Do I take my bass to the LBGS?

[roceci]

...like for the setup classes or anything else? Wondering if it's worth paying the extra luggage charge with National Express. It's me first LGBS.

[ambient]

They charge for luggage now?

I had the misfortune to travel with them a few times when I first started at uni. I always took my bass on with me and had it in front of me. There was no way it was going in the luggage underneath the coach, not the way they drive.

The only time I’ve ever been to a guitar show I was going straight to a gig afterward. I wasn’t allowed to take my bass in, I had to check it in. 

[bazzbass]

you had me going there for a minute, Lesbian, something Gay, something....

[ped]

Plenty of people do, if they want to try a certain amp or something. The environment is far from the best place for auditioning an amp though but if you want to bring it, go for it. There should be someone on the Basschat stand all weekend so you can leave it with us if you want. 

[Barking Spiders]

3 hours ago, bazzbass said:

you had me going there for a minute, Lesbian, something Gay, something....

ha ha yes, same thought occurred to me

[MacDaddy]

i usually take one of mine  

[Sibob]

I have to this year as I have a gig after, and i’m not leaving it in the car!

Si

[roceci]

7 hours ago, bazzbass said:

you had me going there for a minute, Lesbian, something Gay, something....

I know, when the I pulled the tickets out of the envelope I was proper confused for a minute, thought we were off to a gay pride march! Then the penny dropped & everything made sense.

3 hours ago, ped said:

Plenty of people do, if they want to try a certain amp or something. The environment is far from the best place for auditioning an amp though but if you want to bring it, go for it. There should be someone on the Basschat stand all weekend so you can leave it with us if you want. 

Cheers Ped, that's great info. I shall bring both old girls along (my bass & my missus who got me the tickets as a birthday prezzie).

Edited February 26, 2018 by roceci

[roceci]

10 hours ago, ambient said:

They charge for luggage now?

I had the misfortune to travel with them a few times when I first started at uni. I always took my bass on with me and had it in front of me. There was no way it was going in the luggage underneath the coach, not the way they drive.

The only time I’ve ever been to a guitar show I was going straight to a gig afterward. I wasn’t allowed to take my bass in, I had to check it in. 

They've got stuff about charging for luggage over 85cm in length & paying an extra tenner...I need to read their T&C's properly but there's no way it's going in the hold, even hard cased. Gonna turn up nice & early & sort something out with the driver.

[BigRedX]

Personally I wouldn't bother.

I've not been to the LBGS but I've been to several other music shows both trade-only and open to the general public, as well as Manchester Bass Day (which was much the same thing but on a smaller scale to LBGS) and every time the overall amount of noise being generated was such that it was (for me at least) completely impossible to make any useful observations about the sound of any of the gear I was trying out.

Also it doesn't matter what arrangement you come to with the driver, if the space is required for a paying customer, your bass will be going in the luggage hold. Or you'll be getting off the coach. For a popular destination like London, I wouldn't risk it.

[The59Sound]

You can, but like BRX said, don't expect peace and quiet where you can observe the finer nuances! Slap, pop, slap, pop etc.

[ped]

6 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Personally I wouldn't bother.

I've not been to the LBGS but I've been to several other music shows both trade-only and open to the general public, as well as Manchester Bass Day (which was much the same thing but on a smaller scale to LBGS) and every time the overall amount of noise being generated was such that it was (for me at least) completely impossible to make any useful observations about the sound of any of the gear I was trying out.

Also it doesn't matter what arrangement you come to with the driver, if the space is required for a paying customer, your bass will be going in the luggage hold. Or you'll be getting off the coach. For a popular destination like London, I wouldn't risk it.

Reckon between your legs it'll be fine. They probably envisage items being that big to be things like bikes or something. 

[BigRedX]

10 minutes ago, ped said:

Reckon between your legs it'll be fine. They probably envisage items being that big to be things like bikes or something. 

Is there enough room? I recently went on holiday by coach and despite the fact that we travelled in relative comfort, there wasn't that much room in front of me when seated. I certainly wouldn't want spend any more than an hour with a bass guitar travelling this way. Has the OP said where he is coming from?

[roceci]

4 hour odd trip from Cardiff. I'll give em a ring to clarify I think.

[Lee-Man]

2 hours ago, Sibob said:

I have to this year as I have a gig after, and i’m not leaving it in the car!

Si

Same here

[EBS_freak]

Who'd want to carry a bass around with them across London unless they absolutely had to? Not for me ta!

[stingrayPete1977]

Is Nigel Clutterbuck going to be there? 

[EBS_freak]

4 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

Is Nigel Clutterbuck going to be there? 

It wouldn't be a bass show if he isn't.

[stingrayPete1977]

Oh cripes, ear plugs at the ready then folks! 

[EBS_freak]

2 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

Oh cripes, ear plugs at the ready then folks! 

Either that or sharpen the strings.

[Silvia Bluejay]

34 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

Is Nigel Clutterbuck going to be there? 

I didn't see him last year or the year before, and if he was around, he certainly wasn't to be seen/heard slapping at any stand I checked out.

[ambient]

1 hour ago, ped said:

Reckon between your legs it'll be fine. They probably envisage items being that big to be things like bikes or something. 

This is how I had mine when I travelled with them. It gets a little uncomfortable after a while, but there was no way I was allowing it to ho in the luggage hold underneath.

Edited February 26, 2018 by ambient

[stingrayPete1977]

1 hour ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

I didn't see him last year or the year before, and if he was around, he certainly wasn't to be seen/heard slapping at any stand I checked out.

I hope he's ok then! 

[pbasspecial]

I took my bass in last year to test out the amps and cabs.  

I even got a couple of photos of Ida Nielsen and Scott Devine playing it!

[lownote]

Can't personally see the point of taking it.  As others have said it's a proper racket for hour after hour of yoof slapping hell out of umpteen basses all at the same time.  I'd take earplugs.  Seriously.  Your bass is just going to be something worry about.