Upstairs

Peaceful · #1 02-03-2011, 08:20 AM

OK. So what is the trick to carrying these things up a flight of stairs?

PRUNEFACE · #2 02-03-2011, 08:35 AM

Strength.

j.stemmler · #3 02-03-2011, 09:26 AM

i got up stairs backwards with my bass

Michael Case · #4 02-03-2011, 09:37 AM

Hold the bass by the scroll and drag it behind you as you go up the stairs.

Michael Case · #5 02-03-2011, 09:39 AM

Seriously though, if the bass is in a bag prop the body of the bass on your butt and reach behind yourself and hold the handle of the bass. Or just use the shoulder strap.

Bill Bentgen · #6 02-03-2011, 09:43 AM

I wear my bass with the backpack straps when I go up the stairs. I hold to the side and in front of me using just one of the straps when I go down so the endpit doesn't hit the steps behind me.

**Damon Rondeau** · #7 02-03-2011, 09:49 AM

Somewhere out there in the world is a picture of Mingus demonstrating the stairs technique Michael describes.

J. Montgomery · #8 02-03-2011, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Case

Seriously though, if the bass is in a bag prop the body of the bass on your butt and reach behind yourself and hold the handle of the bass.

Thats roughly what I do, but its more on my hip than butt. And its almost a sideways climb, especially in narrow stairwells like in my townhouse.

**Damon Rondeau** · #9 02-03-2011, 10:31 AM

But (butt?) it works, right? Keeps the peghead low enough, keeps the butt-end of the bass off the the stairs, keeps you seeing where you're going...

Roger Davis · #10 02-03-2011, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.stemmler

i got up stairs backwards with my bass

Me too. Put the neck on your shoulder, hold the cover handle with the right hand and guide yourself/hold the ballustrade with the left hand.

I'm 70 in two weeks and my Upton Prof is very heavy.

LouisV · #11 02-03-2011, 10:38 AM

When I carry my bass upstairs, I have the bass resting on my hip (left or right hip depending on where a banister is or isn't!) so I'm going up the stairs "first." I try to hold the bass as high as possible to not drag it on the stairs, and at an angle so the scroll doesn't hit anything (walls, ceiling, etc.) I'll grab whatever handles or straps on the bag that I can. On some narrow stairs it almost needs to be held straight up, this is not fun to do! Remember to look up, for lights that may be in the way, I've hit those. Anyway, slow and easy is the best way.

LeslieD · #12 02-03-2011, 11:05 AM

Most of you guys won't have this problem...but over the years I've run into the problem where a few men have seen me carrying my basses up/down steps and rush to assist me and they grab the endpin and try to lift up the bottom of the bass. That of course never helps and usually has the effect of pushing you down on the stairs. Anyway, just always be ready to let people know you don't need help (unless you want them to carry your other equipment).

Eric Rene Roy · #13 02-03-2011, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peaceful

OK. So what is the trick to carrying these things up a flight of stairs?

Hey Tim, I like what Bill said about the sideways approach. Our Boston shop has a big staircase (hence Gary is always looking for a good ground level shop up there!) so we get lots of practice! Jack is up there most days and he is about 5'4" and totes big basses up and down all the time. Give him a call!

Joe Gress · #14 02-03-2011, 12:13 PM

Wide staircase, I go sideways with it resting against my hip. Narrow staircase, I go backwards.

klem.gote · #15 02-03-2011, 01:31 PM

Mine is a walking bass.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #16 02-03-2011, 01:35 PM

My rule is simply that whether going up or down, I am always on a higher stair than the bass would be if it had feet. Otherwise put, I go up first, it comes down first.

Michael Case · #17 02-03-2011, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeslieD

Most of you guys won't have this problem...but over the years I've run into the problem where a few men have seen me carrying my basses up/down steps and rush to assist me and they grab the endpin and try to lift up the bottom of the bass. That of course never helps and usually has the effect of pushing you down on the stairs. Anyway, just always be ready to let people know you don't need help (unless you want them to carry your other equipment).

I used to get that every now and then when I was in NYC. Walking up subway stairs I'd all of a sudden feel the weight of the bass lessen and look behind me to see someone helping. I'd always say no thank you I got it and they'd look at me like I'm crazy.

Jsn · #18 02-03-2011, 02:58 PM

I find what works is lifting it up and tilting the neck forward, so the scroll points the way up (or down) the stairs. That way, you can see what you're potentially running into. Scroll behind head = dings, at least in narrow, twisty staircases. In open-air steps where there's plenty of headroom, I'll do what LouisV does.

tstone · #19 02-03-2011, 07:32 PM

Here's my technique, which was shown to me by San Francisco bassist Alan Lochhead. Works beautifully. Sounds more complicated than it really is, but here goes anyway:

* Stand the bass up vertically, facing you, and support it with your right hand on the neck.
* Now turn your body around so you are facing *away* from the bass.
* Put your your right hip up against the treble side of the fingerboard and your butt against the treble side of the top.
* Holding the neck with your left hand, reach around the back of the bass with your right hand and grab the body by the upper curve of the bass-side C-bout.
* Now lean slightly forward and to your left, and lift the bass off the ground.

You're now ready to go up stairs, with the bass behind you. The bass is quite secure, the view ahead is unobstructed, and you have your left hand free for opening doors, shooing away groupies, etc.

Don't use this method for going *down* stairs! That's a different technique.

ThumpPlunkJunk · #20 02-03-2011, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstone

Here's my technique, which was shown to me by San Francisco bassist Alan Lochhead. Works beautifully.

* Stand the bass up vertically, facing you, and support it with your right hand.
* Now turn your body around so you are facing *away* from the bass.
* Put your your right hip up against the treble side of the fingerboard and your butt against the treble side of the top.
* Holding the neck with your left hand, reach around the back of the bass with your right hand and grab the body by the upper curve of the bass-side C bout.
* Rest the bass's neck against the right side of your neck, behind your right ear.
* Now lift the bass off the ground.

You're now ready to go up stairs, with the bass behind you. The bass is quite secure, the view ahead is unobstructed, and you have your left hand free for opening doors, shooing away groupies, etc.

Don't use this method for going *down* stairs! That's a different technique.

Yep--put the bass flat on its back at the top of the stairs, hold the handles like reins, sit down right on top of the strings and ride it down like a wild buffalo.