Up until the last few years, I’ve considered myself to firmly be an “Ibanez guy.” My first bass wasn’t an Ibanez, but I gave up the instrument before I graduated high school; when I came back to playing bass in college, I got an Ibanez and I’ve never looked back. Sure, I’ve upgraded components, and I’ve picked up a few duds, but for the most part, you can get any Ibanez bass made from the 1970’s through the 1990’s, and you’re getting a lot of bass for your buck.
I recently made a move, and in packing up my basses, I found that somehow I was short one case/gig bag. Little wonder how it happened: I’m sure I just acquired a new bass (or two?) since my previous move, and since I just rotate what’s out on a guitar stand, I didn’t even consider that if I had a few on guitar stands and only one spare case, I might not have enough to pack them all up. Since I’ve always loved my Ibanez basses (even a few I shouldn’t), and even have an older Ibanez gig bag that’s very good quality, I decided to pick up a PowerPad to house an old SR1200.
I never knew what the “PowerPad” referred to, and now that I have one, it’s still a mystery. I assume it’s a suggestion that you could slide your iPad into the large front pocket – and that pocket does seem to have a little padding that might protect your screen, but that’s a pretty minor modification of the sheet music pocket that you’ll find on any other gig bag you might buy; the padding in that pocket is nice, but I’d still be likely to put my tablet in a separate case anyway, then slide it in that pocket. It’s not a big enough of a factor to sway you to choose this particular gig bag, much less to name your product after it.
Beyond that, I was thoroughly unimpressed. I liked the styling when I pulled it out of the box, but when I unzipped it to put my bass in it, I was disappointed with the lack of padding. Sure, it’s a gig bag, and if you really want to protect your instrument you should be putting it in a case. But I have plenty of gig bags that I’m comfortable commuting with, as long as I can carry on my instrument; I’d be a little nervous getting on the train with the PowerPad. The interior is nice and roomy – almost too big for the Sound Gear basses that were Ibanez’s flagship for so many years, though that may provide room for me to put a little extra padding around my bass when it’s in the gig bag. There is a neck strap inside the bag, nothing fancy, but it’s something you don’t see in every bag.
Like I said, the exterior looked nice; my PowerPad is straight black, it’s pretty tough to screw that up. Front pockets are pretty standard: large sheet music pocket (the “PowerPad,” I assume); smaller pocket in front of the sheet music pocket for spare strings, strap, cord (probably need to pick two of the three); and an envelope-style pocket on top of that, for picks, small items, whatever. There’s a small pocket up by the headstock, but it’s a smaller pocket than I’ve seen on other gig bags, including the older Ibanez bag. It would be too small for spare strings or a strap, might work for a tuner with a patch cable, but I’m not sure how I’ll use it right now.
Another minor issue is that there is only one zipper on the side. When I travel with a bass – even if I’m driving – I like to put a small luggage lock on the zipper just to deter anyone looking for an easy score, and locking the zipper pulls together is a simple way to manage that. There is a plastic hook at the head that I could use with a wire loop lock, but it’s not going to be convenient. Like I said, it’s a minor issue, but it’s also an issue that you generally only see on the cheapest gig bags.
I picked up this PowerPad for about $35 on eBay, and for that I’d say it’s a fair value – not a “deal,” like I was hoping. If I’d paid the $40-50 that I typically see these sold for, I’d have moved from disappointed to angry. If you’re looking for a good gig bag, I’ve found much better value in Kaces, RokSak (these are getting a little harder to find), Warwick’s RockBag, or Ritter.
I mentioned the dates above that made me an “Ibanez guy”; for instruments I’ve picked up made after 2000, it’s a bit more hit or miss. The PowerPad, unfortunately, fits this trend – it’s not necessarily a good value alternative for someone who can’t afford a boutique bass or a classic Fender; it’s more a cheaper alternative, and you get what you paid for. The PowerPad lacks any real power, and is insubstantial in its padding.
I might have to start referring to myself as a “vintage Ibanez guy.”
The Book of Five Strings 