Kept Under Cover: Keyboard Gig Bags & Covers

Perhaps not the most “exciting” product category, keyboard gig bags and covers nonetheless perform an essential service. Whether a player is lugging his or her instrument on public transportation to a recital, hitting the road to play a series of gigs, or simply wants to keep the thing free of dust when it’s not being used at home, these are must-have items for nearly every owner – and traditionally represent a consistent add-on sales pitch for an MI retailer.

Sales in 2022 are… meh, based on participants in this month’s dealer survey, with nearly 80 percent (78.3%) reporting downward trending or level numbers when compared to 2021. One frequently cited factor that may be contributing to this is a generally perceived extreme rise in list prices that are dissuading potential customers. Aside from that, another development would seem to be increased consumer interest in hard-shell cases with wheels – perhaps a byproduct of the return to live performance.

So far in 2022, sales of Keyboard Gig Bags & Covers have been…

Up: 21.7%

Down: 38.3%

Level: 40%

What types (primary material) of these cases are most popular?

Cloth: 17.1%

Nylon: 62.5%

Plastic: 19.8%

Polyester: .6%

“ATA Road Cases are the majority of our customers preferences, with or without wheels.”

Randall R. Platt

Hoffman Harp Gallery, LLC

Lenexa, Kansas

What size (keyboard capacity) sells the most?

25 keys: 5.9%

49 keys: 2.3%

61 keys: 13.3%

73 keys: 13.3%

76 keys: 11.9%

88 keys: 53.3%                                     

Which brands are the top sellers for your store?

Casio: 20%

Gator: 40.8%

Hammond: 6.6%

Kawai: 6.6%

Korg: 14.1%

Kurzweil: 13.3%

Moog: 6.6%

Nord: 6.6%

On-Stage: 27.3%

Road Runner: 26.7%

Roland: 13.3%

SKB: 26.7%

Yamaha: 13.3%

What’s the most popular price range for keyboard gig bags & covers?

Under $25: .3%

$26-$50: .6%

$51-$100: 82.7%

$101-$200: 4%

$201-$300: 11.4%

Over $300: 1%

Have you been observing any trends when it comes to these products?

“The price has increased significantly.”

Will West

Will West Music & Sound

Jefferson City, Missouri

“As with many other accessory items, sales continue to be strong as more musicians are upgrading or replacing their gear as gigs become more available post pandemic.”

David St. John

Music & Arts

Glendora, California

“Less keyboard players.”

George Copeland

North Channel Music

Elliot Lake, Ontario

Canada

“Thanks to inflation, the regular folks are buying used when it comes to keyboard bags. Nobody places special orders for name-brand keyboard cases anymore. The brands that sell them will have to find some creative way to get their product into stores.”

Anthony Mantova

Mantova’s Two Street Music

Eureka, California

“Hard-shell with wheels are the top performers.”

Robert Schaeffer

Rice Music House

Columbia, South Carolina

“The Nord Electro bag jumped in price from $199 to $499. I wonder what they were thinking when they did this! MAP is now $369. Holy smokes!”

Bill Cunningham

SoundCheck Music

Decatur, Illinois