bass players who use public transport

s_mcsleazy · #1 07-24-2010, 11:36 AM

this is a club for all the bass players who have to use public transport to get to gigs, practaces, sessions or even just to get gear home

so come on. dont be shy

varunkapahi · #2 07-24-2010, 11:43 AM

yeah thats how i roll!

lol ok not that bad!

but am in, i actually like taking a bus or metro as i driving in the insane traffic is very exausting

EdHunter · #3 07-24-2010, 01:07 PM

This is kinda different for a lot of guys in Europe (especially here in Switzerland) where public transport tends to be as heavily used as private automavehicles.

bgmww · #4 07-24-2010, 01:28 PM

i´m in.

undeadbass · #5 07-24-2010, 02:55 PM

Most musicians here take public transportation. I can't even tell you how many upright basses I see in the subway on a daily basis. I use a 112 cabinet (when there's no backline, which most clubs here do have) for this reason.

kuys · #6 07-24-2010, 03:01 PM

I did when I lived in Lexington, KY.

Now that I'm back in bumble scum Madisonville, Ky. It's not feasible, we have one taxi driver and no public transportation.

Gord_oh · #7 07-24-2010, 03:18 PM

looks dangerous to me.

varunkapahi · #8 07-24-2010, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by undeadbass

Most musicians here take public transportation. I can't even tell you how many upright basses I see in the subway on a daily basis. I use a 112 cabinet (when there's no backline, which most clubs here do have) for this reason.

woah hauling that doghouse in the subway must be a sight. how bad does it get during the peak rush hours in the subway?

s_mcsleazy · #9 07-24-2010, 04:14 PM

founder -s_mcsleazy
#1 - varunkapahi
#2 - EdHunter
#3 - bgmww
#4 - undeadbass

LiamPodmore · #10 07-24-2010, 04:20 PM

Count me in, i'll be on a bus to practice tomorrow at 5 to 11 xD

b_carville · #11 07-24-2010, 04:32 PM

I'm doing it more and more!
My van is getting pretty beat & on it's last legs. I can't get a new one with my economic situation.
I do a lot of weddings/ private party work.A lot of that work is done early enough where I can use public trans. usually a train. We generally hire a sound company so I just use a sansamp & go direct.I have a couple of steady bar gigs where I keep a combo in the basement.Lately I've been doing some private party work with a band in New York.I leave an amp with the keyboard player (who lives in Long Island) & take the cheapo Chinatown bus (I'm in Phildelphia PA) up to NYC for $20 roundtrip . Sometimes I have to ask bandmates to put me up for a night but not too often & they have been cool about it.
The Chinatown bus is an experience in itself though but it beats driving in NYC. Parking costs are brutal!

salcott · #12 07-24-2010, 04:41 PM

31 years and counting in NYC playing upright and electric. Subway, small amp, taxi if I must. I'm also very cooperative about meetup for rides and ALWAYS offer to buy gas and pay tolls.

Mayers · #13 07-24-2010, 04:45 PM

yeah for 11 years I use bus and I like it. Thank God for gigbag.

Spolodaface · #14 07-24-2010, 07:16 PM

hell yeah I do - proud of it too :P
I take public transport to get my bass and amp all over the place. Getting back from gigs is usually a pain in the arse.

varunkapahi · #15 07-25-2010, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by salcott

31 years and counting in NYC playing upright and electric. Subway, small amp, taxi if I must. I'm also very cooperative about meetup for rides and ALWAYS offer to buy gas and pay tolls.

thats an excellent point, to pitch in for gas and tolls!

Stingraymund · #16 07-25-2010, 03:37 AM

I have a car but a couple years ago I did a gospel gig where the church was just a few stations away from me on the subway. The music director brought a cabinet for me to play through, so all I needed was my bass and my amp head. So I put the head on a folding dolly and schlepped my Stingray-5 in a gig bag and rode the train. I felt so badass. Would love to have more gigs like that.

s_mcsleazy · #17 07-25-2010, 04:47 AM

#5 - LiamPodmore
#6 - b_carville
#7 - salcott
#8 - Mayers
#9 - Spolodaface
#10 - Stingraymund

s_mcsleazy · #18 07-25-2010, 04:50 AM

wow im surprised this club has taken off so fast... i thought i was the only one travelling on busses and trains with my rig by my side and bass on my back

Nic. · #19 07-25-2010, 05:04 AM

Public transport is very common for musicians.

When I still had my hardcase, I used it to push people out of my way in overwhelmingly crowded situations. Now that I'm using a Mono, I push people out of the way to protect my bass.

Count me in.

Rockingbird · #20 07-25-2010, 05:07 AM

I like this idea as I don't have any reliable transportation. However, I wonder: How do you guys with bigger rigs do it? I'd do it, if not for the fact that my amp is as heavy as a mofo with a size to match, and I don't have a DI box (Sansamp DI here i come

). I really wanna get back into playing with a group, and with NYC (and the thousands of weekend warriors therein) being only a busride away, bussing it seems the only option.