DB Moving your doublebass

[Boppingtheory]

I would like to know what uneasinesses usually you meet in the transport of your doublebass moving in town. What transport means normally do you use? What are the costs you support?

 

[brianrost]

I carry my basses in a Mooradian padded bag. I own a station wagon and drive straight to venues.

I don't use public transit because where I live it's not feasible (no stations near to my house, trains and buses stop at midnight BEFORE the clubs close, taxi too expensive).

I very seldom have to pay any parking fees, some trips require me to pay tolls then there is the gas cost.

 

[mchildree]

I also use a padded bag, and own a pickup with a covered bed and a small SUV. I can carry my DB and amp if necessary in either. On gigs out of town, we travel in a motor home and the DB gets to ride on the queen-size bed in the back

 

[Bob Gollihur]

I carry my basses in the same Kaces III bags that I sell, and they ride in the back of my minivan (Honda Odessey) on their side, or on their backs with a pillow or something under the shoulders to avoid any strain on the neck.

Vans are wonderful things.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

The bass goes in a padded bag by Lemur into a Honda Civic hatchback, where it ends up lying on its back with a pillow under the neck joint and the scroll bungeed to the front passenger headrest.

No damage so far.

 

[farmerdude]

Padded bag, on its side with something under the shoulders in 2 door Tahoe with rear seat down. If I have more than one passenger, I raise the back seat and use plywood support from rear cargo area floor to back of seat (forming a triangle) and put bass in a upright position with neck extending between the two passengers in the back seat. (they love that)

I also have been thinking of a large PVC pipe to slide the bass in if I need to put bass in a trailer. I would only try this with a plywood however as my carved likes a controlled climate.

 

[bassy18]

Hey, I have gotten a double bass to fit in to the back of a Ford Tempo, no gig bag, no bungee just a bunch of prayers cussing and squeezing. Also my bass has traveled in the back of a uhaulwith bungee chords and a pillow, packed around tuba cases, and other concert band instruments.

Beat that
and pray for me

 

[Don Higdon]

Originally posted by bassy18

Beat that

That's not the point.

Mooradian; Jeep.
Formerly, Acura coupe. The seat folds back nicely.

 

[Don Higdon]

She

 

[anonymous0726]

I have the Kolstein bag, which I really love. A little heavier than the Mooradian and a whole lot stiffer, with handles, pockets, etc, etc. A very well thought-out bag, and much more protection for about the same price as the Mooradian. I've never found a ride that I can't get it in to. I use a Gaines wheel when huffing it.

My most memorable ride story:

I was living back home (Toledo), and had to go to Cincinnati to pick up my little brother from college for the XMas season. I figured it would be a good opportunity to get my bass into the Bass Viol Shop for some minor wrenching, so I loaded the bass into my '69 Bug and headed south. Upon arrival, my brother groans as we have to clear ALL of his belongings out of the dorm as the building is to be fumigated during the holiday break. We got into my bug, by first inserting the bass and then stacking under it: The bass, an Acoustic 370 and a Univox 15" cab, all of his clothes/laundry, pictures, posters, clocks, Commodore 64 (with T.V. for a monitor), his tape collection, clock radio, various other crap. We kept stuffing until my the bridge of my bass was firmly against the headliner, and then drove back to Toledo (about a four hour drive on a good day) through a blizzard. As the bug had no heat at the front of the car, the fenders kept getting packed with snow and we'd have to stop every two or three exits and chip the front wheels free so that I could turn.

Beat that

 

[rawkin46]

Does anyone know a good way to make your own wheel?
The Home Depot version of the Gaines wheel?

 

[anonymous0726]

My only advice on that is to make sure that the post is of very hard steel. I had a cheaper bass wheel for a while before I got the Gaines and had a lot of problems with it because the pin was made of soft stuff and kept stripping as I used it. Eventually the pin was almost severed.

I've been interested in finding a fancier wheel setup for my Gaines, like a spoked wheel and Superfly whitewall tire, or a drag-dish (polished aluminum, of course) and a racing slick. I considered a fancy cast wheel and a low profile tire, but I don't do any salsa gigs and thought that I might look out of place