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Double Bass Gig bag strap reliability

jj.833

jj.833

Oct 19, 2006
1,412
2,240
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prague czech republic
#1
Few weeks ago I went for a gig with BG and when entering the venue, the strap on my gigbag suddenly tore and the bass fell on concrete stairs right in front of entrace. It was a custom made Precision and proved to be really well built, nothing happened to it. The only victims were the people already at the venue, who had to listen to my black curses right when I was entering the door.

It started me worry about my DB gigback though. I have quite expensive gigbag with two backpack straps. When I am putting it on my back, there's this short moment when I hold the bass only by one strap already on my right shoulder, while the bass moves wholy on my back so I could grab the other strap behind my left shoulder. In this moment, there's surely the biggest possible pressure on the strap, and I'm not physically able to hold the bass secure as it is out of my hand reach.

I examine the straps from time to time. However, with the BG gigbag, it broke in the middle of the adjustable strap, which showed no flaws and I wouldn't think this place is possible to break. Later I found that the strap could be easily broken by relativelly mild hand pull. (I don't want to specify what company made it as I am afraid old Leo would have to turn in his grave.) ;)

So, my question. Does any of you have experience with double bass gig bag strap suddenly breaking? Whad do you do to prevent it?

Thanks a lot and have a nice weekend!
 
#2
I’m trying to picture putting my large 3/4 DB on my back at all. I’d be terrified to go through a doorway. I always carry it by itself so I have a hand free for obstacles and support. I’m not sure this addresses your question. I never had a strap break, but I don’t trust them either.
 
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#3
I don’t think I’d ever put a DB in a backpack configuration - I can think of a lot of reasons that might be worrying. Carrying the DB with a shoulder strap, however, my biggest worry is always about the rings and clips that attach the strap to the case. I haven’t had one break yet, but I’m always really careful to have an extra hand on another strap in case the shoulder strap clips were to go…especially on stairs.
 
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#5
I carry my double bass on my back all the time. You have to bend way down for doors - I always joke that "I'm approaching the music in the proper attitude".

I've used an awful lot of things made of nylon and polypropylene webbing over the last 50 years or so, including all kinds of backpacking equipment, and I've never had a failure of the webbing itself, only of sewn connections. And those fail slowly as the stitches start to loosen and come out. A sudden break is so unusual that I don't spend any time worrying about it. I do a quick inspection of the straps before I heave the thing up into position, to make sure the adjustment buckles and the sewn attachments look OK. I'm not worried.
 
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#6
My current "Rockbag" bass guitar gig bag is only about 5 years old but I already had to fix it in multiple places, going over it with a sewing machine and adding jeans cloth to stabilize it as well as re-sewing the zipper, and adding key rings to secure the straps because some of the joints broke etc. It's quite solid at the moment but it definitely wasn't worth the initial price. My next bass guitar gig bag will be a Mono. (I already have one for the guitar and it's amazing.)

As for the DB gig bag that came with my DB 2 months ago, it's a 20 years old "Chester" bag according to the original invoice I got from the previous owner. He didn't use the DB much in all those years so it's still quite "as new". The backpack straps are rather thin, but actually it's quite a clever system because there are multiple spots where they can be pinned. So far it feels pretty solid to me, especially since in the 2 months of carrying it on my back I've managed to hit a few doorframes, road signs on the side walks, and of course a bunch of lamps. Just last Monday I've killed a tube light in the stairway to our rehearsal room… :D
(But yeah, meanwhile I'm also learning to "approach the music in the proper attitude", hehe)
 
#7
My Alcoa came to me in an ancient but nicely padded DB bag on which every zipper except for the main cavity zipper had failed. The bag also had a hole through the main cavity scroll area, fortunately created by a different double bass. My wife and I spent a few evenings replacing those zippers with industrial Velcro and repairing the hole with purchased thick nylon fabric. This bag came with removable backpack style straps and I've used them, but only a few times...

Here's the thing: My DB weights in at 27 pounds without accessories, but I've got pickups, a mic, short cables, a pre-amp, a bow quiver and a bow, all semi-permanently attached to it. Then I almost always have a Bass Buggy either attached to the DB or to the bag with the DB in it. I'm sure my playing configuration for just the DB is about 35 pounds as it is...

Then there are the now functional pockets in my DB bag, which somehow have all found themselves full of various emergency essentials, ranging from bows, spare strings and spare parts to rudimentary setup tools and such. I'm sure the bag with the junk in the pockets weighs at least 20 pounds.

When I was in my 20s I was an avid backpacker/cross-country skier/bicyclist and trekking for miles with around with 50+ pounds of junk on my back was sort of fun. Today 50 years later it isn't fun anymore, and given my lack of mobile stability, it's probably also dangerous for both me and the DB.

