When looking at a gig bag for guitars, there's a few safety issues and comfort things to consider. In many ways, the gig bag for your guitar is just as important as your instrument. If your bag is faulty or stolen, then your guitar may end up... faulty ... or stolen.

You need to ensure that you're guitar is always being taken care of even when it's not being played and just sitting in it's gig bag. Of course, buying a hard shell case is a great investment for guitarists because it eliminates some safety issues, but for those with a tighter budget, a gig bag can suffice for the moment.

Here are a few things to inspect in a gig bag for guitar before you make your final purchase.

* Use a gig bag made of a strong, long-lasting material.

I know that a gig bag for guitar made of leather looks very sleek and classy, but they're really not ideal for constant packing and travel. A stronger fabric, like nylon, is good for packing your guitar since it can take a little more wear and time than other fabrics.

If you duck out, and decide to pay cheap, you might just get what you pay for. And then there's just a thin piece of cheap fabric between your guitar and the pavement.

* Find one with a good number of pockets or at least one big pocket.

You're going to need to carry things along with just your instrument when you hit the gigs. Think about where you're going to put your tuners, chords, and pedals. It's best to have a gig bag for guitar with a few pockets.

If you don't think you can spring for a multiple pocket bag, think of buying a gig bag with at least one, that way you can keep your music and song-writing notes with you wherever you go.

* Make sure it has two zippers so you can lock it if necessary.

For the most part, guitars are usually stolen, case and all. However, I've heard of guitars being stolen right out of their gig bags and the musician doesn't notice until after the show is over.

At least you can prevent one kind of theft by purchasing a gig bag for guitar with 2 zippers that way you can lock it shut. There's nothing worse than coming back and finding an empty guitar gig bag.

* For carrying comfort, purchase one with backpack straps.

Do you like to be comfortable? I really hope so! Why not carry your gig bag around like a back pack with some nice straps? Trust me, it's a lot nicer to have the instrument on your back when you're also trying to carry someone's guitar cabinet with the other hand.

* Confirm that the straps are sercurely attached to the gig bag.

Not only is it nice to have straps on your gig bag for guitar, but it's nice to know that they're securely attached to the gig bag. This comes back to the issue of cheap fabric.

If you buy a cheap leather bag, you might see those straps fail on your sometime in the near future. Try something that can handle a little more pressure to make sure your straps are going to actually hold your instrument.

When looking for your gig bag for guitar, don't cheat yourself or your guitar by getting something too cheap just because of the money! Take care of your instrument with a nice home, and I'm sure that it will take care of you on stage.