Double Bass Bass Buggie vs Wheel Cases vs Endpin Wheels

[Richtofen]

I've been wondering about all three of these myself.
1. Which one has the most control?
2. Which one is best for rolling on concrete/roads?
3. Which one is the safest?

I personally own a Eastman CB60. While the pockets and handles are great, the velcro isn't. It's already worn out for me, and the velcro at the bottom of the bass is really worn out too. The wheels have a bunch of crap on them already. I've heard from a friend that one of the wheels screws on his bass broke off, leaving it loose.

From what i've personally seen on Bass Buggies, they look to be the most simple answer. They are easy to hook onto the bass. (Though it makes me cringe when I see the buggie hooked onto an actual Upright Bass out of the case...)

Endpin Wheels look like you can steer them anywhere the easiest, but some basses you can't really take the endpin out fully. My current bass, you cannot take the endpin out fully.

Thoughts?

 

[bengreen]

Can't comment wheeled cases. Other two:

Bass Buggy

--- Pros: Faster, easier on/off than wheel. No possibility of forgetting to pack endpin after removing because it never is removed. Can be used on uncovered bass with $10 cushion (I rarely remove it). Can push bass in front of you or pull it behind you. When stood upright, endpin acts as brake/3-point stand easing opening/closing car and building doors (it doesn't roll away from you). Fits pretty much any bass with a simple adjustment of the strap length. You only need one buggy no matter how many basses you have or if you change your bass.

--- Cons: wish wheels were bigger and more cushioning (I did buy and use the foam pad). Climbing over curbs/steps has to be finessed more than with a larger endpin wheel. Steering is also not as fluid as a with a single wheel. Lastly, my standard Mooradian bag makes for a very secure fit of the buggy (i.e. no shifting sideways); the stiffer, heavier, thicker Kolstein bag on my backup bass has slipped out of the cradle a couple of times and I've had to stop to reseat it.

Endpin Wheel

--- Pros: very maneuverable, easy to climb curbs. Large, softer pneumatic or semi-dense foam wheel rolls more quietly and smoothly on rough surfaces and deals with potholes better.

--- Cons: tends to easily "run away" from you when you try to open car and building doors (though you can fit a brake on some of them). Wheel's upright shaft has to be sized to match your bass endpin diameter. If you have more than one bass with different endpin diameters, you'll need more than one wheel (or at least shafts). Have to remove endpin to attach wheel. Slower changeover and possibility of forgetting or losing endpin if you're not paying attention. Endpin shafts sometimes twist as they (or the endpin tightener) wear, making steering very weird when they caster.

The easiest choice is the buggy with your trapped endpin. But your endpin can be made removeable fairly easily and cheaply by a luthier.

Oh, if you do buy the buggy and are tempted to do like in the videos and stand it up for a few seconds unattended...DON'T! Personal experience talking here. Other than that, I feel safer, happier with the buggy.

 

[Don Hergert]

When it's time to replace your bass bag, the bass buggy stays with you. Also, the bass buggy works very nicely with a naked bass, especially if you soften the platform using the available pad.

Ben Green is exactly right though, do not leave your bass standing in the bass buggy, the bass buggy is not a bass stand.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Good advice from bengreen!

Rolls in wheel cases are only useable indoors on a hard floor. If you use them outdoor on slightly uneven ground with dust and little stones they get damaged rather soon.

Bass Buggies are great as long as you have a hard floor indoor and outdoor and you are able and willing to lift the bass a bit when you change level differences of more than about five centimeters or two inches (changing street sides, stairs etc.).
Steering is a lot easier by pulling the bass, by pushing it in front of you, you need to step a larger amount sideways where it runs wrongly to get it back on track. That could be difficult and sometimes impossible in crowded places or on narrow tracks. But no problem if you switch to pulling the bass in these situations.

The end pin wheel might be easier to steer, but any impact goes directly on the end block, which may cause damage and an expensive repair. Therefor they need air filled wheels to soften any impact. Better on muddy ground than the Bass Buggie, but with the wheel you need to move, constantly. For a rest it might be better to put the bass down than being afraid that the bass moves on without you following.
A Bass Buggie with air filled wheels might be the best solution, but you need to build one yourself (as I did, but still with the scooter wheels yet, that could be replaced with air-filled ones) or get some kind of cart with air-filled wheels and use some straps to fixate the bass on it. There must be some threads here on Talkbass about that.

As long as you stay in a town, the Bass Buggie would be my favorite, on summer festivals in the green, specially if it gets muddy after a rain, a cart or the bass wheel are better choices.
A wheel case needs to be carried by the player outside anyway and backpack straps are risky to use because you will get the bass damaged if they fail.

 

[DaveAceofBass]

I vote endpin wheel. The bass buggy is harder to steer unless you’re on a smooth surface. I have a case with wheels, it works great for my laminated/plywood bass but it damages the back of my carved bass. The endpin wheel is easiest to use and although folks are concerned about the endpin block here, that’s a much larger/thicker piece of wood than the ribs which is where the bass buggy rides. I think the endpin block can safely withstand some minor abuse as long as you are careful. Get a wheel with a good padded cushion. I think the Onyx (not inflatable but padded like it is) wheel or the Gaines (fully inflatable) wheel is best. I have a Xeros, but will likely sell it for an Onyx in the near future.

