Hello all! First post here, I'll be going on tour with a musical for 5 months coming up this January - June and need to know how to get my bass from IL to WA. I'm getting nervous because I'm not seeing any for sale used, and the price of a new case would be better used toward a new bass for me, I don't tour often and this bass is worth maybe a grand more than these $3000 cases. Anyone know a good place to rent a case? Or can these be packed and shipped through freight carefully enough to arrive not destroyed? Or does this post remind you that you've got a case lying around you been meaning to sell and you're in a days drive of Chicago? Any advice appreciated! Thank you
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You can always drive, or get a Chadwick. They are still the most fairly priced travel instrument. I've had a hybrid for over 3 years. No issues, and it is a great back up bass:
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Renting a bass might be more cost effective, also.
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Renting a bass might be more cost effective, also.
A440 violins in Chicago May still have one for rent. The real question is will an airlines take it? They may be able to arrange for SW air cargo to take it and then return it.
I actually just got my endpin fixed at A440 this past weekend and spotted that case! I would not necessarily need the flight case after getting to the start / end point. I just fear the shipping costs. I have heard good things about SW. And that Chadwick is certainly an interesting solution, hadn't seen that before! Has anyone shipped there's via freight?
I was quoted $1000 one way the last time I needed to get a trunk somewhere via air. They wouldn’t even entertain the idea of it entering the baggage compartment of my plane. And, they couldn’t guarantee that it would get there the same day.
I have a Chadwick since and have shipped it cargo and flew with it without incident for years now.
I would suggest contacting a trucking company and ship it upright in the trunk on a pallet that was modified to both add protection and keep the bass upright. Ive done this a few times with gear prior to tours (never a bass in a trunk though), and frankly I believe it to be handled much better than the airlines do, and much more cheaply.
I however don’t own a heritage-grade instrument though. I insure and carry on.
Edit: if it is a tour as you’ve indicated , I’d feel pretty good about keeping the bass in the trunk for trucking as well.
I have a Chadwick since and have shipped it cargo and flew with it without incident for years now.
I would suggest contacting a trucking company and ship it upright in the trunk on a pallet that was modified to both add protection and keep the bass upright. Ive done this a few times with gear prior to tours (never a bass in a trunk though), and frankly I believe it to be handled much better than the airlines do, and much more cheaply.
I however don’t own a heritage-grade instrument though. I insure and carry on.
Edit: if it is a tour as you’ve indicated , I’d feel pretty good about keeping the bass in the trunk for trucking as well.
Greyhound will ship it in the luggage compartment of a bus if it’s in a box. I’ve done it. It’s probably the cheapest way. You have to deliver it to a station (in Chicago) and pick it up from the station wherever you’re heading. You need a box, but it doesn’t have to be a flight case. I’ve done it using a cardboard box that new plywood basses come in from the manufacturer, which I got for $20 I think. If I remember correctly the cost to ship from Detroit to Philadelphia was about $150.
My day job is as a theatrical producer/director: if you are playing multiple theatres in the five months between Chicago and Washington, THEY should have an acceptable instrument for you in each venue. It would be a normal production expense. Or have the tech guys pack it and unpack it with the set (if it's in a crate or had case) Talk to your contractor or conductor. It's their problem, not yours.
Hmmm I think they could handle packing and unpacking a crate with the set, that might be the best route to go. I'll have to look into getting a crate and doing some custom fabrication to have it hold my bass in the padded case safely in place. I'll have to search around for some crate purchasing / retrofitting options. That Greyhound idea is super interesting! I would have never thought of that, might be out for my trip as it's super far but I'll keep that in mind for the future.
