Buggy or Wheel?

[dougal]

Anyone who has experience of transporting a bass on public transport will know, it can get quite heavy.

Who uses a wheel? And who uses a trolley? I'm going to need to buy one.

The choices are:

...which doubles as a stool, but is £300 FFS.


..which is cheaper at £60, but doesn't allow the bass to be left standing...

Any advice?

[jakenewmanbass]

Never used either myself, once knew a guy who travelled in to town from Luton on the train he had a wheel and seemed quite happy with it.
For me I would worry about jolts for the soundpost, and as you say not really being able to stop or stand it in a corner would be a big minus.
The trollies do look great, I had a look at one in a shop in Guildford, but that's a lot of money to spend on your arse IMO.
At least you get to sit down on the gig though (you'll need it after public transport with a DB)

Edited May 2, 2008 by jakesbass

[MissPenguin]

I've never seen the trolleys that convert into stools o_O They look awesome.
I have tiny wheels on the bottom of my case and am becoming very aware they are going to disappear soon.

[bassace]

[quote name='MissPenguin' post='190417' date='May 2 2008, 12:22 PM']I've never seen the trolleys that convert into stools o_O They look awesome.
I have tiny wheels on the bottom of my case and am becoming very aware they are going to disappear soon.[/quote]

Yes, me too!

[guyl]

Reckon you'd spend all your effort stopping the bass from running away on that big wheel!

How about gaffering a skateboard/roller skate to the lower edge of your bass case? So if you tilted the bass slightly, you could drag it on wheels, and if it stood up straight, the spike would take the weight and it would stay still.

Doesn't help with ths stool .....

[overwater#1]

Looks like a great idea, especially the trolly/stool. However, I have always just carried my bass, and public buses don't mind me getting on with one either. I have carried mine home from college a few times on foot, 2-3 miles of it!!!! Nearly bloody killed me, and im 17... maybe im just weak.

Let us know which you get, and how it works out for you!

Edited May 9, 2008 by overwater#1

[endorka]

Neither!

The gig bag for my DB has rucksack type straps, so I carry it about on my back. It's not always ideal, but it is definitely better than carrying it in your hands.

The trolley/stool thing looks good, but is a lot of money, and in certain situations the rucksack way is superior, e.g. going up/down stairs.

Jennifer

[geoffbassist]

i really like my Tom and Will double bass bag which has wheels......saying that i also have to carry a stool.......

[dougal]

[quote name='endorka' post='195796' date='May 10 2008, 01:06 AM']Neither!

The gig bag for my DB has rucksack type straps, so I carry it about on my back. It's not always ideal, but it is definitely better than carrying it in your hands.

The trolley/stool thing looks good, but is a lot of money, and in certain situations the rucksack way is superior, e.g. going up/down stairs.

Jennifer[/quote]

My case has rucksack type straps too, but I end up wandering along looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

I plumped for the wheel eventually.

[overwater#1]

[quote name='dougal' post='196466' date='May 11 2008, 12:20 PM']My case has rucksack type straps too, but I end up wandering along looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

I plumped for the wheel eventually.[/quote]

How is the wheel... I keep thinking about getting one too.

I wander looking like a hunchback with my bass guitar on my back lol!!

[chrkelly]

Wheel all the way. I use an Onyx wheel, very easy to get around London with. Takes about 90% of the weight of the bass off your back so you can actually play when you get to a gig. It's very easy to control once you get used to it. The stool buggy thing is a complete waste of money. The stool doesn't have enough area to sit on making it very uncomfortable during long rehearsals and is too short. I'd imagine it would become a bit squeaky after a while too due to the moving parts. It's a good idea but has too many flaws to be worth that kind of money. The best light stool I've used so far is the Amadeus [url="http://www.amadeus-equipment.co.uk/estore/erol.html#3002x0&&http%3A%252F%252Fwww.amadeus-equipment.co.uk%252Fopus_chairs.htm"]http://www.amadeus-equipment.co.uk/estore/...opus_chairs.htm[/url]

[Guest subaudio]

I looked at both and have just bought a wheel, nice and simple solution, light weight and not a crazy amount of money, I have seen a lot of players around London using them with no problems, I would hate to have to carry the buggy attached to a bass up a load of stairs at a tube station (as happens often) a good wheel has a pneumatic tyre that absorbs any shocks.

