Mono M80 Bass Case Review

I bought a Mono M80 bass case for one of my basses.  My review follows...

As with most gear, age takes its toll on cases.  Especially soft cases.  The Warwick soft case, which I really loved, has been held together with shoe strings - literally - for a few months.  The Warmoth Jazz soft case from Fender has rips and holes and its lack of padding is becoming an issue.

The last straw....between the dish towel used as padding on the bottom of the Warwick case and the lack of a decent carrying shoulder strap on the Fender case, a new case quest was embarked upon. 

Warwick soft case...the zipper gave up the ghost a few months ago and now only a few shoe strings keep the bass inside.

The Warwick soft case...the reason I loved this case was the carrying strap location. It was built for a single over-the-shoulder type use.

The Fender soft case...inside top cover.

The Fender soft case....outside bottom showing the hole the bottom strap lock peg created.

After a week of research, I decided on the Mono M80 bass case.

Mono M80 bass case dimensions off the Mono web site.

My Warmoth Jazz in a Mono M80

My Warwick Thumb in a Mono M80

My Warmoth Jazz neck and the secure neck section of the Mono M80.

My Warmoth Jazz body and the secure bottom section of the Mono M80. Notice the accurate fit.

My Warwick Thumb neck and the secure neck section of the Mono M80. Notice how close the tuning pegs are to the foam support.

My Warwick Thumb body and the secure bottom section of the Mono M80. Notice the loose fit.

One issue I encountered is the small body size of my Warwick....the M80 is too big - there is too much wiggle room for the bass to move around (four purple highlights below).  The second issue is the strap locking pin at the bottom of the bass - its in the wrong position for the padding.  Or, I suppose, the Ml80 has the strap lock ping opening in the wrong place (orange highlight below).  The third issue is because of the small body size, the bass sits very deep or towards the back of the case...and the neck padding hits the tuning pegs (see above). 

Bottom line: the M80 is not a good case for a Warwick Thumb.

However, the M80 is a perfect fit for my Warmoth Jazz bass.  The bass sits in the case perfectly.  The Velcro neck section also hold the bass very securely - also adding to the "no movement". 

I've been using the M80 for a few weeks and I am very happy with it.  To my surprise, the shoulder straps are separate from each other and I can use one like I did on the Warwick case - single shoulder strap use.  The back side of the case even has a slot to stick the unused other shoulder strap so it doesn't flop around.  The bass sits a little high on my shoulder but I still can fit thru a normal height doorway with it. 

At an outdoor gig last week, it rained....and the case worked perfect as a waterproof barrier for my bass.

All-in-all, I'm happy with the purchase and I'd buy it again if I had the need.  I will look at the other cases Mono makes to see if I can find a good match for my Warwick.

Off the Mono web site...The butt end of the case and the strap pin section.

Off the Mono web site...back and side views of the case. Notice the slot on the back to keep the non-used strap(s) tucked away.

Off the Mono web site...plenty of storage for small items - cords, clip-on tuners, etc.

Off the Mono web site...more storage for even smaller items - phones, business cards, cables, etc.

Off the Mono web site...the M80 has accessories you can add to the case for extra storage.