The perfect PSG gig car, does it exist?

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

My back is killing me, lifting my old ShoBud D-10 (in a case) in and out of the hatchback I've got right now. So I'm starting to look for a new car that works for gigs. Criteria are: reasonable gas economy, room in the back for gear and the right height in the back, so that the lift in and out of the back is not too bad. I've been eyeing the Subaru Forester and some of the older Honda CR-V's. My wife has a Ford Escape that works pretty good, but the larger SUVs lift height is a bit too high. I'm looking for good back posture for that lift. Maybe the best thing to do is tow a fork-lift behind a truck. : )
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Ray Thomas · From: Goldsboro North Carolina

Tom, by the way, just got the amp, thanks, as far as the gig car, I have a 2000 Honda van with a big deep trunk area, I never break my guitar down, just set it in there and move on. I know some think they should be broken down every time and that's ok but with the back and legs I don't have any more I need all the help I can get so that's the way I do it. O yes, I have purchased a lite guitar (GFI)
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Jim Lindsey (Louisiana) · From: Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)

Hi, Tom ...

Before I moved from Texas, my best friend sometimes ferried me to a gig in his vehicle because loading my equipment in involved such minimal lifting and it was easy to slide everything in ... his vehicle was the long wheel-based Chrysler Town & Country ... good and reasonable gas mileage, very low deck at the rear when the hatch is open making equipment loading easier with lots of room and very nice comfortable ride going down the road.

When my little Camry finally wears out (if it ever does) and I need another vehicle, it'll definitely be a Chrysler Town & Country. Smile

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1986 Mullen D-10 with 8 & 7 (Dual Bill Lawrence 705 pickups each neck)
Two Peavey Nashville 400 Amps (with a Session 500 in reserve) - Yamaha SPX-90 II
Peavey ProFex II - Yamaha R-1000 Digital Reverb - Ross Time Machine Digital Delay - BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
ProCo RAT R2DU Dual Distortion - Korg DT-1 Pro Tuner (Rack Mounted) - Furman PL-8 Power Bay
Goodrich Match-Bro by Buddy Emmons - BJS Steel Bar (Dunlop Finger Picks / Golden Gate Thumb Picks)

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I'd suggest a small import wagon. My first car, a 1980 Datsun 510 wagon (bought from a bluegrass bass player), was the easiest gigmobile I ever had. The 240Z is the funnest, but is a pain.

EDIT: Ray, over time, the vibrations will do interesting things to the screws holding it together. I carried my Zum set up in my van for a year or so. I learned my lesson.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Leonard G. Robertson · From: Ozark, Mo. USA

I use a Chev 4 dr HHR & always leave my back seat folded all the time. I put my amp on one side , seat (legs open) opposite side, steel (set-up)cross ways & lay on it's side. This works well for me, no the legs don't work loose. My practice steel is always set-up ready to play at home.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Honda Element, which is termed a 'compact SUV'. Same platform as the CR-V, but the entire floor is polycarbonate material, and is flat all the way from the back to the front. Back seats come out easily, I can take a ton of stuff that way. Rear lift gate opens down like a pickup truck, and I find it to be at the perfect height. Once you get something on the lift gate, you can just slide it in from there. Suicide side doors open from the center, leaving a huge opening from which to load from the sides if you want to do that.

Gas mileage is so-so - around 20 in town, 25 on the road - but OK for an SUV. Better than a pickup truck, but nowhere near as good as a tiny econobox. But as a gigging musician's car, I think it's perfect. Forget about getting a new one, however - they went out of production a year or two ago. But there are lots of them out there.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

My legs never worked loose. Just endplates, LKR brackets, necks, RKR brackets, keyheads. Anything with a woodscrew.
I think anything built like a car would ride better, my experience was a 3/4ton E-150. If the HHR is built on a pickup frame, I'd urge occasional inspection
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Jerry Roller · From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA

HHR here. I always tear down the guitar.
Jerry

Tony Dingus · From: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

Chevy Equinox, plenty of room and decent gas mileage.

Tony

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I had easy loading and never a problem with my 1981 280Z. I'd place my assembled Emmons P/P in the back, and my Session-400 directly underneath it. My pack seat fit perfectly to one end of the g'tar. Never had any problems.

I now have a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country with an automatic rear door. I can set the same guitar inside quickly and easily, placing the amp in the same position. The heavily smoked side windows provide reasonable security.

No rocking back and forth as the rear most seat back holds it firmly in place.