 

[Acoop]

I've had pretty good luck with my light-weight, collapsible aluminum cart. ... It's not perfect but, it works with my amp and my bass.

 

[SAlcott]

I alternate between Buggie and Gaines wheel. The wheel is more maneuverable, but needs to come out and endpin put in for secure subway travel. The Buggie doesn't have that issue, but is definitely harder to maneuver, especially on a sidewalk full of people looking down at their phones. Neither one makes 3-4 flights of stairs any easier.

 

[lurk]

Pneumatic Wheel. Keep it soft so it absorbs shock. Learn to chock it with your shoe when not moving. I feel the block is built to handle the weight of the bass, the lower bout, where the buggy sits, is not.

 

[damonsmith]

I alternate between Buggie and Gaines wheel. The wheel is more maneuverable, but needs to come out and endpin put in for secure subway travel. The Buggie doesn't have that issue, but is definitely harder to maneuver, especially on a sidewalk full of people looking down at their phones. Neither one makes 3-4 flights of stairs any easier.

One of these make train travel and other situations like standing it in the corner, even much better. Worth the $24!
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[Richtofen]

As for the bass buggy, I don't know if this is good for the bass, but I thought this was strange.

This was from a YouTube video talking about the buggie. It looks like the stool is putting pressure on the sides of the bass. As convenient this may look, (being a stool player) it looks like it's hurting the bass. So i'll just keep lugging the stool around. (I hope they didn't do it to a carved bass..)

My next bass is going to be a nice hybrid, most likely from Shen. I probably will just get the bass buggie anyway and get the extra padding. I'm mostly walking around concrete, hardfloors, and carpet with this bass.

As for the Endpin wheel, what damonsmith said looks to be like a great idea. I always thought endpin wheels were clunky to take around, but I never knew brakes were a thing.

I'll just have to see what happens I guess.

 

[damonsmith]

I have never seen a case with wheels I would trust..

 

[Sean Riddle]

The bass buggie is my favorite. It’s easy to take on and off, maneuvers easily, and I personally find it easier to control than an end pin wheel. I’ve used it to hike out to some places for performances with little issues and no damage to my bass (a shen hybrid).

 

[Fretless55]

Another vote for the Bass Buggy!

Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy to get on and get goin.

Definitely prefer it to my Xeros wheel, although the brake mod suggested for the Xeros seems big improvement in its functionality. Never knew such a modification was available, but does strike me as shortsighted it wasn’t included in the first place.

Good luck in finding what works best for you.

 

[Fretless55]

As to the third option of wheeled bags, is there anyone out there who has one they like?

Hard shell airline cases (coffins) are certainly another thing, but wheeled bags just seem like a “bad good idea” to me...

 

[Don Hergert]

I do bring my thickly padded bass bag when driving to all gigs, but, when traveling with the bass in my car I typically only use the bag for padding and nesting underneath the bass to keep it in place, and to carry all my bass gear in its pockets... Then when I arrive and park at the venue I use my bass buggy to wheel the naked bass from the car to the venue -- that way the bag is one less big thing to worry about inside the venue itself (plus it's a lot quicker to load the bass naked into the car and when arrived, to get it ready at the venue).

So for me bag wheels wouldn't be any help for the majority of my gigs.

I do have my bass buggy set so it will work either with or without the bag, without having to make belt adjustments.

There isn't a lot of walking from home or using public transportation with the bass to get to gigs in this part of the country. If there was I'd definitely be putting the bass in the bag.

 

[madbanjoman]

I recently had a gig in a crowded downtown area and didn’t trust walking through the crowd with my bass buddy, so I used the backpack straps on the gig bag and walked to the stage with it on my back. It worked well, but it is heavy and awkward on my back.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

With the bass buggie the weight is mostly on the top and back edge, only a bit (by the bag foam and/or the cushion) on the ribs.
Reglueing the ribs to top and back is a lot less expensive than repairing a broken lower block.

Seems that a brake for an endpin wheel might be a good option, depending on how to engage and loosen the break.

 

[Reiska]

I use a basic collapseable luggage trolley, walk with my bass a lot and it does ok in the hasards of winter and such . However, one of these seems to last for app. a year, the wheels wear out. It costs something like 20 euros, so it`s not that big of a deal.

 

[madbanjoman]

I had a wedding this weekend that was downtown and parking that was underground. I went with my bass buggy for the first time pulling it behind me and wow what a difference! I was able to maneuver the parking garage and the the city streets as well as the hotel. This thread is how I even found out about pulling the buggy. Thanks!

 

[Jason Hollar]

I’ve gotten very good results with the Onyx. It’s soft and because it’s not pneumatic it’ll never go flat.

The Upton bass bag had little wheels on it but they were thrashed by the time I took ownership so I simply removed the plastic casings.

The Upton bag also has a cool skinny pocket on the bag seemingly the perfect fit for the endpin.

If your end pin doesn’t come all the way out there’s probably a little catch pin or something that can easily be snipped off inside by your luthier.