This article is written by Toru Hoshino, an upright bassist and instructor based in Tokyo. In it, I want to introduce a handy wheeled cart for transporting an upright bass — the Bass Buggie.
Contents
A Handy Set of Wheels for Transporting Your Upright Bass: The Bass Buggie
An upright bass is heavy, and hauling it around can be a real pain. This is a way to strap a set of wheels directly onto the bass so you can roll it instead of carrying it.
How to Attach the Bass Buggie
Attaching it is simple.
Take the loop on the Bass Buggie itself (the red circle on the left in the photo) and slip it over the endpin.
The triangular bracket fits onto the endpin,
and the strap wraps around the neck of the bass like this.
And that’s it — you’re done.
It really is that simple.
I took it for a walk to try it out.
The wheels don’t rattle much, and they feel sturdy — like they’re properly supporting the weight of a heavy upright bass.
It’s a Bass Buggie-style cart, and similar wheeled attachments for upright bass are available from various retailers if you search for “bass buggy” or “double bass wheels.”
It’s a great item if you want to move your upright bass around without the usual hassle.
Do Cheap Carry Carts Lose Their Wheels?
Before I started using the Bass Buggie, I was using an ordinary carry cart like the one below.
Example image
I was using a cheap one that cost around $15, and one day while I was walking, a wheel popped right off and went rolling away. I guess it just couldn’t handle the weight of the bass.
That was the moment it hit me: it’s not just the instrument itself that needs to be solid — the case and accessories matter too.
If you’re picking up the upright bass for the first time this season, having a good cart is well worth it.
Want Personalized Feedback on Your Playing?
This is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to fix alone — and where having a teacher makes all the difference.
At Line on Bass, I offer an online lesson service where you send me a video of your playing, and I give you specific, detailed feedback — every single day if you want.
Students from around the world are using this to fix exactly these kinds of issues and steadily improve their jazz bass skills.