Edited May 17, 2008 by subaudio

[janmaat]

Zombie thread, but I'm in the same situation now. Where do I get such a wheel, or do you reckon it's easier + cheaper to build one? Any other recommendations regarding wheels please?

[harmonicon]

[quote name='janmaat' post='871762' date='Jun 19 2010, 02:45 PM']Zombie thread, but I'm in the same situation now. Where do I get such a wheel, or do you reckon it's easier + cheaper to build one? Any other recommendations regarding wheels please?[/quote]

I had a wheel when I was at university, and I honestly only used it a few times. I found that it was a real pain to deal with - the bass wasn't easy to control with that wheel under it and getting the wheel to be secure in the end pin slot was even more difficult. I stopped using it and found that carrying the bass around with the shoulder strap (not rucksack straps) was a lot easier, though still a pain.

[Mr Bassman]

I've got one of [url="http://www.screwfix.com/prods/68443/Access-Storage/Manual-Handling/Folding-Platform-Truck-80kg#"]these[/url] [attachment=52698:trolley.jpg]
from Screwfix, they're great for carting uprights around, even if your gig bag has wheels they're no use on cobbles etc, these fold up trolleys (go for the largest wheel possible) will manage most surfaces, i.e. gravel, grass, cobbles and even [i]stairs![/i]
You can even leave your bass stood up on the trolley whilst opening doors/cars etc.
When you've wheeled your beloved instrument from car to stage you can then go back and use the trolley for your amp, wires bag, p.a., drum kit etc.
Cheap as chips!

Edited June 20, 2010 by Mr Bassman

[flyfisher]

£60 for a wheel sounds rather excessive. Have you tried Machine Mart?
[url="http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/range/guid/05601417-41DE-4946-85C8-D292CF4181F2"]http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/range/gu...C8-D292CF4181F2[/url]
[url="http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/search/filter/jockey/type/any/page/1"]http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/search/f...type/any/page/1[/url]

[dougal]

Wow, zombie indeed.

I've kept with the wheel: one (slight) improvement is to get a packing strap thing from Ikea:

[url="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/79306696"][/url]

This then goes around the back & over, supporting the weight of the bass on a shoulder. You can then wander, lonely as a cloud, merely providing gentle steering guidance around small children & rubbish bins.

The longest trip so far (all walking, I didn't fancy the tube in the rush hour) was Waterloo -> Mansion House, day's work, Mansion House -> Leceister Square (walking along the north bank), then Lecister Square -> Waterloo after the gig.

[lixy-fe]

I use both a Double Trolley and a wheel. Whilst I think the design of the Double Trolley is in the main fantastic, there are a few niggling annoyances: 1)The case tends to rub against the wheels and is consequently wearing away. 2) If you only attach the bass using bungees around the neck as shown, the bass tends to spin around its axis and become displaced/can fall off.

I have to say that I think the materials and workmanship and general execution of the design is APPALLING. Whilst the use of the Double Trolley is generally fabulous, compared to hoying a bass around in other ways, within a couple of first uses of the trolley, the plastic inserts where you slot the seat into its tubes for use as a stool, had popped out and were lost forever in a dark venue, so it is now unusable as a stool. The foam covered keepers where you slide the bass into position are of a very weak bendy metal which I anticipate will break very soon, and the foam keeps coming off. These metal parts are not long enough to prevent the case rubbing against the wheels.

The wheels are low quality materials and not very stable. The tires keep going flat, despite there being no puncture. The pump supplied with the trolley was just a laughable piece of plastic and couldn't even be used to inflate the tires!

