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Double Bass Bass Buggie vs Wheel Cases vs Endpin Wheels

#24
I've had the Kolstein Stroller on for about 20 years now. I added a little thicker foam padding between the stroller and my bass bag, and my bag was the old "Cushy" bass bag with at least 3/4" foam in it. I haven't seen any damage to my bass. Wheels are a bit small and so it kind of "bumps along" on city sidewalks and occasionally will exhibit a mind of its own and momentarily seem to pull you off in a different direction. The bearings need occasional lubrication and the end pin strap provided is a PITA but not really necessary. I know my end pin block would not handle the shock from a single wheel; I also know I would definitely forget my end pin at a gig so Stroller attached to the case is the easiest for me.
 
#25
Ive used the Eastman wheeled case for over a decade ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]). The old model had some exposed rivets at the bottom of the bag (screwing on the wheels) that could mark the bass, but a well placed towel solved that; the new ones have built in protective pads. I only travel from the house to the car to the rehearsal/concert hall and back, so I don't know how it would hold up in subways, trains etc.
 
#26
My whole career I've just carried my bass, but a recent herniated disc with slow recovery has me rethinking this. Trying to decide between the bass buggy and the wheel with the brake. Leaning toward the buggy but will borrow one from a student and see how I can maneuver with it. Hopefully one of the students at school also has a wheel that I can roll around to see how it feels.

What's the best way to measure an endpin to know what size shaft it is if I go the wheel route? Also, which of these would be a better option if I wanted to continue my habit of one trip load in with bass in the left hand and dolly with amp/stool coming along behind me in my right?
 
#27
Onyx wheel here, one trip loads like that are definitely doable. Very maneuverable and the soft wheel absorbs shock just fine. I was worried about the thing rolling away from me before I got it and after a week with it that worry disappeared. You get pretty adept at moving the bass around, different angles and all that, plus the mooradian bag has a million handles for extra help.

Edit: forgot to mention, I keep the wheel oriented so I push the bass in front of me with the E string side rib facing front, holding the handle on that rib with my right hand. When I’m stopped, I just turn it so the bridge is facing front and the bass just rests in place, its neck on my right shoulder, and doesn’t move. I can pretty easily open doors or press elevator buttons or whatever else with the free right hand this way.

I am paranoid about forgetting the end pin and that worry hasn’t gone away however, I just doublecheck...

It replaced a really old school buggy contraption I glued onto an old case that I kept for like 20 yrs till it disintegrated and always hated the buggy - hard wheels, little shock absorption and super loud on hard surfaces. It offered only a little more stability with less maneuverability.

I’m sure new buggies are actually well made tho.
 
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#28
Chris, have you tried one of these:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

The reason I've avoided the wheel (after several attempts) is the it seemed more of the weight of the bass on my back and shoulder. The bag doesn't.This or the buggy might not either.
Louis
 
#29
@LouisF I haven't seen that, but it sends up several danger signals that only hands-on experience would alleviate. I think it will be best to try a few of whatever the students have with their basses at school when I also have my dolly rig nearby so I can see how the one trip load feels. But for right now, more PT for my back! I used to think I had a reasonably high tolerance for pain, but a herniated disc has me reconsidering that assessment.
 
#33
Sorry to hear about your back Chris!!! No fun!!!

I use my bass buggy all the time, habitually driving the Alcoa/buggy forward of me, either in or out of the bass bag, usually mostly on my right side with the Alcoa neck pressed against my right shoulder and right side of my neck, so that I can assist it with my usually free left hand as needed. Lifting one wheel on either side of the buggy provides a mechanism for strong turning the opposite direction. But lifting one side is not practical if you're pulling or carrying something else with the off-hand, so a person has to learn to drive very deliberately. To be clear, steering the bass buggy in front can be squirrely. very much like pushing a one-handled wheelbarrow.

I have read of people here in TB/DB pulling their double basses on their buggies... I haven't been able to manage that well yet, mostly because I'm afraid I'll clip a person some unknown object with my Alcoa's bridge (or bridge bump when in the bag) and cause some sort of setup havoc; I guess I'd rather see what I'm hitting so I know what to expect when I try to play.

I haven't tried endpin wheels, and probably won't because I'm using the old original wooden endpin and endpin plug on my Alcoa, which has no wing screw for tightening. That old endpin plug is cracked (but currently still functional), so I will eventually replace the old assembly with a modern endpin assembly, and when I do I may look into various endpin wheels.

I just got back from a bluegrass event cruise early this month using the Bass Buggy. My wife and I had all three of our main playing fretted instruments in a good size Coleman folding wagon along with some foilding chairs, stands and miscellaneous small bags, two good size wheeled suitcases and the Alcoa on the buggy. I'm sure we looked like some sort of variety show on parade.

I hadn't intended it to happen this way, but on this cruise, basically my wife and I each had two wheeled contraptions to move at various times. I was in charge of the Alcoa, with my left hand, and another randomly chosen item with my right hand, and I hadn't one-handed or left-handned the Alcoa for long distances on the buggy before, so the cruise was an interesting testing situation for it.

I found that with a little thinking ahead it was very manageable, even getting in and out of crowded elevators, or traversing the ship on deck where other people would be coming from various directions. Having the Alcoa ahead of me sort of broke the wind as far as oncoming crowds were concerned, often with the other item trailing behind me in my wake. I did find that my Alcoa/buggy arm became tired with some of the longer stretches of walking on the ship, and I learned to switch from one arm to the other pretty smoothly.

While THE BASS BUGGY IS DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE AS A STAND, its balance points are handy for times when I'm standing next to my Alcoa and lightly holding it. I found myself doing that a number of times, especially when stopped to talk with random passengers about this "huge aluminum cello" or "funny looking bassoon" that I was transporting from one end of the ship to the other.
 
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#38
No problem. I might add that a caliper is something that once you have you wonder how you ever did without, even if you're not a machinist or luthier. I prefer dial to digital, but there are fewer options on the low end for dial.

Edit: Actually I would recommend digital for Americans precisely because they are both inch and metric.
 
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