I've found other uses for the DB bag's removable backpack style straps, and I use the Bass Buggy for nearly all of my movements with the DB. The most serious problem I've very occasionally run into is carrying it up stairs, and even for that I usually work out another solution -- a little time goes into mapping my route alternatives, and then if absolutely necessary, finding someone associated with the venue to help.

While I have occasionally trusted the removable backpack style straps on my DB bag, I don't trust the old bio-frame that they go on. It's just not worth the gamble.
 
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#8
Have not had gig bag instrument straps breaking like that, but I've had the gig accessories bag shoulder straps unhook on me. I'm more careful of using that strap when the bag is heavy.

For my backpacks, I do adjust them in fall to have larger straps to accommodate my thicker winter clothing. Then I pull them in, in spring / summer to accommodate less thick warm weather clothing.


For upright, I don't use any backpack style straps. I use a bass wheel and roll it. (That's what I do to prevent a strap tear from becoming a fall)

I do need to take one upright case in to a seamstress to resew some tears that are starting near the hand hold straps, + zipper.
 
#10
loukash said:
. . . in the 2 months of carrying it on my back I've managed to hit a few doorframes, road signs on the side walks, and of course a bunch of lamps. Just last Monday I've killed a tube light in the stairway to our rehearsal room… :D
Click to expand...

If I were you, I'd take that as a cue not to carry your bass on your back like that any longer.

Unless your bass happens to be a Palatino or Cremona. If so, carry on.
 
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#12
Chris Fitzgerald said:
I don’t think I’d ever put a DB in a backpack configuration - I can think of a lot of reasons that might be worrying. Carrying the DB with a shoulder strap, however, my biggest worry is always about the rings and clips that attach the strap to the case. I haven’t had one break yet, but I’m always really careful to have an extra hand on another strap in case the shoulder strap clips were to go…especially on stairs.
Click to expand...

The great thing about backpack straps (and the ones on the Messina are extremely robust) is it makes stairs a breeze. I use a wheel to get around mostly , like in NYC, but subway stairs were much easier with a backpack configuration than a single shoulder strap as the weight is distributed more evenly and is better aligned with your center of gravity. The on/off is a little more problematic but the few times the elevator in my building was out and I had to do a 6 floor walk up to get home, it definitely made life easier…

I had a shoulder strap that I got from Mike Weatherly fail on me once, but that was a wrap around the neck and endpoint sort of affair, it didn’t attach to the bag at all.
 
#13
Ed Fuqua said:
The great thing about backpack straps (and the ones on the Messina are extremely robust) is it makes stairs a breeze. I use a wheel to get around mostly , like in NYC, but subway stairs were much easier with a backpack configuration than a single shoulder strap as the weight is distributed more evenly and is better aligned with your center of gravity. The on/off is a little more problematic but the few times the elevator in my building was out and I had to do a 6 floor walk up to get home, it definitely made life easier…

I had a shoulder strap that I got from Mike Weatherly fail on me once, but that was a wrap around the neck and endpoint sort of affair, it didn’t attach to the bag at all.
Click to expand...
I have not had a strap break but did once have the a Messina latch come loose from the D ring, and almost lose my bass. He uses great hardware but nothing is foolproof, which is why I recommend carabiners.
 
#17
From my former life, I recommend an auto upholstery shop to do repairs on db bags. The industrial sewing machines have a walking foot that makes repairs through several layers much easier. The last time I needed a repair, I just walked in and asked to use their machine after establishing my bona fides, and did it myself. For my eb, a Levy's bag is quite nice and has great pockets.
 
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#18
My first case was a super cheap thing that was canvas lined with some kind of thin foam stuff. Eventually the foam disintegrated and left this sticky black dust all over my bass. Time for a new case.

My luthier had gotten a bunch of TKL cases for cheap, and told me he was unloading them because the handles were prone to falling off. Deal. Sure enough, they did fall off gradually. He did recommend taking it to a tent shop, which is another place with giant industrial sewing machines. The case went with my Kay to its new owner, and I treated myself to a Bobelock.
 
#19
I have a Bobelock and always replace the shoulder strap with a high quality neoprene luggage strap from Neotech or another company. They never come unlatched from the D ring and are SO MUCH more comfortable than the nylon ones with the silly plastic shoulder protector. I carry mine by shoulder strap often and I swear by these. When they start to look a little worn I get a new one. The key here is to have a schedule to look at the condition of the stitching, because as mentioned above, that's where it's going to fail. I have had the D ring stitching completely come off two bags in the past that were top of the line for the era 80's-2010's. Put it in your calendar and check it once a month if you are worried about it. You certainly won't notice it arriving at a gig or when you get home at 1am.
 

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