I rely on my trolley very heavily, but I can't anticipate it lasting much longer. I've only had it 1.5years! For the price, £350 or so, I am disgusted. I'm quite sure that the original Danish ones were properly engineered out of more substantial materials and I wish I had one of those, but the currently-produced ones, made in China are produced to such low quality standards, that I really don't think they are worth the money. I am gutted because it's such a great idea in principle.

I also use a wheel. Being a short female (5'4"), I find this quite awkward as I get a lot of pressure on my shoulder-I think it would be much easier if you were taller. I have found my end-pin assembly is becoming damaged and think this is large part due to the wheel. I try not to use the wheel any more.

I am going to try the Bass Buggie next. Does anyone out there have any experience of these? They look ok, and are a damn sight cheaper than the Double Trolley, though I can't find a UK supplier, so I have just ordered one from Gollihur in the US.

Have seen people using golf carts -they look like a good idea....Good Luck!

[PTB]

[quote name='geoffbassist' post='195860' date='May 10 2008, 10:01 AM']i really like my Tom and Will double bass bag which has wheels......saying that i also have to carry a stool.......[/quote]

+1 for the Tom & Will bag. I couldn't manage without it !

[thisnameistaken]

Doesn't anyone make a wheel with a brake? One of those stompy brakes you get on wheelchairs and posh supermarket trolleys would be grand.

[marcgrue]

Disclaimer: I'm the inventor and manufacturer of the Double Trolley. I hope it's okay with the forum if I comment on my own product here...



This is an old thread but I'd like to say a few words:



I'm really sorry, lixy-fe, to read about the bad experiences you had with your Double Trolley! You're completely right that there has been several quality problems in the past - which unfortunately includes your trolley :-( In order to address theses issues, I went to China to quality check each single Double Trolley at the factory. I know this is of no help to you, but hopefully at least some assurance for current bass players considering to buy a Double Trolley. I'll explain below some of the things that I got fixed for all the trolleys that are selling now.


[quote name='lixy-fe' timestamp='1304616226' post='1221372']
I use both a Double Trolley and a wheel. Whilst I think the design of the Double Trolley is in the main fantastic, there are a few niggling annoyances: 1)The case tends to rub against the wheels and is consequently wearing away.[list]
[*]
Yes, certain soft cases can for instance have a bow case pocket on the front that can collide with the wheel. Having such big wheels on the Double Trolley, I think it would have been pretty difficult/clumsy to have some protection around them to avoid contact with the cover. If the soft cover has a risk of getting in contact with the wheel, I recommend to simply wrap the cover with an extra elastic strap to prevent it getting in contact with the wheel.

[/list]
2) If you only attach the bass using bungees around the neck as shown, the bass tends to spin around its axis and become displaced/can fall off.[list]
[*]
I haven't seen this before, so I'm trying to understand... If the hook of the wheel piece is around the end pin that alone should hold the bass pretty firmly against the lower padded area of the trolley. So the upper strap around the neck is more to keep the shoulders of the bass against the upper padded part of the telescopic part of the trolley. Maybe I don't understand what happened to you, but I have never seen the bass being able to spin around its axis to say the least fall off. Maybe you have a very little bass, and the hook strap of the wheel piece would gain from being adjusted to fit the smaller size? (by mounting the screws in the next set of holes in the rubber band). If that's the case, I think you'll find the bass much more firmly attached to the trolley!

[/list]

I have to say that I think the materials and workmanship and general execution of the design is APPALLING. [list]
[*]
With some copies of the Double Trolley, I've found that too! :-( As a bass player, this has frustrated me enormously, and I've tried my uttermost to correct the errors made in China and to help the bass players who found problems with their sample as good as I could. As mentioned above, the current trolleys being sold now are all individually quality checked by me. It wasn't possible for me to do this with the first batch of trolleys, unfortunately, which turned out to be problematic in many cases, like yours :-(

[/list]

Whilst the use of the Double Trolley is generally fabulous, compared to hoying a bass around in other ways, within a couple of first uses of the trolley, the plastic inserts where you slot the seat into its tubes for use as a stool, had popped out and were lost forever in a dark venue, so it is now unusable as a stool. [list]
[*]
I agree - it doesn't work without the plastic slots - I can send you new ones, if you like?

