personal space

[Omor Nomar ff bass]

hey lowdowners! Anyone out there who's been put in the basement? To be more precise, started out having all of your equipment in a bedroom or some other type room fit for human habitation, but then your better half decided it was time to make it a guestroom and slowly shipped out your gear to the dungeon. (we still argue about the guest room and the ironic lack of guests) Anyway, basements or cellars being the limited spaces they are, I was wondering how some of you organize and situate all your stuff. I'm currently pondering building a hutch/bureau of sorts to lift all the basses off the ground with maybe some slide out drawers beneath for storage, but may end up killing more trees paying for it than building it. Any suggestions?

[Big Red 67]

Plywood on top of forklift skids(pallets).

[moot]

I started with a "Rock Room/Fly Tying" room attached to the garage that was the perfect size for most of my stuff. After an excursion to the east coast my wife decided to begin making sea-shell windchimes and there went half my "Man Space." I still have a fly tying desk in there and room for my golf clubs and RC plane but that's about it. All my equipment is relegated to a storage unit.

 

Pretty sure it's a conspiracy.

[Steve Force]

I have a full-blown music studio in my basement. Double-walled, double doors, suspended ceiling, built-in guitar racks, acoustic absorbtion, the works. I like it.

 

Basements are a great place to play, once you modify it to suit your needs.

[moot]

Forceman said -

I have a full-blown music studio in my basement. Double-walled, double doors, suspended ceiling, built-in guitar racks, acoustic absorbtion, the works. I like it.

I hate you. I haven't had that kind of setup since I was single.

 

Wanna adopt a somewhat older slightly retarded son you never wanted?

[Steve Force]

Originally posted by mattulator:

Forceman said -

I have a full-blown music studio in my basement. Double-walled, double doors, suspended ceiling, built-in guitar racks, acoustic absorbtion, the works. I like it.

I hate you. I haven't had that kind of setup since I was single.

 

Wanna adopt a somewhat older slightly retarded son you never wanted?

Sure, my wife and I would consider adopting you and your gear!

 

Please send color photos of your gear.

 

[jeremy c]

My wife is a musician too.

 

The whole house and garage are completely filled with instruments, amplifiers, tape recorders, cds, records, tapes, music books.

 

If you want to sit down, pull up a speaker cab and make yourself comfortable.

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

Nice thing about being a divoriced and living the bachelor life (other than no one complaining about leaving the socks lying around and the food on the walls).

 

All the bass stuff and my son's guitar stuff is in the living room, where it belongs!

[tnb]

The whole house and garage are completely filled with instruments, amplifiers, tape recorders, cds, records, tapes, music books.

If you want to sit down, pull up a speaker cab and make yourself comfortable.

Heaven!

[Steve Force]

Originally posted by jeremyc:

My wife is a musician too.

 

The whole house and garage are completely filled with instruments, amplifiers, tape recorders, cds, records, tapes, music books.

 

If you want to sit down, pull up a speaker cab and make yourself comfortable.

Perfect!

[butcherNburn]

1 tip: Even if your basement never got a drop of water in it before, make sure your stuff is up off the floor.

 

I used to spread out across my 1 bedroom apartment. It's a decent size, good landlords, and I do have respect for the clock. Carvin pb150 10" combo in the living room, Ampeg B25 w/15" cab in the bedroom. Sometimes I would use a chorus pedal to split the signal. This combined with the stereo really rocked the house. But alas, I got married. No luxury of a basement to move into so I've been doomed to the world of headphones.

[Mr. Phil]

I actually had my gear in the living room for a while until my dad got mad and made me put it all it the basement. We have this rolling cart rack thing that my two cabs fit on the bottom, my amp head and briefcase of cables and mics in the little space in the middle, and then my mixer and recorder on the top. Its pretty good. Too bad i dont use it much anymore.

[ChrisOfDoom]

Originally posted by jeremyc:

My wife is a musician too.

 

The whole house and garage are completely filled with instruments, amplifiers, tape recorders, cds, records, tapes, music books.

 

If you want to sit down, pull up a speaker cab and make yourself comfortable.

