Transporting the tuba

[Brassdad]

Chevy Avalance is the primary hauler. It fits in the back seat with up to 3 riders, in the covered bed if I have 4 or more.
It also fits nicely in our volvo 740 station wagon

[tubatooter1940]

I can get tuba,mike and tuba stands in my Bonneville.
My '91 Dodge Minivan will haul the above plus our C.D. sellin' table,P.A. rack box and four of six Eon speakers. When we go on the road,we rent a 4 by 8 trailer from U-Haul for ten bucks a day. We pad the trailer with all our old quilts and even life vests.

[finnbogi]

As I don't have a car, I travel either by public transport (in Iceland, that means bus) or hitch a ride with someone (there's usually someone willing to drive me and my horn home, both ways if I'm lucky).

But at these gas prices driving around is killer.

Petrol (95 octane) is now priced at $1.9 per litre in Iceland.

[finnbogi]

I have traveled with 2 tubas, a euphonium, bass trombone, suitcase, and an oboist.

A few years ago, my brass quintet travelled between gigs in a Fiat Uno. When we needed a drummer, we would fit him in there too and have him bow his head when we passed a police car.

I was thinner then, though.

[Tuba-G Bass]

Ford Explorer 4x4 for current Tuba/Sousaphone hauler,

vehicles of the past that have hauled brass,

Saturn SL2
Volvo 240 wagon
VW Karmann Ghia
VW Westfalia Camper

[billeuph]

I take my tuba around to ensure it fits in the boot/trunk when I am buying a new car. I will not consider one in which it will not fit!

I'm so glad to hear that someone else does this! I've gotten some really strange looks from car salesmen/women as I walk in carrying my Besson 982 in a gig bag. Bottom line- most of the small sedans that we considered don't have a trunk big enough.

Bill Anderson

[oldbandnerd]

Bloke wrote:

don't have to transport my tubas, because last year I signed up for a government program that pays me not to play.

I don't know what the big deal about that is . People have been paying me for years to NOT play !!!

[Tubadork]

the ultimate tuba hauling device!
and if you get tired, you can just put up the tent and camp out!

I can put all 4 tubas in the car with no problem! AND I get pretty good gas mileage.
Bill

[BopEuph]

When I was in high school, I had a 1978 Ford Thunderbird. The thing was huge; I called it the Beast. In those days, I was playing as many instruments I could: euphonium, trombone, cello, and string bass. I must have looked pretty goofy carrying those around, since I developed a system to be able to carry everything at once. Everything other than the bass, including my backpack, fit in the trunk. The bass went in the backseat and the scroll hung over the dash on the passenger's side. This MUST have been a mob car, with a trunk like that!

Nick

[MartyNeilan]

When I lived a mile from college, and two miles from downtown, I just used my bicycle (first generation Specialized mountain bike) and carried my CC or F on my back in a gigbag. Same for bass bone. Spent zero on gas and probably helped my playing instead of hurting our environment. Now everything goes in the trunk of a quarter century old Volvo 240 because I live 12 mountainous miles away (20+ minutes by car) from where I teach and don't have the initials L.A. If I could have found a closer place that I could afford, I had every intention of biking or walking to school.
You really don't need the biggest car made to carry a tuba; my 240's trunk could swallow a Martin 6/4 with the recording bell still attached. Years ago I had a Saturn sedan and never had trouble fitting a "Daisy Cutter" Mirafone 190 in it. I think a lot of guys just use it as a convenient excuse to buy the latest 7 MPG macho mobile.

[dtemp]

the ultimate tuba hauling device!
and if you get tired, you can just put up the tent and camp out!

I can put all 4 tubas in the car with no problem! AND I get pretty good gas mileage.
Bill

Ditto. The Aztek might be ugly as sin, but if your hauling people, tubas, and suitcases (audition trips), it can't be beat.

[DHMTuba]

99 Chevy Suburban here. Transporting tuba(s), double bass, guitar and other stuff, sometimes all on the same job. Every now and then I'm hauling the whole band, too.
In college a friend and I frequently packed two fiberglass sousaphones into the back seat of his 1960's vintage Volkswagen Beetle. I don't remember how we did it. I do remember that getting them out was a bigger problem than getting them in!

[imperialbari]

I haven't followed this thread, as tuba transportation isn't my strongest side since about 5 years. A tuba and a pair of crutches don't fit well together up and down 5 flights of stairs to my 3rd story condo.

However I didn't use to be shy about transporting tubas and whatever lot of brasses around on my delivery bike. Often with my then dog sitting in a box above the rear wheel.

The 13th of August 1999 my section mate in a regional brass band, Ole Thunbo, celebrated his 40 years work jubilee. The band made a light entertainment performance with me as the only tuba player available during the holiday season.

And then I had prepared a surprise act.

We have several kid's songs build around the name of Ole, so I had given them a slight title "deformation" and had set them for two Eb tubas.

As the "birthday" kid Ole didn't play with the band and hadn't brought his tuba, I had put my Besson 981 as well as my Conn 26K on top of the loading grid of my bike.

After the band performance we enjoyed our coffee and cookies, whereafter I kidnapped Ole for the duet performance. Ole did the lead on the 26K with my Conn Helleberg, which is far too small for me, but a bit big for him. The same day my PT50 had arrived from Bob Tucci. I had opened up the backbore already. Everything worked well. Only I dehydrated like H... on that hot summer day.

Both photos are taken by Ole's wife. The top one shows me introducing the stunt, while Ole "fakes" a warm up on the 26K.

The lower photo shows, when I had packed up for the bike ride back home some hours and a lot of beers later. I hadn't brought the dog that day.



Photo hosting courtesy by the guy, who remembered these old photos, which I sent him very long ago, and who inspired me to enter this thread.

I can't climb that fine bike any more, so it has been replaced with a lightweight ladies' bike. No tubas possible, and my current dog (2000-?) sits in a basket over the front wheel, when the tarmac becomes too hot during summer days.

Klaus

[anotherjtm2]

Google search combined these two posts

My favorite tuba transporter is my Mazda Miata, with the top down whenever possible. No room for a passenger, though.

Bill Anderson

Regular car --> Volvo S60 sedan

4/4 Rudolf Meinl CC has to go in the back seat.

A 17 inch bell can make it into the trunk, 18 just won't go in.
B&S F and Mira 184 fit in the trunk just fine.

I like station wagons. If the Volvo ever dies, I'll buy one.

into

My favorite tuba transporter is my Mazda Miata, with the top down ... A 17 inch bell can make it into the trunk, 18 just won't go in.

Now I'm very disappointed. Maybe a 17" bell without attached tuba would fit in the Miata trunk.