Cyprus>NYC Bass transport: need help

Alexi David · #1 05-12-2005, 09:13 AM

I'm moving from Cyprus to NYC in the first week of August. I have to transport my DB. I have no flight case, no one here has one either. Short of having David Gage mail me one and then I deliver it in person ($$$$$$$$$$), does any one have any other suggestions for me? Maybe a large wooden crate? Anyone selling a used flight case remotely close to me? Thanks in advance.

Ed Fuqua · #2 05-12-2005, 10:39 AM

Does it make any sense to take boat&train to Athens/Rome/Frankfurt/Paris and try to rent a trunk (or buy & resell in NYC)?

If not, get a well padded crate, if you can find somebody that's got one of those hardens-on-contact-with-air spray foam machines (those work great), spray a layer in the bottom, take your bass apart (bridge off, soundpost out) in the case, wrapped in plastic, lay it on the sprayed in layer and then spray the foam around the rest of your bass. You may want to lay in some kind of regular open cell foam padding around the neck...

ee-san · #3 05-12-2005, 11:35 AM

If the crate and foam approach is indeed the right one (I ain't no expert), consider wrapping the bass in heavy plastic sheeting before spraying foam around it. Those spray foams probably have solvents that could be very unfriendly to the finish on the bass...just a thought.

Ed Fuqua · #4 05-12-2005, 11:38 AM

Hey, now, I SAY dat.

Alexi David · #5 05-12-2005, 03:43 PM

Hmm, that's not a bad idea [crate]. Could probably do it for cheap here too.

Man do those taxi vans at JFK fit things like this??

Paul Warburton · #6 05-12-2005, 05:26 PM

I did that spray foam thing for my first Japan tour...It worked.
Alexi, I have a decent Gagnon bass trunk. If you can figure a way to get it over to you from here in the Denver area, I'd be happy to let you use it, at no charge of course. After you get to NY you'd have to truck it back out to me.
If you pay for the trucking from Denver to get the case to NY, all you have to do is get the case over to you.

Alexi David · #7 05-13-2005, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

Alexi, I have a decent Gagnon bass trunk. If you can figure a way to get it over to you from here in the Denver area, I'd be happy to let you use it, at no charge of course. After you get to NY you'd have to truck it back out to me.
If you pay for the trucking from Denver to get the case to NY, all you have to do is get the case over to you.

Oh wow, Thank you Paul!!

I might take you up on your offer! Let me see if my Dad is willing to bring the case from NYC to Cyprus when he comes here in the summer. In that case, I would just have to email a shipping company in your area I guess....

arnoldschnitzer · #8 05-13-2005, 06:35 AM

Tom Martin turned me on to this one: Make a plywood crate and suspend the bass inside by the neck (near the heel) and the endpin. Put some foam around the endpin for a cushion. Secure in place, close up, and ship. Put "fragile" labels all over, and indicate "up". Do not put skids on the bottom, or it will find itself at the mercy of a forklift. If you put the crate together with screws, you can disassemble it at your destination. I suggest having the bass inside in a cover and plastic wrap. Tom ships them at pitch. He sent me a Panormo from England once and it arrived in tune!

Paul Warburton · #9 05-13-2005, 06:43 AM

There are several carriers. We could probably book the trucking both ways. Since you're over there, I guess i'm stuck with the dirty work. I'd book it here to NYC, then hopefully, give them a return date from NYC back to here.
Don't forget to take your bass out. I have no problem owning another fiver.
Mentioning that foam bit...it was pretty interesting. Just as ee-san and Ed said, they made a well braced box, just about 7'x3 or 4'. Heavy as hell. No wheels or much to help move it...a two person job for sure. As Ed said, they sprayed a bed of the foam on the bottom, then with the bass in it's padded soft case, they put a couple of big plastic bags to enclose the bass to protect it from the foam, sprayed another layer of foam in then asked me to lay the bass right in the still wet styro-foam. We literally made a bed shaped exactly like the Bohmann. That bass has those weird added on double shoulders that give it a real different pattern (see under Basses forum heading...the Talkbasses....Eye-Candy)
We laid the bass in the bass shaped impression, and with the plastic covers still on, sprayed the whole damn thing with more foam until the crate was full. They had made a locking top for it and we were in business! This was done by just one of those Bb packing and shipping companies.
I don't think I would have tried this on any other tour,but those Japanese folks were just so helpful and willing to please.
The end product was a huge, heavy monster.
Quite an experience!

After reading all this and then Arnold's post about Thomas Martin's design..I guess mine was overkill.
Arnold, did he put anything under the head/scroll?...just in case?

ee-san · #10 05-13-2005, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

Hey, now, I SAY dat.

My bad...I was rushing, as usual. (Gomen nasai)

Ed Fuqua · #11 05-13-2005, 08:55 AM

Shikata ga nai.

Alexi David · #12 05-13-2005, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

Shikata ga nai.

Though I know not what it means.

Ed Fuqua · #13 05-13-2005, 09:27 AM

It's Japanese. eeeee said "sorry dat", I said "ain't no thang".

Paul Warburton · #14 05-13-2005, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

It's Japanese. eeeee said "sorry dat", I said "ain't no thang".

And what the hell does that mean?

Ed Fuqua · #15 05-13-2005, 10:32 AM

eeeeeee - "Terribly sorry, old boy."
haid - "Tut, tut, think nothing of it."

There, I translated it into English. Now even Bruce should be able to misunderstand it.

anonymous0726 · #16 05-13-2005, 10:34 AM

Be gentle with Paul. He still has to talk to the local operator (after cranking the handle a few times) to make a call on his phone. Which has a mouthpiece mounted on the wall and the earpiece dangling from a cloth-insulated chord.

Ed was describing, in the current teen-ager vernacular, a conversation that he and ee-san had wherein ee-san said, in Japanese, "I'm sorry", to which Ed replied, in Japanese, "Not at all."

anonymous0726 · #17 05-13-2005, 10:34 AM

Paul Warburton · #18 05-13-2005, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Parker

Be gentle with Paul. He still has to talk to the local operator (after cranking the handle a few times) to make a call on his phone. Which has a mouthpiece mounted on the wall and the earpiece dangling from a cloth-insulated chord.
Ed was describing, in the current teen-ager vernacular, a conversation that he and ee-san had wherein ee-san said, in Japanese, "I'm sorry", to which Ed replied, in Japanese, "Not at all."

Thanks alot Ray!
Believe it or don't, I knew what was happening...i'm not that bad yet! I was just yankin'
I am a little shakey though after trying to rescue Ken's ass over in the Basses Forum thread...jeesh!

anonymous0726 · #19 05-13-2005, 10:49 AM

All of his attackers seemed like they were trying to give him enough rope to rescue himself, but he wasn't grabbing for it. I think a general appreciation for him caused to swarm to attack gently, ultimately. If I ever run into a Gilkes or Martini for sale, though, I'll probably go into convulsions....

Paul Warburton · #20 05-13-2005, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Parker

All of his attackers seemed like they were trying to give him enough rope to rescue himself, but he wasn't grabbing for it. I think a general appreciation for him caused to swarm to attack gently, ultimately. If I ever run into a Gilkes or Martini for sale, though, I'll probably go into convulsions....

Yeah, i've always fantasized about finding some outrageous bass like a Gasparo or a Magini, and then trying to keep my cool so I could get it for next to nothing 'cause it might be a bit scratched up and need a little work...." yeah, this bass ain't nothin', er. ah , arghh, gulp and for no apparent reason, speaking in FALSETTO