alright i have a question to pose. im looking to buy a car, but as a db player, i need one with room for a fat man to lie down in the back.. i was thinking about an el camino, but im not sure about the size of the trunk thing. in any case, outside of a station wagon or an suv, what are some other alternatives?
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Double Bass Basses and cars
- Thread starter rzo
- Start date
This is a much-discussed topic here, and a search will yield tons of advice.
I've driven hatchbacks for as long as I've been playing, and they're great for transporting the instrument. I've transported my bass, amp, small drum set and drummer with my Toyota Matrix (though the drummer was strapped to the top
).
I've done the minivan and a sedan, both of which worked, but for loading/unloading, parking, gas mileage, etc., I'll stick with hatchbacks.
I've driven hatchbacks for as long as I've been playing, and they're great for transporting the instrument. I've transported my bass, amp, small drum set and drummer with my Toyota Matrix (though the drummer was strapped to the top
).I've done the minivan and a sedan, both of which worked, but for loading/unloading, parking, gas mileage, etc., I'll stick with hatchbacks.
I've had small cars from Chevy aveos, to Honda fits Volvo c30 and large cars like saturn sw1 wagon and volvo v70 station wagons the basses fit fine in all of them. A hatch is the key for easy loading and unloading. Just bring your bass with you to be sure.
Yes, a 3/4 DB will fit in almost any car including a mini cooper. Front passenger seat down flat in a sedan or too short bed hatchback. Don't buy until you try.
Generally speaking, you should play with as many cars as you can and go back to the one that speaks to you, whether it's an old German hatchback or a newer Asian hybrid.
Trucks are generally a bad idea. Anything else will work one way or another. Subarus are good for Alaska and our snow on the ground conditions 7 months out of the year. So +1 to the whole hatchback idea.
Personally I drive a Eurovan and it works great despite the fact that it's a freaking ice chest when it gets bitterly cold out.
Personally I drive a Eurovan and it works great despite the fact that it's a freaking ice chest when it gets bitterly cold out.
What about some older suv's like tahoes or even the older blazers??? U can find em cheap and when u lay the back row seats down u have tons of room and the back doors are hatches. I can easily fit a head,,couple of bass cases,,and the 8×10 fridge cabinet with plenty of room so a db should be cake.
I have driven nothing but Blazers since 89,a great change from the old station wagon days of the 70-80's.
The newer SUV's are super with plenty of room also....
I have a 93 Buick Century, the front passenger seat folds down bass slips in. Same with my wife's Toyota Camry. Like Eric said a DB will fit in any car.
Mini Cooper works for sure, I have done it a bunch. Also, to my surprise can fit the DB and amp in a Smart Car.
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
- 6,349
- 607
- Disclosures
- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
I strongly recommend you take not just your bass, but all of your "worst case scenario" gear with you when you go car shopping. For me, that included a double bass, an electric bass, a 4x10 cabinet, a stool and a gear bag, and then I evaluated the remaining space to see if I could get passengers, more gear, overnight bags etc. all in there. I looked at almost every car company (available in Canada) with the two requirements that everything fit in it, and after taxes and everything it (new vehicle) stayed under $30 000.
I took all of that gear, and a passenger on my car shopping excursion in a two door Honda Civic. I would walk into most dealerships, explain what I had with me and what I needed for space, and almost every single sales person said "minivan" or "7 passenger" and looked at me like I was nuts when I suggested their small SUV, station wagon, or hatchback. Then I pulled everything out of the Civic and these people who's entire day job rests on knowing vehicles couldn't believe it came out of there.
It isn't about the amount of space, but how it is configured. A lot of small SUV's (Huyndai Santa Fe, Honda CRV, Mazda CX-5, etc.) Have a decent amount of space, but aren't very long. They would be great for hockey bags and suitcases, but not double basses. You can definitely fit basses in all of them, but you end up with an instrument touching the back of the vehicle with the scroll resting on the centre arm rest, diagonally across the whole back of the vehicle seriously eating up any remaining space, or you have to have the front passenger seat forward, with your potential passenger sitting directly behind you. YMMV. My bass isn't small/short, but it isn't a monster 4/4 with a B extension sticking out the top either. Hatchbacks typically have a longer passenger/cargo area than small SUV's, and are fantastic for just a double bass. Since I had a ton of other gear that I could potentially have to take with me, so I wanted more space. You might not.
