Ernie Ball Gig Bag Amp & Touring Gear

Road-ready cases from C.F. Martin, Levy's Leathers & Hercules Stands

Spring is the time to get back on the road if you've been locked up in the studio during the winter months.  Now is the time to assess your flight cases and touring bags for wear.  You might even want to look into some lighter, stronger upgrades to carry your gear.  While touring needs will vary from band to band, for more local venues, most of us find ourselves packing & transporting our own rig.  Your most important gear (read expensive) is often going to be your guitar and mics so we've included ideas for these pieces and more!

NEW! Ernie Ball Gig Bag Amp UPDATE

Ernie Ball's Gig Bag Amp with an iPod

Newly released at this year's NAMM Show, the Ernie Ball Gig Bag Amp pairs a padded guitar bag with Stereo Marshall Amplification.  This could be the perfect space saver when you just want something to practice with on the road without setting up and plugging into a half stack!

Really though, bands often have down time between shows and you can warm up back stage with one of these.  This compact lightweight battery- powered amp features 2 channels with independent gain, tone, and volume controls. On the busking option, it boasts the power to cut through any loud subway tunnel or busy street corner. The plug and play portability and transformable gig bag stand makes this a multi purpose unit. The Marshall Amplifier also features an MP3/IPOD input so you can jam along to any backing track of your choice or listen to your favorite songs through the stereo speakers.
 
UPDATE: We plugged it in using the Sanyo Pedal Juice to power it up while playing a Fender Strat.  The overdrive channel had the most volume of course but it really was more than adequate for playing backstage.  We plugged in an iPod and were able to jam along with our tracks but the volume was a bit difficult to control.  The iPod drowns out the guitar so you'll really need to to crank up the volume on your axe to play along.  The bag is well padded with roomy pouches and shoulder straps and appears to accommodate most electric, solid body guitars.


Martin Thermoplastic Acoustic Guitar Cases

C.F. Martin 600 Series Thermoplastic Case

Now maybe you've gotten away with a padded gig bag for local jams BUT when you are playing a professional gig, you may not always be handling your own guitar.  If you are flying in, you'll need to invest in a serious flight case.  So what do you do?  Well you could spend about a grand for a high tech Carlton Carbon Fiber Case or get real and invest in a Martin 600 Series Thermoplastic Case for well under $200.  The latter will protect your prized dread with a padded, plush lining plus keep it from suffering drastic temperature changes during traveling.  Not as light as their padded gig bag of course but I've transported my guitar in 90+ degrees and the Martin 600 Series kept it totally cool.

Lightweight, padded Tour Bag by Levy's Leathers

Levy's Leathers Tour Bag

Levy's is mostly famous for their gorgeous guitar straps and leather gig bags but their 600 Denier Tour Bag is also worth a serious look.  Padded in all the right places with two outside pouches and a double zipper for the middle compartment.  Very lightweight, use it to carry your mics, cables, boutique stomp boxes and more.

Levy's Leathers Padded Gig Bag

Levy's Leathers Padded Gig Bag for Electric Guitars

Just based on how they are constructed, solid body electric guitars tend to be a little more forgiving of abuse on tour.  Still, Levy's Leathers padded all leather gig bag is what I pack my Fender Strat in.  Extremely plush and well padded. Heavy duty dual zippers with a small upper & saddlebag pouch, large enough to hold full sized song books and sheet music.  Comes with a black luggage ID tag embossed with the Levy's Logo.  Has backpack straps, a carry handle and front handle all riveted for extra strength. A hardshell case for flying but this bag will get you in and out at your local gigs in style.  Most electrics will fit snugly in this bag with no shifting.
I really can't tell you how many compliments I've gotten on this bag!

Hercules Microphone & Speaker Stand Bag

Hercules Guitar, Microphone & Speaker Stand Bags

These days we only use Hercules Microphone and Guitar Stands in the studio so it would make sense to take this gear with us on the road.  Hercules makes heavy black canvas carry bags for nearly all of their folding stands.  In the photo I have a tubular speaker stand which I use with my Roland SA-300 and Fender Passport 500 PA systems.
This bag has a padded carry strap, inner Velcro braces and expands to accommodate extra wide gear. Really you could almost fit a snowboard in this thing!  The smaller tote is a Hercules Guitar Stand Bag.  Basically a pack and go feature for their EZ Grip Guitar Stands.

Martin HD-28 Review

C.F. Martin's HD-28 on stage at the Corner Cafe. Levy's Leathers Platinum Collection Guitar Strap. Hercules Tilt Base Mic Stand.

