Here is what I’ve learned so far about how to safely transport my double bass.

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About Transporting the Bass

This is lesson DB-5, “How to Transport a Double Bass” and is a continuation of  my journal of things I have learned as a beginning adult double bass student.  Be sure to check out my Double Bass Lessons page for a complete list of all of my lessons!

Today, I am going to talk about things to consider when you are moving or transporting your bass.

Number 1.

Use a bass bag. The bag that I have, which you can see in the picture, came with the bass when I bought it and it provides a good level of protection, but the padding is not very thick. I am considering buying a higher quality bag when I have the money. So far, the Eastman Presto Soft Case, model CB60, shown in the next picture looks good. This bag comes with wheels! I have had a few gigs where it has been a long walk from the car to the building and being able to roll Bubba (my nickname for my bass) would take a load off. You can get the Presto bag from Linda West.com. Here is a link to the Linda West product page:  http://www.lindawest.com/product_p/cb60.htm

Number 2.

Get a stand. I have the Ingles Adjustable Cello and Bass Stand.  The bottom supports are height adjustable. It has a hook to hang your bow on the back of the stand and it has a latch to close to keep the neck of the bass from jumping out of the stand.

Number 3.

Protect the edges of the bass with edge protectors. This is one of the first things I added to my bass. They are leather and keep the wood of the edges on the bouts off the ground when you lay the bass down on its side. I got mine from Gollihur Music.

Number 4.

In a vehicle: Be careful! The bass is large and bulky and things can easily get damaged if you are not careful loading it in and out of your vehicle. It’s best to put the bass on its side, with the back against a wall. If possible secure it with something such as a bungee cord, or at least brace it with something that won’t shift so it doesn’t roll over when going around a corner. See the picture for an example of the bass secured in the bed of a pickup truck. I would not transport the bass in a truck without the covering of a canopy to keep out the elements, unless you are going a very short distance and you are sure it is not going to rain!

If you don’t have a minivan, SUV or truck, watch the video for a demonstration of how to get a double bass into a small car!  In this video I show you that it is possible to get a 3/4 size double bass into and out of a 4 door, mid-size sedan.  Ideally, you will have something with more room such as a mini-van, an SUV or a truck.  But, in a pinch this can be done!

Caution: If you have no choice but to lay the bass on its back, put something such as a folded blanket or a pillow under the shoulders to lift the scroll up off the floor to ensure no pressure is placed on the neck.

Here is what I’ve learned so far about how to safely change the strings on my double bass.

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About Changing Strings

You wouldn’t think there is much involved in simply changing the strings, but there a few things to be aware of which will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

• Change one string at a time. Without the tension from all of the strings pushing on the bridge, a thing called the “sound post”, which is wedged inside the bass between the front and the back, could come loose and fall down. Any my luthier friend tells me it can be a real pain to put back in place!

• Take a picture, or at least remember the string routing inside the pegbox before you begin removing strings. Try to not have strings rubbing against each other as you tune.

• Now is a good time to do any cleaning necessary on your bass. A soft cloth, q-tips and a safe cleaner for fine instruments can be used. I purchased Kolstein’s Clean and Polish kit and it is awesome!  Check it out:  Kolstein KR-021 Clean and Polish Kit

• Lubricate the bridge and nut slots with some graphite from a pencil to help the strings slide more freely over these surfaces.

• When you insert the string end into the roller twist the end of the string around the part leaving the roller several times to help hold it securely.

• Unless you want to spend the whole day turning the tuning machines, buy a string winder gadget. Be sure to get one made for the bass as guitar string winders are too small to do the job.  Mine is the “TurboTune”:  D’Addario PW-TTPW-01 Turbotune Peg Winder

• Caution! Be sure to keep an eye on the bridge’s alignment. The bridge has a tendency to lean towards the fingerboard. Make sure it stays vertical and that the feet stay in the location you marked (lightly) with a pencil.

• Break-in time. Strings take time to stretch out. Be patient and give them a few days to stabilize. During the first few days you will find it necessary to retune often.

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Common Double Bass Construction terms…

The anatomy of the bass is pretty simple, many of the names are like the human body! This should fill you in on all that, so that you know what I am talking about in my lessons!

