Thomaswest Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Hi everyone. I am moving to Portugal this year. Wondering how to get my bass there in one piece. Scared to take it on a plane and it sounds super stressful. I will be shipping everything else over in a crate. Does anyone have any advice. Any companies to recommend? I could also just not take it and hire a bass when I am there. Many thanks Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeEvans Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 The only way I'd do it would be to drive it myself. Or buy another one once you get there... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Orchestras must do this all the time, tho I guess they have a big budget, can you get a flight case type thing for a DB? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 The best thing to do is chat with a shop such as Thomas Martin who can help you. Those guys ship basses (some of which are worth a fortune) across the world. It won't be cheap, but it will be done properly. They're likely to be very busy, so perhaps an email is best in the first instance. Unless the bass is valuable (£3,000 plus I guess) I can't see it worth flying over. As Joe suggests, it may be better to buy one when you get there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 6 minutes ago, Burns-bass said: The best thing to do is chat with a shop such as Thomas Martin who can help you. Those guys ship basses (some of which are worth a fortune) across the world. Yep, that's a good bet 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 25 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said: Orchestras must do this all the time, tho I guess they have a big budget, can you get a flight case type thing for a DB? The flight cases for even a 3/4 DB are huge, there's a reason there's a big market for orchestral instrumental rentals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 32 minutes ago, JoeEvans said: The only way I'd do it would be to drive it myself. Or buy another one once you get there... That's what I'd do, in part because I'd love the drive, the bass would be the excuse 👍 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 (edited) 12 minutes ago, Beedster said: That's what I'd do, in part because I'd love the drive, the bass would be the excuse 👍 Yup - overnight ferry to Santander with the bass in the back of the car (size permitting of course) then a car trip to the destination arriving with a happy bass! NB - check how hot and humid it might be on arrival and possibly humidify the instrument as it might react to the humidity shift Edited March 16, 2023 by Cairobill 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 I think i have the solution, I knew I'd seen this somewhere..... 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Is it any good for metal.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 4 hours ago, Cairobill said: Yup - overnight ferry to Santander with the bass in the back of the car (size permitting of course) then a car trip to the destination arriving with a happy bass! NB - check how hot and humid it might be on arrival and possibly humidify the instrument as it might react to the humidity shift I did this trip with my girlfriend (now wife). We spent two months travelling through Spain and France in a camper van. Great days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickA Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 I shipped a £10k 'cello to South Korea once, then to Hong Kong then home a few years later. The shipping company made it a double skinned plywood crate then packed it in the container with all my other household stuff. I left the double bass with my dad though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloopdad1 Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 Bass Luthier ship their customers new instruments all over the world. Fright cases are available (with air compressors for the air bags and humidifiers as appropriate). Touring orchestras have loads of these cases. Most orchestras touring through Europe however load the instruments (including harps, percussion etc) on a wagon and that drives overnight while the musicians fly. As you're moving and not touring I'd look to drive it myself. Or pay an insured specialists courier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomaswest Posted April 4, 2023 Author Share Posted April 4, 2023 Thanks bloodpad! I think I will look into a specialist courier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Forrer Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 I shipped mine from New Zealand to Australia and back again in its gig bag. I packed towels around the bridge and under the extension and wrapped the whole bass in about 20 metres of bubble wrap, put it in the gig bag, then wrapped about 10 metres of bubble wrap around the whole thing. At the airport I asked for someone to carry it in to baggage rather than put it on the conveyor. However, both trips it came out on the carousel, but it survived totally unscathed much to my relief. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.