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How do you transport your gear?
- Thread starter Matt Dean
- Start date
Looks like Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, CA, overlooking the port.
For getting around in the L.A. area, my four door hatch VW EV Golf handles a good amount of gear with the back seats folded down. I can easily fit a 4 x 10 cab, Ampeg head and a bass or two. It could probably handle an 8 x 10 cab if need be.
I need a cart!
I use my truck, as well as two feet and a heart beat.
I am playing out twice this weekend, so lots of loading in and out.
I use my truck, as well as two feet and a heart beat.
I am playing out twice this weekend, so lots of loading in and out.
Not the only oneThis thread would need a pool. I'm sure a huge majority of us is using a big car like you two.
By contrast, I live in Paris, France, I don't have a car, I don't even have a driving lesson, but you know what? Because of the traffic jam, the Metro is almost always faster than cars.
Am I the only one?
I take my amp in the gig bag, my small Barefaced One 10 on a trolley, and good to go for bars and small clubs. Looking forward to get a bigger cab for bigger stages, but it has to be under 15 Kg.
I used to have a beautiful Mazda 626 estate when I lived in Australia and had a Mesa 610 to lug around everywhere. Now I take buses and trains, with a Mono Bass Sleeve and a nano pedalboard inside!
FullumMusic
Commercial User
- Oct 13, 2022
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- Audio/Music software developer, contracted with a company you've heard of and deving my own stuff.
Bass goes in case. Case straps onto my back. Walk/Subway to where i'm going. 
1 bass; 1 Ampeg 210AV; a gym bag with GKMB200, charts, cables, cords, &c.; music stand, geetar stand, folding stool. I squeeze it all into a Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
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I should have planned better. This can barely fit a bag of groceries but I couldn’t resist the color.
Just kidding! If u saw the grandpa wagon I drive u would all laugh
PT Cruiser with the back seats removed: it's a very capable little mini-van (carried all my gear and the drummer's to the last mountain-top ski-resort gig)
Two Ampeg 8x10" cabs. Loaded 12U rack. 4 PA speakers with 2 subs. Fretted and fretless versions of 4, 5 and 6 strings. Two backups of everything, plus a bass riser...
2015 Outback, 1-12 Revsound, Streamliner 900, bass in gig bag, bass stand, Manhassett music stand. Sometimes a basic PA as well. Move it all around using a dolly I bought in NY Chinatown in ‘82.
We have a dedicated (secure) rehearsal space so I really don't tote much back and forth unless swapping gear. I have a small (8'x5') trailer for gigs to load all the PA equipment, lighting, and band gear.
This thread would need a pool. I'm sure a huge majority of us is using a big car like you two.
By contrast, I live in Paris, France, I don't have a car, I don't even have a driving lesson, but you know what? Because of the traffic jam, the Metro is almost always faster than cars
Am I the only one?
I take my amp in the gig bag, my small Barefaced One 10 on a trolley, and good to go for bars and small clubs. Looking forward to get a bigger cab for bigger stages, but it has to be under 15 Kg.
A good friend is a drummer who's lived in Paris for around 30 years (he's Canadian). I was super impressed when we first met - he was living in a 6th floor walk up apartment and would metro (or sometimes taxi) to and from all his gigs. Had it set up so he would pack all the drum shells into each other Russian nesting doll style and then a soft gigbag type bag for the bass drum and would wear it like a backpack. Cymbals and sticks in a soft bag and another with lightweight hi-hat and cymbal stand and kick pedal. Would just use a crate or chair at the venue. Could carry his whole set on him. Worked for him and he gigged all the time and was how he fully made his living. Also didn't own a car.
I still do a mix as far as getting to gigs. Will drive if I need to but many of the venues here have backline - festivals, of course, but quite a few of the clubs as well. So, I've done plenty of gigs just taking the train and a bass in a gigbag. I usually carry a TE Elf head and/or Shiftline Olympic preamp just in case as well as a high pass filter. Club backline was much less common in the US clubs though (festivals tended to have it). Had a regular slot for years at The Saloon in San Francisco and the house bass amp (Acoustic head and a ratty old 2x15 cab) sounded great in that room. The combination just worked. I was sorry to see it had been 'upgraded' when I was last there - didn't sound as good in combination with the specific room IMO.
What part of Paris do you live in?
This thread would need a pool. I'm sure a huge majority of us is using a big car like you two.
By contrast, I live in Paris, France, I don't have a car, I don't even have a driving lesson, but you know what? Because of the traffic jam, the Metro is almost always faster than cars
Am I the only one?
I take my amp in the gig bag, my small Barefaced One 10 on a trolley, and good to go for bars and small clubs. Looking forward to get a bigger cab for bigger stages, but it has to be under 15 Kg.
I used to use a 2007 Toyota Sienna. Now I use a 2022 Subaru Outback if I'm bringing the DB, for BG only gigs I use the Outback or a 2009 Toyota Camry, depending on the situation.
The Camry has a much lower driver position than either the Outback or Sienna so I shy away from using it at night on long trips on secondary roads (vs. interstates and parkways) because I get blasted by the higher headlamps of SUVs, pickups, large trucks, etc.
If there's snowstorms or torrential downpours, I'll use the Outback.
I chose to buy the Outback because it has a flat rear entry unlike every SUV I looked at. I decided against a new Sienna because I seldom need all that extra room any more (sold my PA, have no large bass cabs), the gas mileage is worse and it costs about $5K more at each trim level.
The Camry has a much lower driver position than either the Outback or Sienna so I shy away from using it at night on long trips on secondary roads (vs. interstates and parkways) because I get blasted by the higher headlamps of SUVs, pickups, large trucks, etc.
If there's snowstorms or torrential downpours, I'll use the Outback.
I chose to buy the Outback because it has a flat rear entry unlike every SUV I looked at. I decided against a new Sienna because I seldom need all that extra room any more (sold my PA, have no large bass cabs), the gas mileage is worse and it costs about $5K more at each trim level.