Up until now, I have been performing with my Martin D-16GT which has a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Like my HD-28, I had a Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend under the saddle pickup installed at the Martin Factory. This pickup system does not require cutting into the guitar, preserving its beauty and function as an acoustic. The Matrix Blend allows you to combine and adjust the under the saddle pickup with the mic pic up to suit your playing needs. With my D-16, I switched to light Martin Acoustic strings because with my guitar amp, I found that the bassiness of the medium strings caused too much feedback.

The Martin HD-28 has a solid Sitka spruce top and rosewood back and sides. It is a full gloss guitar with beautiful herringbone binding and purfling down the back. However, where it shines is in the sound. This is a powerhouse instrument. Acoustically, it can easily fill a room without an amp. With an amp, (I use a vintage USA made Crate GX-20M on the road and a Tech21 Trademark 60 in the studio), it truly stands out with all its multi-tones. I simply choose the cleanest possible channel and adjust from there. The HD-28 is such a powerful and
loud guitar due in part to the scalloped X-bracing invented by C.F. Martin. This lighter, sculpted bracing allows the soundboard to vibrate much more freely, making the HD-28 sound quite "opened up" over its D-28 brother.

I found that on stage, I needed to back off of the strumming and picking a bit. The amp just reads that as too much gain but since I also play this guitar acoustically, changing to lighter strings is not an option. I also turned off the chorus. This guitar has plenty of "chime" without adding that effect. All in all I would recommend backing off the volume or gain on your guitar and amp for the cleanest tones. Otherwise you may end up with unwanted distortion and feedback.

I use a Medium Martin Tortoise Pick and a Planet Waves Dual Action Capo & Custom Pro Series Cables with the HD-28. I find that the PW Capo does not pull the guitar out of tune and their cables are superior for quietness. I packed the HD-28 in my Martin Gig Bag (SEE this REVIEW) which was much lighter than the hardshell case and easier to transport to the stage area. Actually, everything got carried in one trip. I was very impressed playing my Martin HD-28 for the first time in concert and am looking forward to using it again at my next gig with these adjustments. A true cannon!

MODEL	HD-28
CONSTRUCTION:	Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint
BODY SIZE:	D-14 Fret
TOP:	Solid Sitka Spruce
ROSETTE:	Style 28
TOP BRACING PATTERN:	Standard ''X'' Scalloped
TOP BRACES:	Solid Sitka Spruce 5/16''
BACK MATERIAL:	Solid East Indian Rosewood
BACK PURFLING:	HD Zig-Zag
SIDE MATERIAL:	Solid East Indian Rosewood
ENDPIECE:	White Boltaron
ENDPIECE INLAY:	Black/White Boltaron
BINDING:	White Boltaron
TOP INLAY STYLE:	Bold Herringbone
SIDE INLAY:	none
BACK INLAY:	Black/White Boltaron
NECK MATERIAL:	Select Hardwood
NECK SHAPE:	Low Profile
NUT MATERIAL:	Bone
HEADSTOCK:	Solid/Diamond/Square Taper
HEADPLATE:	Solid East Indian Rosewood /Raised Gold Foil
HEELCAP:	White Boltaron
FINGERBOARD MATERIAL:	Solid Black Ebony
SCALE LENGTH:	25.4''
# OF FRETS CLEAR:	14
# OF FRETS TOTAL:	20
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT:	1-11/16''
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET:	2-1/8''
FINGERBOARD POSITION INLAYS:	Style 28
FINGERBOARD BINDING:	none
FINISH BACK & SIDES:	Polished Gloss
FINISH TOP:	Polished Gloss ; Sunburst available at additional cost.
FINISH NECK:	Satin
BRIDGE MATERIAL:	Solid Black Ebony
BRIDGE STYLE:	Belly
BRIDGE STRING SPACING:	2-1/8''
SADDLE:	16'' Radius/Compensated/Bone
TUNING MACHINES:	Chrome Enclosed w/ Large Buttons
RECOMMENDED STRINGS:	Martin Studio Performance Medium Phosphor Bronze (MSP4200)
BRIDGE & END PINS:	White w/ Black Dots
PICKGUARD:	Tortoise Color
CASE:	640 Molded
INTERIOR LABEL:	none
ELECTRONICS:	Optional
OTHER OPTIONS:	Available left-handed at no additional charge

Congratulations to ANGIE M. of N.Y. the WINNER of our MAY Guitar Gear Give-Away!!! Be sure to check our listings below for upcoming SHOWS, JAMS and OFFERS this summer!