[/list]

The foam covered keepers where you slide the bass into position are of a very weak bendy metal which I anticipate will break very soon[list]
[*]
Actually, I proportioned the dimensions so that they _could_ bend. The idea is that you can adjust the distance between what I call the "stabilizers" - by simply bending them - in order to suitably steer the bass between the wheels. Suitable in the sense that the bass fits exactly between them. I haven't seen a single stabilizer break. So they seem proportioned right.

[/list]

, and the foam keeps coming off.[list]
[*]
Hm, I've never seen this before either (not to say you're doing anything wrong!). It could be that the people assembling the trolley dropped some oil on the metal before mounting the foam. I don't know. I can send you new foam covers if you want.

[/list]

These metal parts are not long enough to prevent the case rubbing against the wheels. [list]
[*]
As mentioned above, I agree, In some cases they won't be. In those cases I would use an elastic strap to hold the cover as described above.

[/list]

The wheels are low quality materials and not very stable. [list]
[*]
I'm afraid you have really got a "Monday" sample of the Double Trolley :-( A wheel might be feel "wobbly" if the tyre/tube have somewhat been misaligned with the wheel center but I rarely see that.

[/list]

The tires keep going flat, despite there being no puncture. The pump supplied with the trolley was just a laughable piece of plastic and couldn't even be used to inflate the tires![list]
[*]
Yes, it turned out that the majority of the old pumps were crap :-( I checked a bunch of them during the first production and they all worked fine. But apparently I was presented with the better ones. That's also a bit naive on my part, I admit (I won't recommend producing in China if you are not a big company!) I got better pumps in the meanwhile! Can I send you a new one?

[/list]

I rely on my trolley very heavily, but I can't anticipate it lasting much longer. I've only had it 1.5years! For the price, £350 or so, I am disgusted. [list]
[*]
I'm really sorry to hear of your disappointment, Lixy-fe! If you take contact with me, I would like to see if there's something I can do for you to improve your Double Trolley! I'm pretty sure we can make it last many years to come.

[/list]

I'm quite sure that the original Danish ones were properly engineered out of more substantial materials and I wish I had one of those,[list]
[*]
Yes, they were better (although not much better than the current ones). The craftmanship of the Danish factory was much higher, but even there it also took quite some work to get all the details right. It's not easy to make a smooth telescope system in aluminium since it's so unpredictable compared to welding in steel. The first Danish batch I also quality controlled by checking each single Double Trolley. I would have liked to continuing producing there. But the price from the factory went up with 80% and then it would have cost a fortune (it was already over 500$!). It would be easy to get the price much further down if you made 10000 trolleys but we are not that many bass players needing such a product unfortunately.

[/list]

but the currently-produced ones, made in China are produced to such low quality standards, that I really don't think they are worth the money. [list]
[*]
I agree with you considering all the problems you experienced! Since I have now checked every single Double Trolley being sold now, I think I can confidently say that they should be worth every pound now. Of course that doesn't help you - but I might be able to help you!

[/list]

I am gutted because it's such a great idea in principle.[list]
[*]
Thanks! :-)
[/list]
[/quote]

Maybe if I can help restore your Double Trolley to a satisfactory condition, you'll get to like it again and maybe use it when you need to bring your own stool. My apologies for all the inconvenience and frustration this has caused you!

Todays Double Trolleys will most certainly be a good experience, I dare to say. And if it should turn out not to, I'll offer my assistance. I'm a bass player myself (in the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra - the national orchestra of Sweden), so I appreciate and expect products to fulfill their promises - specially when they should carry my precious bass or myself.

Cheers,
Marc Grue
Inventor of the Double Trolley

Edited September 1, 2013 by marcgrue

[GeorgeB]

I know a few people that have picked up old golf trolleys, altered them, and are happy with them as transport for basses...