Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Budget bag


Was talking to friends recently about budget / value for money guitar bags. Budget here refers to a guitar bag fit for essential use or to put it bluntly, a get-by quality. Nothing excessive but it gets the job done. It's also not extravagant, a MONO or Reunion Blues bag are definitely not in this category. Friends cited KODA as a good example. The KODA ONE is available at Swee Lee for $15. My experience with the ONE is that the guitar does not stay put in the bag & excessive movements would strain the bag's stitches as well as increasing the damage potential to the instrument; scratches & dodgy tuners are examples.

The bag you see above is something I purchased from SHOPEE. I seldom purchase stuff from this commercial platform due to authenticity issues as well as clueless sellers who misrepresent their items & insist they are right. This bag costs less than $10 & the zipper quality would put many similar products to shame. The only downside here are the thin straps which to not offset weight distribution if you are carrying heavy guitars, a Les Paul is an obvious example. But hey, this is a get by consideration & in this aspect, I would rate this bag highly. It's definitely not for pro musicians who would want physical security for their instruments should a hard knock or unexpected fall happen. More importantly, it offers a snug fit for many guitar models, limiting movements.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Price watch (43)


Smarvo amps, in this make & colour scheme, are largely Marshall copies. This one here is an attempt to emulate the non-tube MG. I've tried this model before in a jamming studio once, a good copy I must say & sounds very close to the real thing. $210 for a 40W amp featuring a 12" driver - a very good consideration.


If you are in for a budget set up, maybe a standby or practice reference, check this listing out. The brand name is partially hidden but those might be a Vantage bass / guitar. Amps are priced at $50 each.