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Double Bass Messina Cover - Zipper Orientation

S

ShawnLBass

Jul 17, 2014
42
21
41
Brooklyn
#1
I'm in the process of ordering a Messina cover, and I noticed that the pocket zippers are to be accessed when the bass is laying on the G side. When packing and unpacking, I always lay bass on E side, since big zipper is on the G side.

I'm considering having them move the pocket zippers to the opposite side so that they are facing same as the big zipper, and all zippers can be accessed without flipping the bass to other side. Any other Messina owners have thoughts on this? I know some folks have the big zipper moved to the E side to rectify this, but after 20 years of having it the other way I don't think I'd like to change it.

Also, I've never took notice, but I guess most people lay their bass on G side when they begin to unpack? And when packing-up they finish with bass on G side? That seems counter-intuitive to me. That said, I used to always lay bass on E side when out of the case too, until I had bumpers installed and learned that the opposite is much more common.
 
#2
When I ordered my Messina I had them put the long zipper on the E side. I lay the bass on the G side when not upright. The bumpers on mine are on the G side.

The pocket zippers are on the upside when laying down.

Like you, I was used to a bag built the way I described and didn’t want to change. David accommodated me.
 
#3
How do you guys like the E side zipper? I’m getting ready to order a Messina cover and I have two bags now (one is falling apart and I’m replacing it) and one has the E side zipper and the other has the G side...I prefer the E side but I think it’s in part due to the design. David Messina tells me the bag is designed for G side zipper... What was your experience?
 
#4
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#6
That's the side that my quiver is on (the E) so the procedure is:
Unzip the short zipper
Lay the bass down
Take all the crap I need out of the pockets
Take the bow out
Take off the wheel and put in the end pin
Stand the bass up
Unzip the long zipper and take of the bag
Put the bag on something and lay the bass back down (or stand in a corner, if there is one)
Zip up the bag and stash it someplace
 
#9
I use a Bass Buggy and that is affected by the location of the bag zipper.

My zipper is on the E side, I sort of prefer it there because I like my Bass Buggy on the G side; with this arrangement I can unzip the E side (starting from the end pin area) enough to pull the bow and rosin out of the quiver if I forget to take it out before I put the bass in the bag.

That said, I do think I'd figure a way to adjust if it was on the G side.

If we're just driving from home to a gig and back in the car, not overnighting, I tend to put my highly padded bass bag in the car first to work as a nest for the bass; then I put the bass, with the Bass Buggy on, on top of the bag and all our other instruments around it, and I also secure the scroll to the seat in front of the bass to reduce movement...

When we get to the gig the bass comes out alone, leaving the bulky bass bag in the car, and I wheel the bass alone to the stage. Having the bass bag in the car means one less thing to worry about near the stage, plus it has extra strings, supplies and parts in it, so they are available close by if needed.

If we're traveling for days (to a cruise, on a road trip, RV camping for festivals, etc.) I bag up the bass and put on the Bass Buggy over the bag. With the RV, I'll leave all instruments inside during short camping stops, unless we want to play some of them, and then they go back inside ready for travel again. But if we're in the car and hotel'ing it, I'll typically bring all the instruments into the room which is where the Bass Buggy really becomes handy again.

I'm just getting used to this routine after traveling quite a bit with the bass over the last 20 months; logistics of handling instruments in transit tend to get tweaked based on vehicles and space and every other possible influence. Our car is a Ford Explorer and our RV is a modest 21-foot class C (the instruments travel upstairs in the loft). Getting from point A to point B with the instruments as safely as possible is always a major goal.
 
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#10
Ed Fuqua said:
That's the side that my quiver is on (the E) so the procedure is:
Unzip the short zipper
Lay the bass down
Take all the crap I need out of the pockets
Take the bow out
Take off the wheel and put in the end pin
Stand the bass up
Unzip the long zipper and take of the bag
Put the bag on something and lay the bass back down (or stand in a corner, if there is one)
Zip up the bag and stash it someplace
Click to expand...
Oh and just to be clear, long zipper on the G side...
 
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