As a bassist, turning up to gigs typically involves more than just arriving with my instrument. I’ve typically got an amp, an FX unit and various sundries to cart around, including somewhere to mount the iPad holder for the iPad I have most of my notes on. Last weekend, I picked up a new hand trolley (a Magnusson unit from Screwfix), which is robust but folds down to a compact size; good for portability and, as you can see from the photo, I’ve worked out a couple of additions.

Originally, I envisaged attaching my iPad hold directly but it turned out the vertical poles were too thick. Out came the woodworking tools. In step one, I fitted platforms to the top and bottom, joined by a hollow metal rod.

That was the iteration I used on Sunday’s gig but, although it worked, it felt a bit loose and the curves I’d cut to hold the bass neck turned out to be too close to where the iPad sat. Version 2 involved an extra bit of shaped wood to hold the top pole holder flush to the pull handle and a squeeze clamp with a couple of old socks softening the handle to rest the bass in.

That worked well for last night’s rehearsal. I think there will be a version 3, with a horizontal piece of wood on the lower addition to provide an integrated bass support without the clamp and perhaps also a recess so my tuba mouthpiece can be rested on it without danger of being knocked off. Will there be a version 4? I’ll try #3 and decide if I need another iteration. By the time I get to next year’s overseas tour (the incentive for improving my gear portability set up) I should have a tried and tested set of customisations to assist.