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

HHR here also-that makes 3 in this thread.For me,it's tied with my '81 VW Pickup (now sold) for best gig car.

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

My bass player has an HHR. He packs a lot of gear in it. I'll add it to my list, along with the Element. Ray, I had to sell that amp to you, it was too darn heavy. : )
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Doug Palmer · From: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Honda Fit. Tons of room and excellent gas mileage. Not expensive and very dependable. I've owned 2 of them, 2007 and 2012. Check them out.
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Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I've had the Forester for 3 years. Bigger on the inside then the outside Very Happy

, relatively easy load.

The car has been trouble free. A big four banger so routine maintenance costs are on the low side. I get approx 30 mph HWY. AWD standard. Very decent sound system with standard AUX port.

A tad underpowered when fully loaded but I can deal with that.

I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

fwiw

h

John McClung · From: Olympia WA, USA

Another vote for the Honda Element. Not super quiet inside, MPG OK but not as great as I'd expected. But for cargo, the seats that fold up to the walls, or pretty easily come out altogether, make it one big cargo box. The tailgate isn't very high, that helps a lot.

I keep taking shots as I learn new ways to load various configurations of gear. Here's a shot taken this week. I put the steel on its side because I roll everything in on an L-shaped handtruck, and it's the bottom of that load, so it's easy to pull it out first when it's loaded in like this.

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W. Van Horn · From: Houston, texas

I'll add another vote to the Honda fit. Reliable, good gas mileage, enough room for me and an upright player plus all our gear.

John Groover McDuffie · From: LA California, USA

Volvo 245 with sport (lowering) springs! Very Happy

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

Do you guys with the Honda Element pull the rear seats out for gigs? Or just leave them in? The added plus is that a bass player can ride with you, and if he is drunk and barfs, you can wash out that whole back-end with a garden hose. Perfect dog-car too.

Other contenders are the Toyota Matrix, Ford Focus and the Mazda 3 hatchback.
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Bruce Derr · From: Lee, New Hampshire, USA

+1 for the Honda Fit. Inexpensive, cheap to own, and holds half again as much as you thought it would.

John Scanlon · From: Jackson, Mississippi, USA

+1 Subie Forester. Best gig car and just best car I've ever owned.
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Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

I have a Ford Focus Station wagon. The way the back seats go down makes for a very large and flat surface to load gear. You can put a ton of gear in there. I once put 15 pieces of gear from three different tours on there, and there was still space to put more!

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Tom, I don't need to pull the back seats out of the Element to handle just my own guitar/pedal-steel gear. I can easily fit a D10 or U12, one or two amps like a NV 112, Deluxe Reverb, or tweed Bassman, a large gig bag, a 2-space rack, a large drum throne, and 2-3 guitars in just the back compartment without going significantly over the bottom of the rear window - I can easily see out the back window. I can fill just the rear compartment higher if I need to take, let's say, more guitars or other stuff that fits on top of the steel and amps.

To give you an idea what fits with the back seats pulled out - I can take my guitar/steel rig plus a small PA (powered mixer plus 2-12" front speakers and 2-12" monitors), plus either a small drum kit or a compact keyboard + keyboard amp, all leaving the front seat clear for someone to ride with me. Going to a guitar show, I can get around 30 guitars plus a large box of stands to hold them, luggage for 2, and a few small amps.

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

I use a 2008 Kia Sportage. I keep gear small, light and simple, except for the amps. Broke down into 6 parts. Session 500 amp, steelseat, S-10 ETS, small stand for amp, foldup small dolly and a heavyduty plastic case full of extra cords, extra VP, batteries, tools ,etc. I'm planning on replacing the 15's in the 500's with a speaker that weight 8lbs., I believe. The 500's I have show about 75lbs. on the scales. I like the sound of the Session 500 amps, as opposed to the 112's with the 12" at 80 watts. No comparsion to me and I've had several 112's. The 500's are the big dogs! Ha!

Bill L. Wilson · From: Oklahoma, USA

Aside from several Step Vans, that I could haul a music store in, but only got 5mi. a gal. I recently bought a Ford Transit Connect Van. 26mi. a gal. Low to the ground, double doors in the back, and sliding doors on both sides. This thing has a high top, 4ft. between the fender wells, and I have no back seats, with a little over 6ft. of floor space. It's a cargo van, but they do have them with seats if you want'em, I just wanted something to haul guitars in, and it's perfect for me.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Anyone using a Chevy Sonic? I'd be interested to know how they work for hauling gear.

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