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Double Bass The Chadwick Folding Bass

#241
Glen Holmen said:
I also want to know--- how often and how much do you typically pay for oversize? It sounds like the Chadwick is a great travel option but not if I'm giving my much of my gig money back to the airlines. What's your experience, Chadwickians?
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Chadwick basses usually are considered oversize and can incur extra charges, which vary by airline, but I've never been turned away at baggage check with mine. You can sometimes avoid fees by checking the bass curbside and tipping the skycap a few bucks. I know that Daniel has travelled internationally with his (to Japan, at least), I don't know if he was charged extra or not. I've flown from the States to Europe or the UK three times in the last year and was only charged on one leg of a trip.

By the way, if you've been hired for a gig that requires flights, you should be getting reimbursed for any fees related to your bass.
 
#242
I've only flown in N. America (mostly WestJet and Air Canada) with mine, but it's been trouble/fee free so far.

I've been threatened by a United employee that she could charge me, but wouldn't because she was in a good mood. That's as close as I've come. Most seem to just treat it like a piece of luggage in my experience, or at the very least some sort of curiosity that plays in my favour.

And yeah, I've always charged the fees back to the band leader. But, an affordable, trouble-free situation to keep an UB in the band goes a long way to being indispensable. Thank you Charlie!!

The bass has been a game changer for me. A friend and I even do a duo thing with his guitar, the PA and my bass/amp in his Ford Focus sedan. Touring on the cheap!
 
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#244
My blonde hybrid came today. Went together in about 5min. It is nice and punchy, sounds great under the bow and no buzzes or rattles yet. Video soon!
 

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#245
In response to flying/travel fees, I just got back from two weeks on the road with my CFB, and (unfortunately) I was hit with $75 each way flying on Southwest. It's underweight, but it's over the allowed linear inches. I've had to pay pretty consistently over the past year, but I always fly Southwest, and it's never been more than $75 each way. $150 for a round trip where I can have a bass that I "know" is worth the fee to me.

Granted, I'm also flying out of some big metro airports (Austin, Boston, Denver, Newark) where the people behind the desk are ritually abused by angry travelers. Despite my glowing smile and extra sensitive tone of voice I still have to reach for the credit card. I haven't been able to avoid fees by tipping heavy to the SkyCap, either.
 
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#250
El Thumpo said:
Wow. Sounds like a very nice Shen SB-150 to me!
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Yeah, more than adequate. It is less rich than my main bass, which is an 80 year old Romanian or German flatback, but I can work with the brightness and having my exact strings and set up should be worth it on the road. It is fine enough to play without an amp for quieter gigs.
 
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#251
I have travelled quite a lot with mine the past year, and it has made life so much easier.
Have done around 40-50 flights, and the bass has never been damaged, but the case does get quite rough treatment, so I will probably need to replace this after a couple more years.
I had quite some work done on the instrument to get it set up like I wanted, more meticolous bridge fitting, better bridge placement, fingerboard redressing (it had a nasty opposite of bump, don't know the english word, sorry, around the D on the G string) and also precise adjusting of the width of the fingerboard compared to the neck. I also had the neck slimmed a little. It now plays very well, true, it can't compete with my main bass, but the ease of trtavel far outweighs this. I'm never travelling with the other bass unless I am doing a recording somewhere, it's just a nightmare.

I have in those 40-50 flights never had to pay any charges with any airline, I have travelled all around Europe as well as to Asia. Never in the US, things might be different there.

Heres a solo from a recent festival in Poland, hope you like it!

 
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#252
Pat Harris said:
In response to flying/travel fees, I just got back from two weeks on the road with my CFB, and (unfortunately) I was hit with $75 each way flying on Southwest. It's underweight, but it's over the allowed linear inches. I've had to pay pretty consistently over the past year, but I always fly Southwest, and it's never been more than $75 each way. $150 for a round trip where I can have a bass that I "know" is worth the fee to me.

Granted, I'm also flying out of some big metro airports (Austin, Boston, Denver, Newark) where the people behind the desk are ritually abused by angry travelers. Despite my glowing smile and extra sensitive tone of voice I still have to reach for the credit card. I haven't been able to avoid fees by tipping heavy to the SkyCap, either.
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Hey Pat-
Turns out I saw you guys playing tango (like hell!) here in Albuquerque. The bass sounded really good and full. Not the nasal nightmare that can often accompanies amplified arco. Thanks for the tips. I will try this bass tomorrow and order soon.
 
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#254
So far, I've flown internationally with the CFB four times, with many shorter flights within Europe, and more times than I can remember within the US. As far as I know there have been no overage charges—but because I currently live the rockstar life... I don't handle my gear at the airports. The only hint that I have not incurred extra charges is the absence of bitching about them.
 
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#257
I got out my Chadwich since my main bass had a seam open so I used to practice and teach while my other bass was clamped.

It had a rattle - there are plastic holders inside I found the rattle, tightened the screw - rattle gone.
I am again struck with how nice it is to play. I don't have any tours now, but I think I will use it on some upcoming shows.
The Carbon pin has more flex than I'd like. My Gotz fits but obviously that adds weight. My Wheel fits, though. So I can use it on my NYC shows.
 
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#258
Threw some Superior Bassworks Deluxe Dirty Gut strings on my Chadwick, and recorded it through my rig. Clams, timing and intonation issues aside (I should warm up next time), I don't think they sound bad, they get what I feel is a nice, round gut string tone, and acoustically are as loud as my Velvets were. All in all, not a bad change, IMO. I did have to open the bridge notches slightly, and open the nut on the E-string a bit, but other than that, it was a pretty good changeover so far. Right now, I'm letting them settle in. I'll rotate this bass back into the gig situation later this month and report back.

 
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#260
I wish I could help you there, @edfriedland … but I don't take the Chadwick down unless I'm traveling on a plane with it, and that rarely happens. :(

That being said, I threw a video together really quick as to how they sound on the bass acoustically. Pardon the clams, I'm on slab more often these days and I'm really rusty (not that I was really amazing before).

 

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