Cases and transportation

[Telebass]

So, those of you who gig DBs, what do you put them in?
Bag? Hard case? Nothing?

I'm already thinking about getting a better DB, and want to, if I decide to go ahead, get everything sorted in one go - bass, bow, case.

I'd be grateful for your thoughts.

[dudi8]

bag...
i would use hard case , but its too expensive, the good ones are 2000-3000 euros
if its local gigs, not by plane than a gig bag is fine, some are really thick and protective

[bassace]

Because most of the time I go to gigs in my estate car I use a soft case. But I'm not too precious about which one. Wheels and lots of padding only add to the weight. The important thing is a case that's easy to get on without damaging the bass; and, believe me, there are one or two nasties out there. As important are some well-placed handles for carrying and loading.

If I fly or the bass goes in a van I use a flight case. But 95% of the time it's a soft case.

[Telebass]

I'm thinking of the hard foam/canvas like the G4M case, £129. Seems a good compromise?

[SubsonicSimpleton]

The G4M cases are enormous, so you need to consider how you'll be transporting the bass - if you use a softcase, you can fit the neck between the front seats of a regular hatchback, or tilt the passenger seat back and put the neck down into the footwell, if you use a hardcase, the added bulk of the case will make it physically impossible to do this. Mr Chalmers shows how it's done in this vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3HJCBJFTRk

[Rabbie]

Tom and wills bags are superb and good value for money.

[Telebass]

The G4M's bulk isn't an issue car-wise. Will check out Tom & Will!

[bassace]

A bulky case may be do-able when loading and it may have wheels. But as soon as you get it into the venue it'll be a pain, manoeuvring it through doors, round tables and other obstructions. If you only have one case make it a soft cover.

[henrywillard]

I'm fortunate to have all three options, and the room to store the two hard cases.
I have a Westbury padded soft bag which I use 90% of the time. It's light, has plenty of handles in handy places, and allows my bass to fit in the back of my estate at a diagonal without needing to rest it between the front seats. The only thing I regret is not getting the padded case with wheels, as carrying the thing long distances is a real pain!

The hard foam G4M style case, I personally have never found as awkward as perhaps is made out. Yes these cases are huge, and you do need the space to store it, but it will fit through single doors no problem, it fits in my estate no problem with the top of the neck between the front two seats, it fits on a train or a bus in an upright position, although doesn't fit on the tube upright. I found that out the hard way!
It does have wheels to drag it along like a coffin behind you though, so people have no choice but to get out of your way!

I was extremely fortunate to come across a Kolstein flight case on Gumtree earlier this year at an absolute steal of a price, and it has served me well on flights this year. Extremely rigid, great wheels, although I have replaced the handles as the original rubber grips were killing my hands.
The original Kolstein cases however are extremely heavy, and my case is literally at the sheer maximum of BA's 45kg weight limit, and that's just with the bass in, and nothing else. If I wanted to put my bow, any accessories or any gig clothes in the case (it has a built-in compartment complete with coat-rail for clothes!), it would almost certainly send it over the 45kg flight weight limit, and I believe BA are one of the most generous airlines when it comes to musical instruments and height/weight limits.

Have a think which type of case is going to best serve your requirements, and if you do go for a hard case, as others have said here, make sure you have plenty of storage space for it!

[Telebass]

Great post, very informative! I'm definitely leaning toward a hard case - hard cases only for my electrics, for instance. So the potential downsides probably matter less to me. Of course, this might all change the first time I gig a DB!

Edited November 30, 2014 by Telebass

[Rabbie]

45kg!!!! Wow I never imagined it would be as heavy as that! I suppose at least it gives you piece of mind and it's certainly a superb piece of kit. For touring I myself have a Chadwick folding bass, which comes with its own hard case. I bought it to avoid the expense and annoyance of hiring a bass abroad and ending up with a poorly setup piece of junk. It's worth every penny IMO although in a rapid twist of fortune, every gig since I bought it has been in the UK and I have been leaving it up and carrying it about in a soft case...Sod's law I guess... I have never seen the G4M semi soft cases in real life. Their guitars and fiddles equivalent seem fine so it may be a good idea. The price at £129 is either a massive bargain or a sign of poor quality, hopefully someone who has it and use it can tell us which...

[blinddrew]

I have one of the G4M cases (to go with the bass) but the only time I've used it has been to put it in a van a couple of times. It's big, really big (no more so than other hard cases I'd guess though). Build quality seems ok (for the little I've used it) and the wheels run ok. Most of my playing is in small pubs though, so taking up the space with a huge black coffin just doesn't work. Soft case on my back for me.

[dudi8]

has anyone ever tried to take the G4M case on a flight?

[Rabbie]

Dudi, I an not aware of anyone, but I am pretty sure that would be a very bad idea. The expensive hard cases don't just protect against knocks, but also against the extreme temperature changes that happen between land and ski, then opening the case. As the double bass has 2 huge pieces of wood that expand and contracts with temperature and himidity changes, I would imagine that would cause a big crack...which would only get worse when another 4 suitcases "fall" on to of it. If you fly, the only available options IMO are a proper flight case, a Chadwick, a EUB/Eminence/David Gage or just hire/borrow a bass there (not easy if you not playing a festival or a main city).

[Marc S]

I used to have a G4M case
Which I think is great value for money
It's pretty lightweight, for its' size, and fairly tough too
Only thing was, Its' size - they really are big

Now I have a David Gage Czech-Ease bass, it's quite a bit smaller
It came with both hard & soft cases, and both fit much more easily into my car
But I still tend to use the soft case, as the hard case is that bit more bulky, heavy & awkward to negotiate stairs & doorways etc

[Owencf]

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1417202683' post='2618244']
The G4M cases are enormous, so you need to consider how you'll be transporting the bass - if you use a softcase, you can fit the neck between the front seats of a regular hatchback, or tilt the passenger seat back and put the neck down into the footwell, if you use a hardcase, the added bulk of the case will make it physically impossible to do this. Mr Chalmers shows how it's done in this vid

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3HJCBJFTRk[/media]
[/quote]

Cheers Geoff and Subsonic,

My Alto should get this in Never tried though