a car for my double bass

sowhat59 · #1 04-21-2010, 11:26 PM

After a long lived life in Manhattan where I lugged my bass around on a little wheel, I am relocating to a different city and in need of a car now.

Believe it or not, never owned a car. It is almost stupid to own a car in this city, unless you live in Brooklyn or Queens.
Anyway, so I have no idea where to start.

well, I did google, searched this forum.
I am clear that I don't want a hatchback car. 5 door design is just not my type. I want the regular car design(with a trunk park sticking out unlike hatchback)
I saw Hyundai Accent has still regular car design and hatchback.
So, that's one of my options.

Can't afford SUV also, heard its fuel efficiency is not great compared to others.

So, after about a week of research, I got to wonder whether a convertible car would hold a bass.
Mine is Kay bass 7/8 but it has really big bottom which makes the bass close to full size bass.

If I get a convertible (I'm thinking Saab 9-3) would it fit with a head sticking out a little bit?

What are the other sedans that has flat folding rear seats?

I really don't wanna get any Japanese brand cars, not to mention toyota.
Prefer American or European brand.

Thanks

Andrew Hamilton · #2 04-22-2010, 12:01 AM

I drive a Volve Crosscountry. I love it, so I'd recommend you rethink the whole hatchback thing.

I have seen people transport their bass in a normal car, though. You just fold down the passenger seat and sit the bass down with the scroll out to the back window.

Marcus Johnson · #3 04-22-2010, 12:33 AM

Really need to get all the old car/db threads in one place.

Andrew McGregor · #4 04-22-2010, 12:37 AM

Forget basses in a sedan... it's so awkward loading, you are bound to damage your instrument sooner or later, not to mention you usually can't park with enough space beside the vehicle. Convertibles are very poor for security; it's trivial to steal stuff from one, and usually does very expensive damage to the vehicle. 5 doors is where it is at, and you want a wagon not a hatch, because the space behind the seats helps get the bass in; in many wagons, you can keep 3 or 4 seats usable.

My choice: Audi A4 Avant. Mine's 10 years old, though, and new ones are very expensive. Subaru, VW, Saab and Volvo make very good wagons too.

wdnewman · #5 04-22-2010, 06:15 AM

In the early 1960's I transported a 3/4 size Kay (I didn't know Kay made 7/8's but I'm no Kay expert), a bass trombone and a 4/4 sized trombone player in a Renault Dauphin. (Google it.) You can fit a bass in anything except perhaps a Fiat 500, many times with no parts sticking out.
The Honda Fit (Jazz in other parts of the world) would be an excellent choice. I just transported myself, a new bass, a wife and a dog six hundred miles in a medium sized four door sedan. Small pickup trucks (with covered beds) are perfect.

funk generator · #6 04-22-2010, 06:42 AM

id also reconsider the no japanese car thing too. My family totally has i think a total of 2 hondas and 3 toyotas. Both are quite reliable. far more impressed with toyotas.

I also +1 the station wagon. we have an old BMW station wagon that can fit a TON of gear

Square Bear · #7 04-22-2010, 06:46 AM

looks like what you need is a japanese hatchback or suv. i'd suggest you avoid anything american or european.

Cyoder · #8 04-22-2010, 06:50 AM

I used to transport a double bass in a full sized sedan. After a while it became too much of a hassle and I sacrificed looking somewhat cool* for a more safe and easy way of transporting my bass. I ended up buying a minivan that was relatively old, but had insanely low mileage on it because the previous owners barely used it. Say what you want, but remember, if you need help moving that piano...

*Not really cool at all, it was falling apart, actually. The left front fender fell off one day because someone backed into it while I was on vacation, causing a huge crack, which turned into a hole, and eventually the wind just took it right off. I just told people who asked about it "You don't need to know a thing except that I got away with it." Plus the paint was peeling, it needed new brakes, and the transmission was ready to fall out any second. The minivan is, sadly enough, a step up.

Michael Case · #9 04-22-2010, 09:40 AM

I load my DB in to the flat folded passenger seat of a 1993 Buick Century. It's really not that hard, I've done it for about three years now and haven't had any damage to my bass. If you've survived the subway at rush hour (which I used to do) you'll be fine with a sedan for your bass.

beobass · #10 04-22-2010, 06:25 PM

I've put uprights into all my VW's... put the front seat down and it slides lengthwise with the car. Passengers can sit in the back, plus you can fit a small amp in the trunk.

