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Double Bass cars for double bass?
- Thread starter rob_the_bassist
- Start date
Have Smart Cars made it to the US yet? I'll bet that would pose a challenge
(other than that though, I would agree with you)
I've seen a pretty good amount of Smart Cars recently.You could probably fit a DB in a Smart Car.If you rent a wood chipper...............
Besides the Ford Escape, does anyone know if you can fit two 3/4 basses (w/ padded cases) into any of the new hybrids? I'm mostly thinking about the Toyota Prius or the new Honda Insight, but maybe there's also another new hybrid on the horizon that has room for two basses.
I've seen a pretty good amount of Smart Cars recently.You could probably fit a DB in a Smart Car.If you rent a wood chipper...............
it fits in a Volvo XC90 with the middle seats down -luckily I havent tried to bring an amp, thatd be a tight fit.
be forewarned, uptons are *big* basses. i first brought mine home in my gf's volvo sedan, passenger front seat down ... it *just* squeaked in, and i couldn't see anything out the right side ... solution? two words: honda fit.
jeff.
jeff.
I've got a 99 Honda CRV and it works well, though my upright has to lye on its side so as to not bear any weight on the neck. Hatchbacks work great especially if they have dip in between the front seats while the backs seats are down.
My last car was a Nissan 200sx, hatchback and perfect size. Though one time when I had an extra cab to carry I mistakenly rested the neck of the bass on the cab and it broke the neck joint. I didn't notice it until the action got higher and higher from the neck pulling away from the body. I had to get the neck pulled and reset.
My last car was a Nissan 200sx, hatchback and perfect size. Though one time when I had an extra cab to carry I mistakenly rested the neck of the bass on the cab and it broke the neck joint. I didn't notice it until the action got higher and higher from the neck pulling away from the body. I had to get the neck pulled and reset.
Well, poop... if I manage to get it in, I can just picture not being able to shift gears or see out of the right side of my car. On that note, let me pose another question- my brother has a 4-door Taurus that is a good bit roomier inside than my Focus. Do any of you guys know if that would work? Of course, given that he'd be cool with him letting me use his car!
I'm thinking my next bass is going to be a Czech-ease!!
That is what my wife keeps saying.
To be safe, to yourself and others on the road, it certainly would be best to own a vehicle that makes transporting a DB safe and easy.
Back in the 70/80's when I lived in Vancouver BC I used to see an upright bass player carrying his upright strapped onto the top of his Volvo 240 roof rack. At the time I was playing more rock and blues gigs and I'd always pass him on the highway. He'd be going in one direction and I'd be going in another.
I never met the man but I thought if I started playing upright I'd be traveling in the same direction as he was.
I never met the man but I thought if I started playing upright I'd be traveling in the same direction as he was.
I checked out a Prius. The bass has to go in body first and lie on its back. This is because of the sloping hatchback. It's workable, but you would want to devise some type of foam pad to raise and cushion the body, as well as possibly another thicker pad under the neck. My very first car was a 1955 Porsche Speedster, and the neck had to come outside the passenger window opening. There was no roll-up window, just a removeable side curtain. The car also had no heater, and it was quite an adventure driving to a gig in Wisconsin in January while it was snowing. Fortunately, I had a Kay bass which could withstand just about anything.
George
George
Sounds just like that country band's 1930's - 40's promo photo of their DB on the roof of their vehicle. I'll like to get a copy of that but no idea where to even find it on the internet now.
Well, poop... if I manage to get it in, I can just picture not being able to shift gears or see out of the right side of my car. On that note, let me pose another question- my brother has a 4-door Taurus that is a good bit roomier inside than my Focus. Do any of you guys know if that would work? Of course, given that he'd be cool with him letting me use his car!
Only if you take out the passenger seat.
But does his front seat fold all the way flat (or pretty close to it)? It's doable but it's not easy to get a bass in a 4 door sedan.
Dodge Caravan...cheap to buy and parts are easy to find. Lots of room and you can take the seats out.
If I'm not mistaken, his passenger seat does fold down pretty far... a good bit futher than the passenger seat does in my car.
"Dodge Caravan...cheap to buy and parts are easy to find. Lots of room and you can take the seats out."
I found mini vans are worst for hauling DB's around. With the seats in there's no way to get it in and with the seats out you've got to brace it so it doesn't slide around.
I found mini vans are worst for hauling DB's around. With the seats in there's no way to get it in and with the seats out you've got to brace it so it doesn't slide around.
...but if you've got a minivan with buckets in the middle and a rear bench that folds down -- and there are tens of thousands of such vehicles out there, just like my crummy old Windstar -- then you've got a bass-moving monster. I've done hundreds of gigs using my Windstar and I couldn't be happier with its functionality as a bass-mover.