Thats what I need. First off, off to the music stores to buy a housefull of stuff, second, buy a house to put it in...

[J.A.]

Originally posted by Omor Nomar ff bass:

(we still argue about the guest room and the ironic lack of guests)

simple solution to the guest/bass problem...invite all lowdowners within a 100 mile radius to come over and jam in the bassment (pun intended) on a weekly basis, until you get your room back.

[Omor Nomar ff bass]

originally posted by justinruins: Invite all lowdowners withinn 100 mile radius to come over and jam in the bassment

Hmmm....how many lowdowners can fit on 1 queen sized mattress?!

[getz out]

If you're playing in a band, rent a rehearsal space and put your excess gear there.

 

If you're not playing in a band, you probably don't have a real need to have all your gear all over the place, right? Basement sounds fine.

[jeremy c]

California houses don't have basements.

[datsame1642606683]

Originally posted by Omor Nomar ff bass:

originally posted by justinruins: Invite all lowdowners withinn 100 mile radius to come over and jam in the bassment

Hmmm....how many lowdowners can fit on 1 queen sized mattress?!

You'd have to buy me dinner first.

[Bass_god_offspring]

well...

 

i'm an only child, and so when we bought this house, my parents said, "just take out the wall so he can have a larger room." thus, my room is the size of what two normal teenagers bedrooms are. quiet long indeed that is (gives me the feeling of a stage when i'm practicing). i place my cab in an alcove type area, with my effects facing the windows, my PA next to the stack, and the mic facing back towards the cab (this gives me the stage effect, which is more fun to practice on rather than allowing myself two feet of room to play).

 

i wish i had a studio, that would be the best (dreams....).

 

if only California houses had basements.

[Tom Capasso]

There are lots of simple storage options at your local home-renovation store. Some of the plastic ones look OK. I agree - get is off the concrete floor.

 

I have 2 12" cabs, a couple of basses, and a gig bag. I seem to end up with our band's PA, which is pretty small (about the same amount of space as my own stuff). And my wife would love me to get it out of the basement !! I think in the next few months a new area of the unfinished section is where it's headed....

 

Now if I can just get rid of my kids, I'd have lots of space

 

Tom

[Pernax]

I'm quite lucky as our band has a studio (it really was a recording studio in the past) where we can keep all our gear and need not to worry about nagging family members or transporting the big rigs between points A and B. It also makes impulsive practices easy as there is no gear lugging required - not to mention the fact that our 2nd g****r player can ride his Buell to practice.

 

At home I usually have at least one bass and a small practice amp (which I don't even use - I do most of my playing unplugged) as well as my g****r stuff.

 

-P

[A Head with Wings]

My wife is a sculptress. She has been complaining about a lack of space for years. She had only a little studio in the back of the garden. So, we've just bought a new house, that has an old warehouse in the back. Two stores, 400 square meters. She'll have a sculpting studio, a painting studio, a studio for workshops with kids,... I'll have a big room (100 m²) for my books, my cd's, my basses and saxophone, my computer,... There's still room left to construct a band rehearsal place. And the kids have a big garden. We guess we will be very happy over there.

[davebassman]

Head, your new place sounds like the perfect set up!!

 

Like Jeremy, my wife is a musician, so we have a dedicated music room. I only use a combo amp at home, so it's her piano that takes up the most room.

[Tedster]

Originally posted by forceman:

I have a full-blown music studio in my basement. Double-walled, double doors, suspended ceiling, built-in guitar racks, acoustic absorbtion, the works. I like it.

 

Basements are a great place to play, once you modify it to suit your needs.

As long as they aren't too damp.

[Edendude]

If there's one thing I have learned well from being a musician for 31 years, it's that having an inviting and comfortable 'music space' in one's home is essential.

 

If you don't have a space that's all set up ready to play in, and is comfortable and inviting, then you will not pick up and play nearly as often as you need to to keep progressing musically.

 

My advice...

 

Explain to 'the missus' that your artistic needs as a musican should far outweigh any so-called aesthetic concerns with regard to instruments and gear inhabiting at least one comfortable corner of your living space.

 

TAKE CHARGE MAN! What are you, a musican or mouse!

