Do End-Pin Bass Wheels Damage Upright Basses?

The end-pin hole on a bass is designed to support the stationary weight of the bass. It is strong enough to support the bass, but it is not designed to handle excess weight, strain, or shocks.

This point was driven home to me when a local bass player was playing his bass and the end-pin nut slipped. The bass only slipped down the end-pin about 3 inches, but as the weight of the bass dropped down on the end-pin, the bass was seriously damaged. Again, the end-pin hole is designed to handle the weight of a stationary bass, but not the force of a bass that is being "dropped" or "bounced".

When running some Google searches looking for information about end pin wheels and the risk of damage being caused to the double bass, there were mixed results:

• Some bass players do not use bass wheels because of the potential damage risk
• A number of other bass players have been able to successfully use bass wheels without damaging their basses

One bass player who said that he had been carefully using bass wheels for years without any apparent damage to his bass. Although, he did go on to give a bulleted list of precautions that you should take when using a bass end-pin wheel (semi-inflated tires, only rolling on very smooth flooring, etc.).

So, do bass wheels cause damage to basses? The answer is that they can. If you purchase a bass wheel and are very careful with it (buying a high-end, shock absorbing wheel, semi-inflated tires, smooth flooring, etc.) you should be able to safely transport your bass.

But, Is There A Better Option?

Why risk any potential damage to your bass? The Bass Buggie does a better job of supporting the bass, and the weight of the bass is not focused solely on the vulnerable end-pin. Instead, it is evenly distributed along points of the outside edge of the bass case - which is the strongest part of the entire bass's frame!

Does this mean you could safely run your bass down a flight of stairs while it is attached to the bass buggie? Actually, if you paid an extra $10 for the foam padding that KC Strings recommends you use if you'll be operating in a bumpy environment - you might just be able. But why take the risk? The whole goal of transporting your bass is to do so safely, and the Bass Buggie is the safer, easier-to-use alternative to bass wheels!