First of all, you need to know that there are multiple names people use to refer to this instrument. Here are most of them that I know of and the genre of music that typically uses that term:

• Double Bass – Classical
• Contra Bass – Classical
• Upright Bass – Jazz, Blues…. “Upright” distinguishes it from the electric bass.
• String Bass – Classical, Jazz/Blues
• Bass Viol – I’m not sure who typically uses this term…..Please let me know, if you know the answer!
• Bass Fiddle – Bluegrass, Country
• Doghouse Bass – Bluegrass, Country

These are some of the terms you will see when people talk about the bass. I will try and add to this over time to have a complete list of bass parts! 🙂

Bass Anatomy

Thanks to Bottesini for the diagram.*

Scroll
The part at the end of the neck where the strings stop and we find the tuners.

Pegbox
The squared-off opening in the top of the neck where the strings are wound onto the tuning machine posts.

Tuning Machines
The mechanism that you turn to change the pitch of the strings located within the scroll. Also known as tuning keys or tuners

Nut
An ebony piece at the end of the fingerboard near the scroll.

Neck
The part that attaches to the body, which the strings run along.

Fingerboard
The part of the bass where you place your fingers to play; the front side of the neck, normally made of ebony.

Body
The main part of the bass, where you’ll find the bridge and the “F holes”. This is easy to remember: the body is the part that is shaped like a female body!

Belly
The top, or front of the bass, usually spruce. The back and sides of basses are usually maple.

Shoulders
The top part of the body below the neck joint; more sloping shoulders can be useful to soloists and other thumb position players, for easier access.

Ribs
The curved sides of the bass that create the body’s depth.

Bouts
These sections of the bass are defined by the shape of the top: upper, “c” (the middle, indented section), and lower.

Bridge
The piece of wood on which the strings ride over before they attach to the tailpiece.  It is on the far end of the strings from the nut, held by the tension of the strings onto the belly of the bass. The bridge is the key piece used to transmit the vibrations from the strings to the body of the bass.

Tailpiece
This part secures the strings through the keyholes at the top, and is held in place by the tension of the Tailgut at the bottom. It is typically made of ebony or whatever hardwood matches the fingerboard. Its weight can be a critical contributor to the sound of the bass, so light ebony is often favored, but as with most parts, it depends on the instrument. Tailpieces are can also made of composite materials, metal, exotic woods, and there are even devices that use nothing but wire in order to eliminate the mass of the tailpiece

And then, there is the BOW:

Bows
The bow is what makes the sting vibrate as you pull it across the string. Many bows are made from Pernambuco, also known as Brazilwood, and it is regarded as an excellent quality stick material, but as it is getting scarce, other materials are beginning to be used. Less expensive student bows may be constructed of solid fiberglass. The bass bow comes in two styles. The “French” or “overhand” bow is similar to the bow used on the other orchestral string instruments such as the violin, while the “German” bow is typically broader and shorter, and is held in a “hand shake” position.

The screw is found at one end of the bow and is used for tightening and loosening the hair.The hair is real horsehair taken from the tail. White hair is most commonly used. Black hair is sometimes used but is more coarse. Some players perfer a “salt and pepper” hair, which is somewhere between white and black in coarseness. The other end of the bow is called the tip, or point. The tip is the lightest and most fragile part of the bow. The bow is held at the frog, the heaviest part of the bow.

Thanks to Bottesini for the diagram.*

Please Click here to check out the rest of my music!  Thanks! 🙂

Footnotes:

“Bassdiagram” by user:Bottesini of the English Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bassdiagram.jpg#/media/File:Bassdiagram.jpg

“French bow2” by Bottesini at the English language Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:French_bow2.jpg#/media/File:French_bow2.jpg

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A few tips about getting your first double bass:

1. If you are in school use the school’s bass to get started learning the basics.

2. When you’re ready for your own, you can RENT or BUY. (Take an expert with you: Your teacher or a friend who plays bass.)

3. Local music instrument stores: Entry level and intermediate basses

4. Larger cities should have a violin shop with some basses, or there might even be a bass specialty store.

5. Classified ads.  Caveat emptor!

Carved or laminated or both?

This is a deeply personal decision with many choices to make. I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I do share my thought process as I made my decisions. In general, there are three construction methods to choose from: A bass that is fully carved which is supposed to have a richer, more complex tone, one that is made of all laminated wood which is supposed to be more durable and for some genres of music where standing on or beating the bass is part of the act this could be a wise choice, or one that uses both carved and laminated wood which is supposed to give you both durability and a better tone than a completely laminated model. After that, you need to choose between new and used and from what country and manufacturer.

My bass is a Samuel Eastman VB-90 hybrid bass. You can watch the video of my review of the Eastman bass in the YouTube clip below.