Easy fix for loose fit bass in case.

[Esquillama]

Hey everybody. I just finished fixing my bass case so my bass doesn't slide around loosely anymore, and thought I'd share in case anyone else is having this problem.

Here's what I mean, this was the case without the fix:

Whenever I picked up the case, the bass would slide around because the area that held the body was too big.
Here's what I would find when I opened the case:

Here's a closeup:


Then I went to my local fabric store and bought some 2 inch foam.
I was able to cut the foam to fit the body area of the case, and then just traced the outline of the bass's body and cut the foam to fit.

Here's the body closeup with the insert:

Here's the neck when I open the case now:


Fixed! If you only knew how completely NOT a handyman I am, you would be in awe that I was able to do this right the first time. I just thought I'd share in case anyone else is in the same boat. It's really easy to do, and doesn't take long at all. Including drive time to go buy the foam it probably took me about an hour.

Tools needed:
Marker (for tracing)
Tape measure (to get body area size)
Utility knife/fabric scissors ( I recommend the fabric scissors, much cleaner cut)

I hope this helps someone, it sure helped me. The increase in weight of the case is very small. The piece of mind that I get from knowing that my bass isn't rattling around in there is well worth the weight and expense.

[anderbass]

Good idea Esquillama.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Nicely done

[tplyons]

You might want to get some cloth to cover that as well... foam may have a chemical reaction with your finish.

[Esquillama]

Originally Posted by tplyons

You might want to get some cloth to cover that as well... foam may have a chemical reaction with your finish.

Good point. Maybe I can find a nice thin piece of fabric to put under/around my bass while it's in the case so it's not in direct contact with the foam.

Thanks.

[Esquillama]

As suggested above, I got a piece of cloth and simply wrapped it around the foam insert that I made. Now the finish on my bass in not in direct contact with the foam, so hopefully no harmful chemical reactions will take place. It kind of looks like my bass is sitting on a pillow. Here's a few photos:





And the cloth covered insert without my bass:


Thanks for the comments and suggestions. It's been working great the last couple of weeks.

[unclejam]

cool beans

[tplyons]

Originally Posted by Esquillama

As suggested above, I got a piece of cloth and simply wrapped it around the foam insert that I made. Now the finish on my bass in not in direct contact with the foam, so hopefully no harmful chemical reactions will take place. It kind of looks like my bass is sitting on a pillow. Here's a few photos:





And the cloth covered insert without my bass:


Thanks for the comments and suggestions. It's been working great the last couple of weeks.

Looks comfy... build a case for me to sleep in?

[Esquillama]

Originally Posted by tplyons

Looks comfy... build a case for me to sleep in?

Please refer to my comment earlier about definitely NOT being a handyman and you'll understand when I say that you wouldn't want to get into anything that I would build.

It would probably look something like this:


I am far from a case builder, but I got lucky with this project.
Now my bass has a comfy home, and I feel much more at ease about carrying it around.

[Jerry Ziarko]

Nice job! You also gave me a great idea for something else I need to put in a case. Thanks!

[Esquillama]

Originally Posted by Jerry Ziarko

Nice job! You also gave me a great idea for something else I need to put in a case. Thanks!

Happy I could help. I have learned so much from folks here.
It feels good to be able to pass something on.
What a great community this is.

[Esquillama]

Ok. So for the last couple of years I've been pretty happy with the results of my little project. But in the last few months I've noticed that the neck of my bass is now still sliding during transit. So... I decided to try another addition to keep the neck in place.

Here's what I would find upon opening my case before the addition:


close-up:


Then I added one of these and a bunjee cord:


Here's the "after" shot:


close-up:


I just attached the staple to the case and slid one end of the bunjee cord under the divider. It seems to be working just fine, and I don't think there's any chance of the bunjee damaging my bass. Hopefully this takes care of it from now on, otherwise I'll have to spring for a new case. The bunjee came in a set of four for $1.97, and the staple came in a set of 18 for $1.71. A nice cheap fix.

Like I said before, this site has given me a lot of useful information, I hope someone can benefit from this.

[kenfxj]

Nicely done! I used to just roll up a t-shirt or 2. Your solution is much more elegant.

[Esquillama]

Originally Posted by kenfxj

Nicely done! I used to just roll up a t-shirt or 2. Your solution is much more elegant.

I tried a rolled-up hand towel first, but it got squished.
This seems to be doing what I wanted.