Marcus Johnson · #11 04-22-2010, 06:28 PM

I really wish Ray Parker would check in and tell us how he moves his bass to and from work.

treekiller · #12 04-22-2010, 06:34 PM

Have you looked at a Chevy HHR? I dunno much about a double bass, but I can haul a G-K 550 head, 4-12 NEO cab and 2 Precisions in their cases. I can get approx 30mpg on the hwy, 26 in town. It is flex-fuel compatable(E-85) and still rides & handles like a mid size sedan. I hate to sound like a car commercial, but I'm very happy with mine!

PsychoScout · #13 04-23-2010, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treekiller

Have you looked at a Chevy HHR? I dunno much about a double bass, but I can haul a G-K 550 head, 4-12 NEO cab and 2 Precisions in their cases. I can get approx 30mpg on the hwy, 26 in town. It is flex-fuel compatable(E-85) and still rides & handles like a mid size sedan. I hate to sound like a car commercial, but I'm very happy with mine!

it's all about the size of 1 hughe thing, there's no use comparing it with several smaller things...

mazda 3 works fine btw... (5 doors version)

Paul Barsic · #14 04-23-2010, 01:46 PM

I have a 1998 Mazda Protege. It's a little 4-door sedan with good gas mileage. I recline the passenger seat and put the bass in through the rear door behind the driver's seat. I lay the bass lengthwise along the car, leaving the seat behind the driver's seat free. I play a 3/4, not a 7/8, but there is plenty of room. With the lower bout touching the dash, the scroll just barely touches the headrest on the back seat.

standupright · #15 04-23-2010, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treekiller

Have you looked at a Chevy HHR? I dunno much about a double bass, but I can haul a G-K 550 head, 4-12 NEO cab and 2 Precisions in their cases. I can get approx 30mpg on the hwy, 26 in town. It is flex-fuel compatable(E-85) and still rides & handles like a mid size sedan. I hate to sound like a car commercial, but I'm very happy with mine!

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsychoScout

it's all about the size of 1 hughe thing, there's no use comparing it with several smaller things...

mazda 3 works fine btw... (5 doors version)

this is what i drive and it works incredibly well for hauling my db+115 amp+stool+pa+2paspeakers+electricbass+passenger.

being able to haul my gear was a prereq before i bought it, so part of the test drive consisted of driving to my house and loading my gear in the back. everything fit. he sold a car.

Burlington · #16 04-23-2010, 01:58 PM

VW Rabbit is the obvious answer

(the old ones!)

Arnold · #17 04-23-2010, 02:03 PM

If it's once in a while a sedan is okay. If it's everyday, that sedan thing gets old. For me, a toyota matrix hatchback is the answer, and I've owned one since 2005.

treekiller · #18 04-23-2010, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsychoScout

it's all about the size of 1 hughe thing, there's no use comparing it with several smaller things...

mazda 3 works fine btw... (5 doors version)

My point was, that with the seats folded down, if ther is enough room for the several smaller things there should be enough room for your "huge thing"(sounds a be presumptive....)

BTW, you can fold down the front passenger seat too if necessary. Check one out before you are so quick to judge.....

uprightbass.com · #19 04-23-2010, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treekiller

Check one out before you are so quick to judge.....

I'd recommend renting a Chevy HHR from Enterprise before buying it.

After renting a 2010 model for a few days, there were some things that I noticed that were issues for me. The MPG isn't good for how slow it was; it had no passing power. It felt heavy for its size. The front and side pillars are vertical and wide, which created large blind spots to the left when changing lanes and also pedestrians disappear behind the front pillars at crosswalks. Around the city where there are always lots of random pedestrians crossing or walking around parking lots, I had to move my head around to spot to see if there were people hidden by the front pillars (good thing I did, because sometimes there were). On sweeping lefts, oncoming cars disappear behind the pillar. Seats were not comfortable. Reminds me of the seats that I had when I had a Chevy Colorado compact pickup. The HHR does hold a good amount of cargo, because it is a wagon, but a lot of interior width is lost compared to other cars that have the same overall width, which they had to do to accommodate the styling (flared fenders).

moopants · #20 04-23-2010, 10:06 PM

I love my Scion xB. Fits my bass very well with both back seats folded down, and I can also fit my bass and two passengers if needed. Also, it's a very comfy car when I don't have my bass in it. You also have to consider how often you'll actually have your bass and/or equipment with you. I don't have it every day, so a Scion was a good choice for me. If you bring your bass back and forth places every day, along with tons of equipment, you might want to consider something bigger.