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Question MM Hardcase Question

J

Jim C

Well-known member
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
227
Decided to use the factory stock case in place of a gig bag last night as the gig was an outdoor ice skating rink (no ice) which means my scratch free bass was surrounded by concrete. I've never used the stock case with either of my SR's on a gig.

Where do you guys store a spare set of strings?
The usual tuner, wiping towel, etc. fit but wasn't so sure it is a good idea to fold up even used strings for a backup.
 
Personally, I remove the envelopes that contain the individual strings from the outer packaging and store them under a towel in the headstock area.
 
My old '95 SR5 hardcase has a pocket for some stuff. So when I got my 2009 SR5 with newer hardcase version I was surprised that they removed that section.
 
I have an extra mini case for spare cables, spare strings, spare jacks, soldering tools, LED battery flash light, some connector adapters, cotton towel...etc.
 
I usually just have my strap, cable and an extra 9volt. Everything else goes in the gig bag.
 
Honestly, I think I broke a string at home in the early 80's and it was a used string that I just put on.
OTOH, I think carrying a spare guarantees against breakage.
 
Content of my EBMM bass case:

Strap, cotton polish cloth, 2 x 9V spare batt., piezo clip chromatic tuner, Philips screwdriver for possible TR and saddle octave adjustment, 1/16" hex wrench for possible saddle height adjustment, factory silica gel pack for possible moisture absorption!
Of course, The Bass too! :D

That's my regular "gig ready" bass case content! ;)

Everything else is in extra mini hard case like I described in above post + combo amp and bass stand.
I usually put all that rig/accessories stuff in the car trunk!
Bass case I drive between front and rear seats in the car (small city compact car)!
 
In my first two or three years of playing, I broke maybe 5-10 strings a year. Then my technique improved I guess, and I can't remember breaking bass strings since. Guitar strings, OTOH ...
 
I noticed this lack of storage in the StingRay case. I generally have a tuner, cord and spare batteries in the case...on the other hand, I'll be transporting this one in a Mono M80, which has plenty of storage (note to self: put spare 9V in M80).

We don't have outdoor skating rinks in this part of Texas.
 
dang. how much do you guys put in your bass cases? I keep a change of strings under the headstock, in the original bag. plenty of room in there, and its' not like the plastic case is gonna hurt the headstock.

Then I keep a polishing cloth in one side, and the strap in the other side. Things like cables, tuners, sometimes go in there, but usually i keep all of that in a bag.
 
Aussie Mark said:
I broke a string once ..... it was 1983 I think.
Click to expand...

Same here... Must've been something that was going around... ;)

Seriously, though, I keep all gig necessities in my gig bag somewhere discreetly on stage (not in my guitar case. Spare batteries sit right on top of my rack, along with a 25' cable in case of a serious wireless malfunction.

Reality is, though, that in the past 4 years or so, the batteries are the only thing I've ever had to quickly reach for - and even those, very infrequently.
 
lpdeluxe said:
We don't have outdoor skating rinks in this part of Texas.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but I know you guys have plenty of concrete!

So I used to keep cutting pliers, combo straight blade/ phillips, appropriate allen wrenches (for an 83 or the 08), a nail with the top ground smooth (neck adjustment), and fuses, in a thick sealable plastic bag with a strings, a spare 12AX7A (in a plastic prescription bottle with foam at the stop and bottom), tuner, clean cloth, & set lists in the main compartment, with strap on the bass. I usually don't have a spare 9 volt as I change the one in the bass and tuner together every 6 months.

I'll have to find a cushioned bag so the small stuff can ride with the 7-Pro & cables in the 2U ATA case.

I would like to get one of those EB gig bags if they were still available though.
The real problem is that this bass doesn't have a scratch.
I haven't had an instrument this clean since I bought a P-Bass new in 1973 and it is still VERY nice.
Used basses that came with scratches and dings are easier to gig IMO.
 
A friend has had a battered leather briefcase for the 30+ years I've known and have been playing with him. He keeps a couple of cables, batteries, tuner, tools etc as you described and it goes everywhere he and his instruments go. My solution, since I got my Mustang convertible that won't accommodate a hard case, is to use quality gig bags. I have three (F*****, G**** and Mono) and keep batteries when necessary and a tuner and a cable, at least, in each one. When I take my Mesa/Boogie-2 x Genz-Benz 10t mini-rig, the IEC power cord and the speaker cables go in the gig bag as well. At my age, I let the kids carry the big stuff.:D

I understand about preserving the finish on the bass. The '99 I bought in April has lived in its case since the original owner bought it in early '00, and looks new. She stays in the case at home, and changes into her gig bag only to travel.
 
lpdeluxe said:
.....................
I understand about preserving the finish on the bass. The '99 I bought
in April has lived in its case since the original owner bought it in early '00,
and looks new. She stays in the case at home, and changes into her gig
bag only to travel.
Click to expand...

Uh huh .... and so, after reading the whole thread, I'm STILL wonder how
the concrete is less threatening to a bass that arrives in a hard shell rather
than a gig bag. WTF am I missing here anywho ?/?-?

I would definitely use a hard shell if I hadda pack a bass into an overloaded
van full of heavy rigs and hardware to go careening off on some adolescent
touring adventure ... but I'm not an adolescent. So ... I have this big pile of
empty hard shells, two piles really, each about the size of an upright piano,
just taking up space.

BTW, we DO have outdoor skating rinks in this part of NYS, but when it's
not winter, they are full of water, and one of them sits right behind a large
festival stage, but I've never seen anyone arrive with their ax wearing any
sorta floatation gear ....

`
 
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