. What I like least about them is that they are heavy, clunky and harder to use than a cymbal bag, and unless I've missed something somewhere, none of them offer any additional storage for gig-related accessories. Then again, I've only ever had experience with the SKB case and the Zildjian cymbal vault.

I'll take a well made cymbal bag over a hard case every day of the week, and twice on Sunday....which is a joke all on its own due to my main drumming gig being that of a praise band drummer. :)
 
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Thanks everyone for the input. Getting a hardcase is not an option and I need the backpack straps. I live in NY and have to drag my cymbals everywhere all the time and often have to carry a drumset on the subway plus the cymbals on my bag. I also fly with the cymbal-bag as hand luggage.

About the Mono bag, what about the inside. Let's say I want to transport some cymbals but also want to put a pedal or a stand in the bag, maybe the inside is going to be damaged easy.

Why I am considering the Beato is because it has a stickbag in front plus it's really handmade in the US, while the Mono is clearly made in China (they could have reduced the price for that). It says designed in the USA, that means it is not made in the USA.
 
The Mono bag isn't designed for that - it's designed for cymbals and small accessories.

If it was me, I'd get another small padded bag for pedals and a stand.
 
Thanks everyone for the input.
I have gone with the Mono Bag. Now that I see it next to my previous bag (similar to the Paiste), the difference is HUGE!

So I think I made a good choice. The Beato looks even better material wise but I could not risk to order something without testing the backpack straps myself since I need to be careful with my back!

Cheers!
 
Pedro said:
Thanks everyone for the input.
I have gone with the Mono Bag. Now that I see it next to my previous bag (similar to the Paiste), the difference is HUGE!

So I think I made a good choice. The Beato looks even better material wise but I could not risk to order something without testing the backpack straps myself since I need to be careful with my back!

Cheers!
Click to expand...
My thought is that you are really going to like that bag. Every single time I use mine I smile, and I regret that I used a bag that I didn't like for so long.

Keep us posted!
 
I also live in NYC and recently bought the MONO bag for times when I have to carry a set of cymbals on the bus, walk several blocks with them, etc. and this bag is awesome. Pricey for sure, but I do feel I got my money's worth with it! Glad you went that route too.
 
I got out with it for the 1st time. And I must say I was surprised that I could also put a lot or scoresin the back and also put my sticks sideways in the backpocket and still carry it comfortable on my back. That's a great thing because I like to fit my sticks in my cymbalbag!
 
New update: after a week already got some damage on the outside, let's see how long this thing will hold!
 
I'm already on my second mono cymbal bag, and both were damaged fairly quickly after heavy use.
Traveling drummers use their cymbal bags for more than just cymbals, especially if you travel a lot without a car.
My cymbal bag always has a stick bag, small cymbals, percussion accessories, a small bag with the usual paraphernalia like tuning keys, cymbal sleeves, in addition to three cymbals and a hihat when I travel and use the drum sets in the clubs.
Unfortunately, I have yet to find a cymbal bag that is really up for the job.
One I'm very interested in is the Tough Traveller cymbal bag, but it's not available in Europe and really VERY expensive.
toughtraveler.com

Tough Traveler's Drumslinger Cymbal Bag

The Most Sophisticated Design of its Kind, Anywhere • Loved By Drummers, Everywhere! This bag sorts, stores, and carries extraordinarily well. • Individual padded pockets protect the cymbals from scratching, and align the bells so they nest together for the thinnest, most efficient packing. •...
toughtraveler.com toughtraveler.com
But I just found out that Glenn Cronkhite, who designed the original Reunion Blues cymbal bags, is now having his old design remade by a young company.
Not cheap either, but built to order and known to make cymbal bags that last forever.
https://glenncronkhite.com/product/cymbal-bag
Very likely I will have a bag built there soon.
Or I will find someone to sell me a Tough Traveler for cheap.
But I won't be buying another Mono anytime soon.
 
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I have the AHEAD Delux bag with the soft lining. I like the zildjian bag but I play Paiste. The Paiste bags tht i have seen suck, they don't offer the full length protection, I hate to have my cymbals rub against each other. My bag isn't the back pack style, I'm not sure I would use it that way anyway, just sling it on one shoulder like trickg says.
 
trickg said:
Regarding the hard case vs. bag thing, there is PLENTY of protection with this soft bag, and never forget that cymbals are bronze disks whose specific purpose is to be whacked by a hard stick. A hard case may offer more protection, but in the last 15 years that I've gigged around as a drummer, I've never been in a situation where I've damaged a cymbal because a soft bag didn't protect it well enough. Unless you are putting your cymbals in a truck or trailer, or you allow others to handle your gear, a hard case is overkill 99.8% of the time. but hey, that's just this guy's opinion.

FWIW, I don't like hard cymbal cases. At all. What I like least about them is that they are heavy, clunky and harder to use than a cymbal bag, and unless I've missed something somewhere, none of them offer any additional storage for gig-related accessories. Then again, I've only ever had experience with the SKB case and the Zildjian cymbal vault.

I'll take a well made cymbal bag over a hard case every day of the week, and twice on Sunday....which is a joke all on its own due to my main drumming gig being that of a praise band drummer. :)
Click to expand...

Like you, I much prefer soft cymbal cases to hard ones for all the reasons you mention. What I really like about soft cases is how easy they are to load and unload. On a cramped stage, you merely lean it up against the wall to load and unload. They take up no space at all. With hard cases, you have to lay them flat. Finding a flat area measuring 24" in diameter on stage ain't easy. And if you do, it's probably gonna be the floor, not something I want to do with my size 13 feet stomping around!

I actually own two hard cymbal cases. Neither of them actually hold cymbals. They both hold spare drum heads. One stays at home and the other goes with me to gigs to hold my emergency spare heads. The case stays in the trunk of my car and I never have to worry about my emergency heads being damaged or crushed. There's no better way to carry your spare heads at a gig than in a hard cymbal case.

By the way, I'd go with Beato. I have no experience with Mono, but my Beato cymbal bag has served me well.
 
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