[Omor Nomar ff bass]

Originally posted by getz76:

If you're playing in a band, rent a rehearsal space and put your excess gear there.

 

If you're not playing in a band, you probably don't have a real need to have all your gear all over the place, right? Basement sounds fine.

Dude where's the love? Sure, the basement's where I'm hangin these days, but I want it to not feel like a basement. So turn your Dr. Spock logic switch off and help a brutha out! Hey Datsame, I hope you don't think it's that kind of party, but what the heck, any good steak places over there in good ol' Wollongong? Hey BGO, if your interested in getting that older brother you always wanted, tell your folks I'm available for adoption, because I'd kill to have your setup! Make it appealing for them. I can do my own laundry and can live off table scraps.

[Steve Force]

Originally posted by Tedster:

Originally posted by forceman:

I have a full-blown music studio in my basement. Double-walled, double doors, suspended ceiling, built-in guitar racks, acoustic absorbtion, the works. I like it.

 

Basements are a great place to play, once you modify it to suit your needs.

As long as they aren't too damp.

True. But there are steps one can take to mitigate dampness.

[getz out]

Sounds like you need to call the producers of Queer Eye...

 

Anyhow, you still didn't answer the question - are you in a band? Do you need access to equipment that will often be taken to gigs, or can you store things so they don't need to be so accessible?

 

More information that might be useful:

 

How big is the basement?

 

Is it finished?

 

What type of wall?

 

Have you considered wall hangers that are available (i.e., Stringswing)?

 

Will you have friends over?

 

If yes, will your friends be playing an instrument?

 

As for me, this is what works:

 

I keep my main bass and my main guitar hanging in our bedroom. I have one rig (Acme) also in the bedroom (in a corner, with covers). The case for both are in my coat closet.

 

I keep my other money rig in the coat closet (Bergantino/Eden).

 

My guitar rig is out of sight behind my coffee table in the living room.

 

I have 3 basses in my easily accessible storage in my apartment building.

 

I have 2 rigs in my rehearsal space. I also have two guitars there, my PA, and my recording set up.

 

I have another rig and an OLD bass at a buddy's house where I occasionally jam.

 

When I practice, I practice in my living room through headphones.

 

I rehearse in rehearsal spaces, either nightly rentals or my monthly space I share with two of the bands I play in.

 

You'll notice, I don't overwhelm the apartment with gear for my unassuming, non-musician mate. She doesn't even realize half of the things are gear. Sounds like it's too late for you, as you've already crossed the line and now the sight of gear in the main living areas is going to be met with the iron hand of spousal justice. Lack of foresight...

 

The new apartment is nice since there is an elevator AND I have indoor parking. There is even a large hand truck in the lobby. Got to love that... I spent enough years in 2nd and 3rd floor walk-ups that I've earned this wonderful luxury.

 

Too bad the PA is in the rehearsal space... in a basement! Doh... stairs suck.

[ihategarybettman]

Omor, my equipment creep went in the opposite direction, but I feel your pain. My drumkit and guitars used to be in the living room, then they were moved upstairs to the first spare bedroom, and now my kit is in the attic. I too heard (and, obviously, lost) the "We need a guest bedroom" argument; last time I checked, I didn't live in a Holiday Friggin' Inn, though.

[Omor Nomar ff bass]

Hey Getz, that's the spirit! No, I'm sorry to say I am currently not in a band. But, I've always been pretty minimalist when it comes to gear. My space is probably around 12' squared. I'm trying to fit in 5 basses and 2 acoustic guitars, two combo amps (1 1x15 & 1 2x10) component stereo with mid sized speakers, 1 tascam 4 track analog, and fostex digital 4 track plus 8 stomp boxes a few hundred cds and of course a dozen cables of different lengths and purposes. I dont have the budget to close it all in with nice walls and sundproofing and using hangers aren't really an option because I don't want drill into the foundation wall. I do store all my cases, boxes and transport stuff seperately in the garage. Other than that my needs aren't that great. I guess I just really need to spend an entire day going through the space and get rid of things that don't belong. Thanks to all the lowdowners for all the great ideas and maybe I'll have some before and after pics to post.