Double Bass Folding cart instead of a wheel?

[robobass]

Single wheels put a lot of force on the lower block.
A bass buggie with a damping rubber foam mat is healthier to the bass and nice in public transport.

Yes, in principal, but I really think that damage caused by using a single wheel is extremely rare.

 

[bengreen]

Bass Buggy. Loving it more and more, especially the fast on and off, but...

Don't be dumb like me.

Any time you stand bass upright by itself, make sure you're close enough to catch it if it falls.

Sound of bass landing on it's belly is at least as gut wrenching as crumpling aluminum of a car crash.

Luckily no harm, but never be that complacent with it again.

 

[ctrlzjones]

Single wheels put a lot of force on the lower block.
A bass buggie with a damping rubber foam mat is healthier to the bass and nice in public transport.

Totally with you. Me too thought that it would be 'sexier' to have only that slick one wheel attached to the endpin block inside ... that was until after 10 years of not so heavy (2-3 times a week) train-travelling & mechanical stairs (during the latter forces are often distributed like 90º) and a packed bag, that block came loose and I am still dealing with the caused damage.

For me: The Single Wheel Solution, never again.

 

[robobass]

Right I remember your thread. This one, right? Are you sure it didn't just get dropped on the endpin?

I say endpin wheels are safe. I used one for years when I lived in NY, as did practically all of my colleagues. I never heard of any damage.

 

[ctrlzjones]

Right I remember your thread. This one, right? Are you sure it didn't just get dropped on the endpin?

I say endpin wheels are safe. I used one for years when I lived in NY, as did practically all of my colleagues. I never heard of any damage.

No, no sudden drops. The one thing I can be certain about is that the tailblock became loose over the years until the final 'ouch' that happened while catching the mechanical stairs, when the wheel was 5 stairs up in front of me, horizontal, and the resulting angle of weight 90º to the endpin.

I would assume a cross factoring of "not being glued properly' and 'unnecessary stress' and can only advise the endpin-wheel users to handle with care ...

Otherwise I am with you, I have never heard anything either and also find it hard to believe that these things would be sold if they presented any risk ...

 

[Ortsom]

Risk is a difficult matter. You can only define it meaningfully in terms of how often something happens, compared to the total number of instances. But those data are not normally reliably known, and then intuitively we default to a 'gut feeling'. Although there's always risk (however small), your personal risk can be reduced by being careful. But risk remains.

Cigarettes are still being sold, though by now it undisputed that they represent increased risk.

PS: what happened to your damage? Work in progress?

 

[damonsmith]

The bass buggy is the way to go especially if you are doing a ton of public transport. The best part is when you get on the subway, you use the endpin. I have a wheel and it is fine for getting the bass from the car to the space, but I am in NYC a few times month now and the wheel is a huge drag once you get on the subway the bass is just rolling around and you have to find ways to stop the wheel with your foot or whatever.
The Boston T isn't extensive enough for the gigs here, so I just drive. If I was in NY any more than I am I'd get the buggy.

 

[ctrlzjones]

Risk is a difficult matter. You can only define it meaningfully in terms of how often something happens, compared to the total number of instances. But those data are not normally reliably known

All the data about everything that has happened can be reliably known. This is why they are tracing peoples behaviour and the rest of the known world through the use of cameras and sensors, growing databases; those collections are subsequently used for finding conditions and relations and then forecasting what is expected to happen. Analysis range from weather reports to pre-crime ... Other matters of interest for prognostics are trading and assurances.

Me for sure will get one of the latter in the foreseeable future. And this is totally predictable behaviour.
Also, if I'd seen a foto showing the same damage my bass has now, I'd refrained from a bass wheel and chosen a buggy. But then one could also get involved in any other traffic accident if not being carful.

 

[Ortsom]

Sorry, don't take parts of my previous post as criticism applying to you, or what happened to your bass. Don't know if you did, but it was just intended as a philosophical outstep. I personally will never use an end-pin wheel, just based on gut feeling. And what I know on the internals of DB's there. That's my choice, anyone is free to make his own.

I'll get back to you on the philosophy of chance & risk at a later stage, if so desired. How's the bass?

 

[robobass]

I never worried about block damage, but did eventually stop using the wheel, finding it inconvenient once you are on the subway. You need to take it off once you are on the train, for example, and once I left one on a seat. Once I got the straps arranged properly I've always just carried the thing... Risk? There are so may ways that a bass can get damaged during transport. We should do a survey of big city luthiers. I bet block damage from wheels is the least likely cause.

 

[jon3673]

I have now migrated to the SHAR bass cart which is found at: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
It's great on a 3/4 or above size bass. Doesn't fit well on smaller basses.

 

[Roger Mouton]

Kart-a-Bag, Concorde V is the model sold now. I discovered I had an old one several years ago. My wife had been a pharmaceutical rep and I think her company had bought them for the sales force. It had been gathering dust. Coincidentally I was reading a thread somewhere (I thought here on TB) about transporting upright bass and Kart-a-Bag was the product and a model no. was indicated in the thread. I located her old Kart-a-Bag and used it a lot. BTW, I also have a Gaines wheel.

