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Motorcycle Bass Rig

Rando McNally

Rando McNally

May 21, 2008
352
2
20106
www.ruderock.com
#1
When I was first cutting my teeth I lived in Bermuda and played in a band. I don't know if you've been there, but gas has been outrageously expensive there for decades. In 1996 we were shelling out like $7 a gallon there.

Anyway, we rode scooters everywhere, which means we were a bunch of rolling Jenga (TM) games, with ridiculous amounts of equipment piled on our laps and seats and our heads peering our from the side to see where we were going.

To say some of the gear got a road rash would be, eh, fair.

Anyway, Now I'm 13 years older, and I have a LOT of gear, and a truck, but I ALSO have a motorcycle, and just got laid off. So I've got some free time, and am working on rationalizing a purchase so that I can roll to gigs on my bike, just like back in the day.

BUT, for the life of me, if I wanted to load up the bike and head to a gig I couldn't, unless it was just me, my bass and my sansamp BDDI.

The closest I have that will cut the mustard tone.volume wise is my SWR workingmans 12 (love this amp!), but it's a little big. I also have a SWEET Laney 35w amp (10"speaker) that sounds just great, but puts out about 1/2 the SPLs needed for even a modest stage monitor. It DOES mic well.

So, I'm looking for something that outputs like my SWR (or better) with the size/weight of my Laney.

With a bass on my back, the amp would have about 9"x14" to sit on. It can hang over the side a bit, and it's weight balance is important (ie. the side hanging off the left of the bike can't weigh a lot more than the side hanging off the right. Extra stable handles (to be used as tie-downs) are a MUST.

I've already gotten the ball rolling here with the obvious:

1. PJB Breifcase



Throw 'em at me!
 
#3
i roll to gigs on my vespa as long as i don't have to bring a cabinet... walter woods in the top case, pedals and bass strapped down with a cargo net riding 'bitch'... once i get a 1x12 from aguilar, gonna see if i can rock that somehow, but i doubt it...

fortunately most clubs in nyc have cabinets at least.

john
 
#4
They make hitches for some model bikes that you can attach to the rear of the frame and it provides a platform big enough to hold a small cooler or in your case a Speaker - that would take care of the Speaker and then any of the compact heads that are available would work - like an LMII
 
#7
You might try this approach; if you leave gear at where you practice, maybe you're band will hump your amp and cab if you do some extra load in / load out work at the gig in exchange.

I am considering doing this but have never been crazy about riding home late at night in the city knowing that there are plenty of drunks that will never see a motorcyclist no matter what you are wearing.
 
#8
As someone who has had periods in their life with only a motorcycle as transportation, I have a little experience in hauling stuff on a bike. I've done things like grocery shopping, going to the laundromat, touring, camping, ect... I have even carried my chopsaw and carpentry hand tools to jobs on occasion.

For hauling bass gear, I would consider putting the amp either on the back seat or the luggage rack (or a combo of both)(like a trunk on a goldwing). Having the biggest heaviest piece over the wheels will make the bike easier to control and it will give you the most contact area between the bike and amp, also more areas for attaching (strapping) it securely to your bike.

I would mount the bass on one side of the bike where the saddlebag would be and the other side would be for things like a stand, chords, cables, misc. of course everything would be in durable, waterproof road cases.
 
#9
Euphonic-Audio iAmp Micro 300 with the E-A Wizzy 10 packs into a backpack like this:

EABackpack1.jpg


Check Bob Gollihurs website for more information:

Invalid Link Removed

I love mine.
 
#10
Be sure that you protect the driver from the air turbulance with a cabinet cover. Air turbulance can destroy a driver without you realizing it. There's a lot of cone surface area for the air to act on.
 
#11
Hmm. I have saddlebags, so stick the bass in there, with the neck facing up, strap the amp to the back seat (that was my orig plan), put misc gear in the other bag. I like this better than the bass on my back, although in a crash I sure do like the idea of a bunch of hard wood on my back, on the off chance I might be able to ride it out on the bass. Things to experiment with.

Of course, my saddle bags just hang there, I don't usually do more than grab some groceries, and they stay out of the wheels just fine. I could easily weld a little frame to the bike to hold them out rigidly though.

I'm liking the EA. Just did a quick youtube review, and it sounds nice.

I know there are threads comparing microcombos, but perhaps we should indulge in some A/B comparison talk, or reference to other threads comparing the amps we come up with, since there are a few considerations here for bike travel such as importance of small footprint size, reduced importance on low weight, etc.

I played with the Roland MicroCube Bass amp in GC the other day. Impressive tone, but how many would it take to put out like a briefcase? Probably at least 3?


1. PJB Briefcase
2. Micro300/Wizzy
 
#13
Alright guys, you and I have never had a beer (probably, although I've had a few beers I don't quite remember, so maybe we have!), but a trailer or a sidecar just isn't happening.

Plus I have a 500cc bike. Ain't happening.

I used to do this on a scooter, but I never really liked the crap gear we were hauling, and I have more $$$ now, so I'd like something nice!

I can't believe I haven't thought of the shuttle.
 
#17
RTL said:
+1.

Just put 4 casters on the back of the cabinet and ride it to the gigs.

Of course, I'm assuming said gigs will be downhill both ways. :smug:
Click to expand...
Powered cab?:hiding:
Kidding. I've considered this too. I've got a 'stick' bass that's easy to lash onto the bike wherever, or over the shoulder, and a PJ Briefcase. I was going to fabricate a bracket that matches my saddlebag bracket on one side and just clip the Briefcase on. But I then decided the Briefcase wasn't for me, and then again I do have a car, so.....
 
#18
I once strapped my acoustic bass guitar on my back to go to rehersal. I made the mistake of getting on the highway and the wind resistance made it so I didn't dare go over 50mph because the shoulder straps felt like they would rip apart if I went any faster. On the way home I took surface streets and used my truck after that.
 

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