Cars for gigging

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pintspillerpintspiller Frets: 994
Thinking of changing my car. Currently drive a Toyota Corolla Verso, but no need for a 7-seater and the agro with the DPF is pissing me off.

Any recommendations for cars that are great for carrying gear, ie ease of loading/unloading and that. Was thinking of an estate or something because the tailgate or lack of.

Sometimes I bring other gear too, but it's usually a bass, head, 410 cab, bag of pedals/leads and sometimes two floor monitors.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    I carry a full drum kit in a BMW 1 series.
    The guitar and bass stuff easily fits too.
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27580
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27580
    More sensibly, the Octavia and Superb estates have big boots. The Superb's is freakin' enormous. 
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • vasselmeyervasselmeyer Frets: 3664
    I've always had an estate car. Currently a VW Passat, but I've had a Volvo V50, an Audi A3 and a BMW 3 series. All of them have managed to fit amp, effects, cable box, stands and three guitars in the back.

    Room is one thing you might need, but the next thing to think about is the lip for the tailgate. Look for the lowest one as even on an estate car, it can get old dragging things in and out.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    Renault Grand Scenic 1.6 petrol.

    Huge inside, no tailgate lip, economical and nice to drive, cheap to buy because everyone thinks Renaults are crap (they aren't).

    I like it so much that when my old one was written off (not my fault!) I immediately went and bought another one. If it matters, I could get an Ampeg 6x10" cab and SVT head *in the boot* without even needing to fold the seats.

    Once you've used an MPV, all other types of cars seem the wrong shape.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • soma1975soma1975 Frets: 6627
    Just bought a Skoda Octavia estate for video production stuff which is an ungodly amount of kit to move about and it handles it perfectly. Enormous boot and great car. 
    My Trade Feedback Thread is here

    Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
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  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    edited June 2018
    Big volvo, usually no lip on the proper estates
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  • TheMarlinTheMarlin Frets: 7744
    Mondeo Estate. Though, stock seats are uncomfortable in most recent model, head rest can push your head forward. 
    Upgraded leather electricaly adjustable ones are more comfy. 
    Better on older pre 2017 models. 
    Enirmous boot, good reliable Diesel engine. 
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  • JasonJason Frets: 1103
    tFB Trader
    Skoda Yeti is what I use
    The Guitar Show, Cranmore Park, Birmingham | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Podcast
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  • fastonebazfastonebaz Frets: 4065
     Ford Mondeo hatchback has enormous boot that swallows loads of kit and keeps it out of sight. 
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    Yeti 170.
    Be seeing you.
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  • JayGeeJayGee Frets: 1254
    Nissan Leaf. Eliminates all those worries about waking the neighbours with a (suddenly hellishly loud although it seems perfectly civilised during the day) diesel engine when you get home at 3:00 AM... :-)
    Don't ask me, I just play the damned thing...
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    I used to get 3 guitars, a 1x12 combo, a big pedalboard and chunky bag of cables etc in a Corsa every week. 

    Before that we used to put 4 guitars in hardcases, a Laney VC15, a Vox Valvetronix 1x12, a pedalboard, a couple of bags of cables, a snare drum & cymbals, and a Yamaha clavinova (and stand) in the back of a Polo in under 5 minutes. 

    My conclusion is that anything not hilariously small is absolutely fine unless you're shit at gear-tetris.
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27580
    Jason said:
    Skoda Yeti is what I use
    I had two of those - they have a surprising amount of space inside - it's not massively long front-to-back but it's tall and very usefully square. With the back seats down (or removed) it's like a little van, and with the variable boot floor there's no lip to lift over.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    I've had a 4X4 truck, an Austin Maxi, A Volvo estate, Several large saloon cars and the surprise of the bunch, Skoda octavia estate. Huge boot space (not massive headroom like a 4X4), economical, easy to drive/park, reliable.
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  • LuttiSLuttiS Frets: 2243
    Used to get 2 x guitars, 1x12 amp, drumkit and a drummer in a 2001 Yaris..
    Squeezing the drummer in too was the tough bit... as were hills.. 

    Got a life in an estate once filled with gear.. much more preferable. Go with an estate :)


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  • meltedbuzzboxmeltedbuzzbox Frets: 10337
    Is the vehicle purely for lugging kit? Or do you need it to be a family car during the rest of the week?
    Do you care if it has the acceleration of a tranquilised 3 legged Rhino climbing a hill?
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
    The heated rear screen on the Skodas are particularly powerful.
    It's good because they keep your hands lovely and warm when you're pushing them home...
    "Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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  • HaychHaych Frets: 5595

    Volvo V70, end of!  Still wish I had mine.  Bulletproof, reliable, masses of load space, no lip on the loading bed and incredibly practical for every day use.

    There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife

    Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky

    Bit of trading feedback here.

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  • I have a Fiat Panda and I find it's excellent for a reasonable amount of gear. My usual load out is amp head (Egnator Rebel), 1x12 cab, double guitar bag, pedaltrain jnr in flightcase, laptop bag with cables and a rucksack. Everything bar the pedaltrain can go in the boot with judicious packing. The pedal board goes behind the passenger seat. I took 3/4 of the drum kit to one gig, it made hills a bit dicey but the good old Panda got there!

    As long as you're under 5'10, the Panda is a pretty comfortable ride.
    "As with all things, some days you're the dinosaur, some days you're the monkey." Sporky
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