Music Area AA31 Series Bass Guitar Bag-Black (AA31-EB-BLK)

I ordered the AA31 guitar case, got the right case with no issues unlike other reviewers - who I think received it for free in exchange for a vine review. Plus the price went down to under $100 when I bought it making this case a great value. I bought this case with my own money to use and this is an unbiased review.I used to carry my guitars in their hard case because that was all I had, and it offered the best level of protection for basic use without using a big metal flight case (which I have no need for). This was all well and good until I bought a guitar that came with a flimsy gig bag. That gig bag would prevent the guitar from getting scratched but offered no protection from breakage if it were dropped or someone were to sit on it, etc. Despite this flaw I found myself using the gig bag more often because I was able to sling it over my shoulder or carry it like a back pack using the straps . . . this kept my hands free to carry my pedal board, and amp, etc. Now that I was sold on the use of a gig bag for that reason I wanted to solve the problem of lack of protection, also my old gig bag had one handle and a set of straps. I found myself grabbing it by the headstock to pull it out of my trunk at awkward angles. This is not a big deal, and more of a problem I did not realize I had until it was solved with the purchase of the Music Area AA31 bag here. Third problem with my old bag was lack of compartments. This bag solves all 3 problems:1) Protection: To me there are 3 levels of protection a) flimsy gig bag that protects from scratches and nothing else. b) hard case which offers a higher standard of protection and c) flight case for mitigating the abuses of baggage handlers during air travel. The AA31 is without a doubt a "b" hard case level of protection. There is a layer of hard plastic sandwiched between the plush inside layers and allegedly water proof exterior. If I sat on it I would probably not do any damage, but don't really want to try it. I would not feel comfortable using it as a flight case, but this is not what it is advertised as and quite frankly it might wear better than expected there as well. I am very happy with the protection offered.2) Comfort: It has the backpack style straps I was looking for. They are very nicely ergonomically designed. Very comfortable. They can be unhooked then tucked into the pocket if you prefer not to use them. There is a handle on the side which you can see from the picture is very well padded. Also the handle on the headstock area is a nice, thoughtful bonus. It comes in handy when the bag is upright and I want to grab it to put it on my shoulders. Also for pulling out of the trunk of a car, etc. Nice touch. It is a little on the heavy side, but still lighter than a wood/tolex style case and a good trade off for the added protection. If you want something lighter buy a different case from this manufacturer without the hard plastic layer. I would bet the quality is there, as this is a very high quality bag.3) Storage compartments: My third requirement is storage. There is a small narrow flap at the very top. Hard to get my hands in with much room, but fine for a capo or a few packs of strings. The main compartment is pretty awesome with one minor flaw I'll explain later. The good: it is very big and I can fit a big fat "Real Book" plus another spiral notebook and a few folders stuffed with papers. At the same time I can fit cables, pics, strings, a capo, etc . . . plenty of room here just like I wanted. This is why it is good that the bag does not narrow along the neck: more storage and protection for the neck. Look at the picture and take a look at that cool velcro loop for holding cables . . . the cables are not flopping around and stay nicely coiled up. Another cool touch. My one gripe is that this compartment opens as a flap as opposed to opening fully so the opening is narrow and cramped at one end. To solve this the zipper should wrap around the perimeter of the pocket further. Not a big enough deal to deduct a star IMHO.4) Quality: as mentioned above the quality is very high. Other reviews detail this pretty well. I concur with those. I expect this bag to last pretty much a lifetime.

This is hands down the best gig bag I’ve ever owned. The construction is very solid with heavy duty zippers and quality materials. The design is somewhere between a heavily padded gig bad and a hardcase. The ABS sides built into the padding on the sides give it a very solid feel, and the the neck pillow and strap will make sure your guitar isn’t moving about inside. There’s plenty of storage in the front, including a strap to keep a few cables tied together. My only concern with this case would be it’s use with angled neck guitars like a Les Paul. The neck support isn’t quite tall enough to keep the headstock from resting in the bottom of the bag when laid on its back. A guitar with no neck angle, and just an angled headstock would probably fit with no worries. The price on this model seems to have varied, and this review is based on the products quality, and it’s on-sale price of $75 that I paid.

Well, something is a bit off here. The bass bag I received is only about 41-42 inches tall. My daughter's bass does not fit in this at all. Her bass is too tall for the bag. (See the photos I have attached.) Her Yamaha acoustic barely fits in it. Although her smaller parlor size Gibson Maestro fits nicely. So if you are looking for something to fit your bass - beware. All I can tell you is the one I received is too short. Or - they sent me the wrong product because I just realized the one we received does not look like the one in their photos above. Such a shame because it is a nice bag in general.

This semi-rigid case uses 7 layers for its casing material, so it is a cross between a well-padded soft case and a hardshell case. But it’s priced higher (9/9/17 price--$212) than my hardshell, ABS molded case’s price!Music Area’s specifications claim it’s structurally engineered to better protect against drops. Perhaps? But, difficult to believe this protects better than an ABS molded case. Soft cases are usually light in weight, but this feels only slightly lesser in weight than my molded case. Its casing material is waterproof, but its zipper aren’t, and my case seems as water-resistant. Lastly, its triangular shape takes up more travel space than my case’s rectangular, boxy design.Music Area’s specifications claim the removable tail foam and neck rest can accommodate bass guitars of all sizes. Somewhat true, but my 44 inch Dean bass can move 1 inch vertically within, and a molded case secures better.Music Area does have some advantages over my case: 1. a huge accessory compartment with several zippered and mouth-closed bags within. 2. straps which can be tucked away; whereas my case has none. 3. slightly lesser in weight. For bassists wanting an easy-to-carry guitar and all accessories in a single bag, this is an excellent solution.Overall, an ABS molded case would be a better value and some, as mine, are even lower in price. Three stars for high price, but Amazon's dynamic pricing changes regularly. Music Area is a premium quality softshell; and if bassist wants easy portability, this would be a 5 star.