7 passenger vehicles are either tanks, minivans, or trucks that happen to have seats instead of a bed. If that doesn't bother you, that's your call. I didn't want my first new car to be a minivan, even if the Mazda 5 was trying really hard not to be a van. It drove like one and had sliding doors. Nail. In. Coffin. Likewise, a Truck/El Camino/Ranchero/Sprint/Caballero was out of the question for me. Being in Southern Ontario, even with a cover on it, there was no way I was exposing my bass to the elements like that. If you live in a climate where rain/snow/extreme temperatures aren't as much of a concern, I would still be worried about the safety of the instrument. If you tie it down (which I would recommend inside whatever vehicle you are using) you could be ok, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
I purchased a Volkswagen Golf Wagon. I can fit my double bass, electric bass, 4x10 cabinet, gear bag, over night bag, a front passenger (with slightly reduced leg room) and a rear passenger. Loading and unloading is significantly easier than it was in the Civic, it's great on gas, and still drives like a car. I haven't exactly had the ladies lining up to say "wow, what a sexy car" but once they see how big my instrument is... they start making "bet you wish you played the flute" comments. Not the ones of the euphemism variety.
Sorry for the novel. As has been said, you can get a bass in almost every vehicle, but that might not be your only requirement. If you double on electric, want to travel in one vehicle with a small ensemble, have a frequent passenger, and/or really want it to come in cherry red, you have to take all of those things into consideration as well.
Have fun shopping.
I took all of that gear, and a passenger on my car shopping excursion in a two door Honda Civic. I would walk into most dealerships, explain what I had with me and what I needed for space, and almost every single sales person said "minivan" or "7 passenger" and looked at me like I was nuts when I suggested their small SUV, station wagon, or hatchback. Then I pulled everything out of the Civic and these people who's entire day job rests on knowing vehicles couldn't believe it came out of there.
It isn't about the amount of space, but how it is configured. A lot of small SUV's (Huyndai Santa Fe, Honda CRV, Mazda CX-5, etc.) Have a decent amount of space, but aren't very long. They would be great for hockey bags and suitcases, but not double basses. You can definitely fit basses in all of them, but you end up with an instrument touching the back of the vehicle with the scroll resting on the centre arm rest, diagonally across the whole back of the vehicle seriously eating up any remaining space, or you have to have the front passenger seat forward, with your potential passenger sitting directly behind you. YMMV. My bass isn't small/short, but it isn't a monster 4/4 with a B extension sticking out the top either. Hatchbacks typically have a longer passenger/cargo area than small SUV's, and are fantastic for just a double bass. Since I had a ton of other gear that I could potentially have to take with me, so I wanted more space. You might not.
7 passenger vehicles are either tanks, minivans, or trucks that happen to have seats instead of a bed. If that doesn't bother you, that's your call. I didn't want my first new car to be a minivan, even if the Mazda 5 was trying really hard not to be a van. It drove like one and had sliding doors. Nail. In. Coffin. Likewise, a Truck/El Camino/Ranchero/Sprint/Caballero was out of the question for me. Being in Southern Ontario, even with a cover on it, there was no way I was exposing my bass to the elements like that. If you live in a climate where rain/snow/extreme temperatures aren't as much of a concern, I would still be worried about the safety of the instrument. If you tie it down (which I would recommend inside whatever vehicle you are using) you could be ok, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
I purchased a Volkswagen Golf Wagon. I can fit my double bass, electric bass, 4x10 cabinet, gear bag, over night bag, a front passenger (with slightly reduced leg room) and a rear passenger. Loading and unloading is significantly easier than it was in the Civic, it's great on gas, and still drives like a car. I haven't exactly had the ladies lining up to say "wow, what a sexy car" but once they see how big my instrument is... they start making "bet you wish you played the flute" comments. Not the ones of the euphemism variety.
Sorry for the novel. As has been said, you can get a bass in almost every vehicle, but that might not be your only requirement. If you double on electric, want to travel in one vehicle with a small ensemble, have a frequent passenger, and/or really want it to come in cherry red, you have to take all of those things into consideration as well.
Have fun shopping.
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
- 6,349
- 607
- Disclosures
- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
Hey Matt, I'm still waiting for a photo of this mind-bending occurrence with bated breath.
It is not a Smart but one of the smallest cars on the (European) market: the Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107.
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I tried my bass in my wifes C1 and it fits nicely. Even room for a passenger on the backseat! I guess bringing an amp too would be pushing it a bit too far though...
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I tried my bass in my wifes C1 and it fits nicely. Even room for a passenger on the backseat! I guess bringing an amp too would be pushing it a bit too far though...
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
- 6,349
- 607
- Disclosures
- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
