Back of the car advice

[padmavyuha]

I'll start having lessons next week and will therefore start regularly stuffing my bass into the back of my car. I've got a reasonable padded gig bag for it, but as it's a solid DB with a carved back, is it okay/best to lay it flat on its back in the car (there's room for it to stretch out flat), or should I be trying to keep it on its side - and if the latter, any advice on protecting the bridge etc.?

I feel a bit stupid asking this, but I've read that you shouldn't keep carved-back DB's lying on their back too much, and I just want to do the right thing by it.

[Square Bear]

i put mine on its back and put a pillow under the upper bout.

[GerardSamija]

That's a good point, supporting the bass on it's upper back/neck joint rather than letting the neck and head touch the car. I'd go a bit further and suggest that whatever's supporting that area should be quite firm, in case a pothole in the road causes the pillow to compress too much, allowing the head to strike a seat or something else. Further yet, a carved foam support into which the upper bout can be fitted would prevent the bass rocking and also provide enough friction so that it doesn't slide around sideways.

I've had a few broken basses come to me thanks to standing them on their edges in cars. Sudden maneuverings in traffic can cause the bass to roll too easily, and in one case it was a speaker cabinet falling into the bridge causing damage. If it must be on its side then secure it with a seatbelt or other means to it cannot roll, and don't have anything top-heavy anywhere near it. Make sure the scroll is at least a few inches away from any obstacle which might cause the neck to break on impact.

[padmavyuha]

Thanks for the input - I think I'll make up some padding for the neck and back; that should sort it out. I was never happy with the on-its-side idea, because of the likelihood of it tipping over. I'll also get a load of cheap 'fleece blankets' to put under and around, to protect the bass from the stool!

Double Bass: not just an instrument - also a time-and-motion exercise...

[dDaddybass]

I thought this post was going to be about something completely different

[jstiel]

My preferred way to transport a bass in a sedan is to put it in the passenger's seat on it's side with the seat back reclined and the neck pointing back toward the rear of the car. That way it's resting on it's ribs on the seat padding and you don't have to worry about bumps.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by dDaddybass

I thought this post was going to be about something completely different

Yeah, me too!

[jstiel]

Originally Posted by dDaddybass

I thought this post was going to be about something completely different

Let's get our minds out of the gutter gentlemen.

[Jason P Bass]

Originally Posted by jstiel

Let's get our minds out of the gutter gentlemen.

The internet has been saved!

[Dr Piggery]

Originally Posted by dDaddybass

I thought this post was going to be about something completely different

Try reclining the seat fully back and putting your foot in the glove compartment!!!

[Roger Davis]

You somehow always get a better class of smut on Talkbass!

Incidentally I'm for sideways, with a rubber bungee strap to keep it falling over - the bass that is.

[padmavyuha]

I hadn't thought about putting it in the front seat - not sure if the seat tilts far enough back in my van, but I'll try it out. I imagine seeing the wing mirror would become a feat of imagination that way, but what the hell .

As for the rest of you - your humour is base, gentlemen...

[jaff]

I've transported my bass in it's gig bag on its side with the bridge facing me in my 94 Honda sedan. The front seat reclines nicely to support the bouts and the neck tucks into the left rear seat ledge. Absolutely no problems and I can see out of the right door mirror too.

[padmavyuha]

My passenger seat goes forward, not back much. But it's all fine - my van has a fold-up rear sill thing that fits over the boot (trunk for the yanks), and this makes a great ramp to lay the bass on, with half the back seat folded down, and the bass rests on the ramp (on a pillow) and the neck fits just behind the front seat when it's tilted forward a bit. All this holds the bass in place too, so it's not going to slide around even if I do something wild.

I love my new gig bag! Tom and Will, 1" thick padding, lots of handles everywhere, useful wheels, big pockets for 'stuff' and best of all, backpack shoulder straps that actually work! Some people have problems with backpack bags knocking on the backs of their knees, apparently, but I'm so tall this bag works fine. Just have to look out for doorways. (The bag is actually dark grey and dark red, pay no attention to the pink photos on their site .)