Double Bass Walking around with a bass under the rain?

[tonequixote]

Is that a Sears' poncho or a real poncho ?

 

[bassist14]

Is that a Sears' poncho or a real poncho ?

it´s a mexican poncho!

 

[Paul Warburton]

I said I was sorry, what more do you want? I see you are in NYC. I'm on Broadway and Houston right now, want to grab a beer and make up? There is the Bleecker Bar. Right on Crosby St, nice and deserted despite being Manhattan.

Don't be hittin' on Ed. He's mine and Phil's.

 

[toman]

I've used the usual assortment of quality bags and while none are close to waterproof, even walking across town in a downpour I don't think I've ever had a bass get wet, really. Certainly not wet enough to do any harm, though I wouldn't subject a fragile bass to either the moisture or the walk itself probably.

Those thin cheapo bass bags will soak through in a few minutes though, I know that, though they don't weigh that much. The thicker bags get heavy fast when they start soaking up water.

My Reunion Blues bag, my favorite, was nearly waterproof when I got it, quickly degraded with constant use, and then started getting filthy and apparently oil-impregnated. Now it looks disgusting, feels much nicer to haul around (used to be rough as sandpaper) and doesn't get wet easily at all. I've never washed it or put anything on it, and it's been in the rain since day one. Weighs a half-ton dry and a full one wet though, so hit the gym (and the bank) before you pick one up. I'd go for a used one.

Those old greased canvas type bags (can) work great in the rain too, again, if they're filthy enough; there's just no padding or insulation and the straps are awful.

Off-brand membrane material (gore tex) seems cheap enough these days, I wonder where one could get it in bulk... Seems like it'd be easy enough to sew a rain sheet that could velcro or snap onto a bass bag, as suggested above. That'd solve the whole problem.

Best option: Some smart bassist could design a bass bag that was actually functional instead of always just a bunch of trade-offs. We can start a sweatshop to make the things, and put bass guitarists to work in it; imagine, earning an income without the pepperoni smell.

 

[Paul Warburton]

and put bass guitarists to work in it.)

Swell idea, man.

 

[brake]

Elitism much?

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Wry, self-deprecatory sense of humor much?

 

[robobass]

Just find a family that has experienced tent camping with small children, and get their tent from them for free.

Not us. My kid loves tent camping - especially in a downpour! He doesn't have to strike in the rain though...

 

[toman]

Elitism much?

Sure, why not? Better than jazz...

 

[bejoyous]

If you go to a camping supply store, you can get a can of spray-on silicone waterproofing to spray on the outside of the bag. Put an extra coating or two on the areas that will get the most exposure to the rain.

 

[Paul Warburton]

Wry, self-deprecatory sense of humor much?

Ed, yer still my hero.

By the way, please be soft. This is a very deep subject we're dealing with here.
Please focus and stay On Topic.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

By the way, please be soft. This is a very deep subject we're dealing with here.
Please focus and stay On Topic.

Hmmm... okay.

Walking around in the rain is really part and parcel of being a freelance jazz bassist. In order to do it correctly, one should be smoking a Gauloises, wearing round, very dark shades and a tweed driving cap, and carrying some existentialist reading material. A couple days' worth of facial stubble is a nice touch, and maybe a little flask of cheap scotch. You don't really need a cover for the bass, because it's safe and dry, in the hock shop.

I don't like having to do all this, but it's really expected of you when you sign on.

 

[fdeck]

Not us. My kid loves tent camping - especially in a downpour! He doesn't have to strike in the rain though...

We do too, actually. It's more fun than a hotel, and cheaper.

 

[Alaska Bass]

i live in northern germany, it´s raining often here. i applied impregnation spray on my bass bag. hope it gives me the critical 10 minutes more with the bass in the rain before the bass gets wet

My wife said I can't apply any more impregnation spray... we now have 4 kids!

 

[robobass]

My wife said I can't apply any more impregnation spray... we now have 4 kids!

Hey! Couldn't someone make a giant condom that unrolls over the bass bag?

 

[Alaska Bass]

The Bass Condom...
Protection in even the wettest conditions.

 

[Paul Warburton]

Hey! Couldn't someone make a giant condom that unrolls over the bass bag?

My lady friend brought me a few of those over last night.
They didnt have much to do with no bass bag, though.
It was still a pretty tight fit.

 

[robobass]

My lady friend brought me a few of those over last night.
They didnt have much to do with no bass bag, though.
It was still a pretty tight fit.

Yeah, right... We're talkin' "Uprights" here, dude. Don't flatter yourself

 

[Paul Warburton]

Yeah, right... We're talkin' "Uprights" here, dude. Don't flatter yourself

I can't depend on anyone else to do it.

 

[IrishBassLad]

I just laughed out loud...