Stagg UPC-688 Guitar Effects Pedal Case Review
Okay, some of you out there have said that many of my reviews are quite positive and gushing about the product. Well, that is kind of true and that is mostly because I am not paid to review products, nor am I endorsed by any of these companies. The main reason for my positive reviews are that I have actually brought these products, and I tend to put a fair amount of time and effort into resarching and testing out the products before I made the purchase.So, in a nutshell, I knew what I was looking for, I researched the hell out of the options and brought the item which turned out to be awesome for me. So, this reason that most of my revews are positive.......well aside from this one!I should add that I didn't actually but this case, it came 'free' with my Boss GT-100 as an incentive! Well, you shouldn't really complain about a free gift should you?Well, of course not.But, I am just writing this for the people out there whom are looking online for a pedal case, and have come across this one and are about to part with cold hard cash for it.
The Good
Okay, I might have hinted that this isn't a great product, but I need to put it in some context. I gig regularly, I have proper flightcased gear and I know the abuse it can handle and the reasons why it needs to handle that abuse. I would suggest given the cost of the Stagg UPC-688 Guitar Pedal Case and the overall construction this is in no way a pro flight case solution and my review of it is based on that.This case would be great for someone to keep their pedals in at home for example, keep them tidy and the dust off of them. It would be okay for someone who goes to the odd rehearsal or pub/club type gigs and is careful with their gear. This is not a case to be thrown about or dropped.What I like about this case (a lot) are the dimensions. Ironically, this case is the ideal size for me, you can fit about 8 pedals and a full size wah in with no problems, it looks tidy and the material takes velcro quite well. I'd love full flightcases to come with this width dimension, as most are about double the size are shorter (or too much longer) in length.This is a very lightweight case, so it works well if weight of gear is an issue for you. Erm and.....okay I might come back to what else is good about this case.
The Bad
Okay, I am sorry Stagg, but there are a few things about this case which are not great. I have gigged this case 4 times, for small gigs (including acoustic gig), I was very careful with the case on each occasion, but you can tell from the pictures it is pretty scuffed alreadly, that was from putting in the boot of the car (trunk for those in the US).The handle really does not fill me with any confidence that it would hold out in the long term, it feels like it could break at any time. The hinge idea for the lid is great, but the material the the hinges are made from bent on the first time I tried to reconnect the lid, that is pretty shocking. The metal is pretty flimsy, so I was able to bend it back roughly into shape, but this doesn'y promote confidence and I don't think would take to many removals of the lid before they bent and perhaps snapped off.The big one for me was the tiny rubber feet on the bottom of the case. On a stage they are pretty much next to useless and turned the case pretty much into a big skateboard. The first time I went to engage the Wahwah in nearly did the splits , as the case slide right across the stage!! The case would not stay put and had to be wedged under monitors on the occassions I used it. It is fine on carpet!!The Pros
- Weight
- Dimensions
- I got mine 'free' (ish!)
The Cons
- The construction
- The hinges
- The Handle
- The feet
In conclusion
- If you want somewhere to store your pedals at home or have them mounted on. This is perfect!
- If you have a few pedals and your rehearse and play out very occassionally. This is perfect!
- If you play out a lot, are in usual gigging environments where wear and tear is everyday issue, then look elsewhere, this probably wouldn't last 3-4 gigs before it got seriously damaged or actually broke.
