Moving Cross Country - With/Without Bass?

[BassEscape]

I'm moving from D.C. to San Francisco in a couple months. I have a very nice Englehardt EM-1 with some new hardware/materials added to it. I only have a soft case for it. That being said, it's probably not worth more than $2,000. I'm trying to decide whether it pays to bring the bass with me (via various methods--see below) or to sell it in D.C. and buy a new bass in the Bay area. After all, it's a stock plywood bass for the most part.

Here are the moving options:
1) Put it in my car and drive it across the country - I am planning to get my car there eventually and this method seems like the most direct and secure. However, if I do the drive, I'd like to stop in random places along the way and I'd rather not worry incessantly about the bass's safety (in the car, in the hotel, a friend's places, etc.). Plus, I've got other musical instruments to move as well.
2) Buy a bass trunk or box and have the moving company put it in the truck with the rest of my things (furniture, kitchen stuff, clothes, etc.). A trunk is about $2,000 and building a box is alot cheaper but not as secure. I'm not sure I want to insure my bass. Plus, I've worked as a mover before and so don't really trust them to be that careful.
3) Rent a trunk for about $300/month and then ship it back - The return shipment might be pricey. FedEx's Web site is saying they will charge freight (+$1,000).
4) Sell the bass, move and buy another.

Any thoughts? What is the most feasible of the above options? Any other options? Anyone been in this position before that could offer advice? Thanks!

[coolrunner989]

I dont have any expierience with moving upright basses, but I have moved alot, and to/from parts of the country not close together (i.e. nebraska to georgia, minnesota) and I would say make your desicion on these three things:

if you arent particularly attatched to the bass
if you can scout ahead and find a good place that sells them where you are moving to, or about how much the market value is there
and how much you could sell it for where you are

if you arent losing much in terms of monetary value and/or emoional attatchment by selling it, then I would sell it, move, and buy a new one.

cuz the more you have to move, the more of a pita it is. especially if its going to be in your car where somebody could steal it or damage it with realtive ease.

if you are attached to it and want to move it with you, I have no help for you my friend, lol, sorry.

good luck in your move!

[bassist1962]

My bass was in Northeast Indiana, and my wife and mother in law put it in the back of a Toyota wagon and brought it down to the Atlanta area. No harm, no foul. It was my dad's and he moved from Indy to Frisco, to New York, back to Frisco, to Indy, to SLC, to Maine, Indy, Frisco, back to Indy. I don't ever recall anyone, but the movers handling it. Amazing it's still together after all that now that I think about it. All he had was a soft unpadded bag.

[Kevin Hsieh]

move it. there's no reason it shouldn't be your bass just because of a cross country move. It should be fine in the car as long as you're careful about it. Your bass is yours and yours to keep.. no matter how little it costs.

just my two cents... you probably can tell i'm very protective of my baby

[accutone]

Well, if you decide to keep it, you wouldn't ship it fedex. Send it air freight. I had a bass shipped air freight from Phoenix to SF and it cost $85 each way. (Empty case going back was same cost.) You may even be able to put it on your flight if you decide to fly out. So, shouldn't be more than a few hundred $ to ship it out to SF and return the empty case to the east coast. Just be sure to open the case and check the bass when it arrives.

[tbassist4]

The car idea isn't bad. My father and I drove (in a minivan) straight through from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Boulder, Colorado in one shot with it in the back. It was really easy. We even had the minivan LOADED with stuff like furniture, and we just put the bass on top in its padded soft case. Everything went off without a hitch. When you stop, bring it into the hotel room with you. It shouldn't be left in a car anyways, haha. It should be safe at a friends house as well, especially if you're staying there. I don't even leave my bass in the car for very long when driving around locally. You should really be fine if you take good care of it.

Otherwise this airfreight idea isn't too bad. When I auditioned for CU in Boulder I flew out here and had my bass in a trunk down below. I was worried, but everything went fine, and it was there on the other side in one piece. I didn't even have to knock down the soundpost or anything (this depends on the case, though, ask when you rent it if you decide to), I just detuned the strings by around a step or so (probably a little more). That being said, I think air freight is a bit safer considering that packages are their only passengers. It's really your call. I myself prefer to drive.