With Kart-a-Bag it was possible to strap up the bass, transport it and on arriving at the destination it could stand up by all by itself. Not recommended for real windy conditions and I didn't set it up like that very often but it was convenient enough to do at times until I could lay the bass down or secure it somehow. My Kart-a-Bag disappeared at a gig one night. It's not been replaced yet.

One other thing about this thread: Folding Cart. The Kart-a-Bag website indeed shows the Concorde V but unfortunately not in its "folded" state. The thing really folded down to itty bitty dimensions. If you look at the pictures of it then imagine the straps wrap around the folded cart after the handles compress completely into the base and the bed folds up. REALLY cool!

 

[Roger Mouton]

Just did some sniffing around for a folded Kart-a-Bag picture somewhere. Remin Kart-A-Bag Super 600 came up. That's the one I had. I think amazon sells them. It's the same as Concorde V on the Kart-A-Bag website. At least it's priced at under $200. I'll bet a used one could be found too. The thing was bulletproof.

 

[joenoone]

I know this is an old thread, but I've finally made the jump to upright bass. I was looking at bass carts as well and couldn't believe how expensive they are. Today I ran into a YouTube video on best kayak carts and saw many of those are under $50. Anyone ever used one of those for a bass cart or found another inexpensive trick?

 

[Reiska]

Hi, and welcome to the dark side! I use cheapo folding cart and public transportation. I grab the bass by the bag handle that`s just below the neck/ body transition area, my right arm around the neck. This way I can go with one wheel only ( the left side wheel ), very balanced, easy to turn and fast. When I stop I don`t leave the bass without support, but it stands on both wheels pretty stable. I can walk with my bass for 30-ish mins comfortably this way, rest of my stuff I have in a backpack. Hope this helps.

 

[damonsmith]

This changes everything:
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[RadicalDad]

I know this is a ridiculously old thread, but it came up very early in my Google results when I was looking to upgrade from a single bass wheel. Reply #13 in this thread from jon3673 mentioned his luthier used a BagBoy C-5 Golf Cart and that it seemed it would fit almost any bass without modification. BINGO - just what I want. That post was from 2012, and the BagBoy C-5 is no longer made. I called a golf pro shop and asked to speak with a long-time employee who might remember the C5. That did the trick.

Today I purchased what might be its latest incarnation, the BagBoy Compact 3. It looks like it will fit almost any bass easily and will work with or without the case. This is a three-wheel cart, so it is super stable with the bass loaded. The tires are a rubber-like compound much like a bass wheel, though there isn't nearly as much cushioning as a bass wheel. Still better than nothing. The umbrella holder is a nice touch. (See photo.) It even comes with a little golf scorecard pencil in its own holder so you will always have something to mark your music! Folds up really small when not in use.

The only problem is that the upper straps are too short to fit around the bass, but longer straps are an easy fix. The bottom of my bass sits comfortably on the lower bag rest, but my bass has enough depth that the endpin cannot engage the large hole on the lower bag rest, which would make me feel more secure that the bass won't slip off. There is a strap down there which can be wrapped around the endpin or the handle on my Moradian case which is down there, so out of the box this is quite usable once you get longer upper straps. If you HAVE TO modify a golf cart to justify your existence, it looks like it would be a simple job to extend the lower bag rest with a piece of wood so that the endpin could engage the hole in the lower bag rest, eliminating the need for the strap down there. I might do the unthinkable and get some extra padding for the two places that contact the upper part of the bass when it is resting in the cart, but I'm not sure that is really necessary.

The BagBoy Compact 3 was on a big sale when I purchased it from the local golf pro shop today. I don't know if I chanced walking into a great sale at the pro shop or it is being closed out in favor of the next iteration (Compact 4?). Expensive? Yes - I paid about 1/3 more than what the Bass Buggy goes for on Gollihur Music. Worth it? To me, yes. It is a no-muss, no-fuss solution that I've wanted for years and will save my aging back.

 

[james condino]

Right I remember your thread. This one, right? Are you sure it didn't just get dropped on the endpin?
View attachment 2562542
I say endpin wheels are safe. I used one for years when I lived in NY, as did practically all of my colleagues. I never heard of any damage.

I've seen this damage happen about a half dozen times over the last decade. In all cases it was from using a single endpin wheel and rolling the bass off a curb. That's why I like the big carts- they make it much easier to pick up all of the broken pieces and schlep them back to your vehicle after a failed ollie....

 

[Don Hergert]

I have a Coleman folding cart and I have a Bass Buggy... I use the folding cart for schlepping our smaller instruments and/or gear, which fit well within the cart, and I use the Bass Buggy for my DB...

For nearly cross-country navigation of high grass and/or really rough terrain I have a handmade plywood DB cart fitted with 2 fat pneumatic cart tires, but it's so heavy, bulky and unwieldy that I prefer not to use it and will just carry the DB for small distances instead.