Talk about your Bass Bag/Cover...

[Richard Prowse]

My bass bag is old and faded.
It has the words 'DARYL PROWSE' written on it.
I tried to black out the DARYL part because my name is RICHARD, but you can still see it.
Every time I do a gig lots of people probably think that I'm Daryl Prowse.
Do I need to get a new bag if I want people to ring and offer me gigs?

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Maybe people would think it belonged to your other brother DARYL ;).

From what I've seen, get the Bobelock. It looks to have a step on my Mooradian.

[stan haskins]

I love my bass bag. It's a Mooradian that Jeff threw into the deal when I bought my bass from him.

When we brought our youngest daughter home from the hospital last year, my cat was injured fighting for winter territory outside. He was hiding for days, and didn't move very much. I figured he was just jealous of the new baby ("What! Another One! Will you Please Stop with the babies!" or some feline-equivalent line of thought . . .) because I didn't notice his injury.

During that time, he made a nest in my bass bag and peed all over it.

I do not get the chance to gig often - I'm a full time teacher with a bunch of babies at home. So, it was at least a week before I put the bag on the bass to go to a rehearsal and went "What the &*^% is that smell?

IN the meantime, I had noticed my cat's injury, and he was treated for an infection with a high fever.

The cat is fine now.

The bag still stinks a little.

[Marcus Johnson]

Mooradian, maybe ten years old, the only zipper still working is the main one. Anointed several times by cats in the past, they seem to have moved on to greener pastures now, thankfully.

Richard, your bag is fine. :rolleyes: You know how it is; if you show up with nice new flawless equipment, nobody thinks you've been around long enough to know how to play!

[Richard Prowse]

Wash that bag Stan! People are probably talking about you behind your back at rehearsal!
Has anyone had experience at adapting old bass bags into clothing?
I have an old bass bag that I sometimes wear to work on cold days. The bottom part's a bit loose and the top part's a bit tight. Any thoughts / suggestions? The bow pocket holds about 5 handkerchiefs, which is handy on those winter days when you have a runny nose.

[stan haskins]

Wash that bag Stan!

Which leads us to our next point: Can you wash a bass bag without damaging it? Anyone here tried?

[Richard Prowse]

Which leads us to our next point: Can you wash a bass bag without damaging it? Anyone here tried?
Could you carry it through a car wash?

[Steve_M]

Stan you need to give that bag some special attention. Cat pee smells the way it does because there are some pretty persistent alkaloids in it which not even bleach will shift.

http://www.faqs.org/qa/qa-7780.html

http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/48/Combat-Cat-Urine.html

Failing that, I reckon you should take it to a dry cleaners.

[Marcus Johnson]

Which leads us to our next point: Can you wash a bass bag without damaging it? Anyone here tried?

I have, it was fine. But I guess it depends on the bag. Reunion Blues... eh, maybe not so good. ;)

[Richard Prowse]

Stan, shouldn't the cat really be responsible for cleaning it?
Nah, that's silly... sorry, I don't know what came over me.
Wait for a nice summer's day and hang your Mooradianon on your clothes line (that thing you often see your wife standing
near (Lol!:D :D ). Use the garden hose on it and then let it drip dry. Obviously you need to take the bass out before doing this. I think this will work. You could probably have it dried in an industrial dryer... if it shrinks, just give it to a cellist as a birthday present.
Also, tell the cat to pee somewhere else next time.
Also, tell the people in the orchestra what happened to your bag so they won't think you're a guy with a bit of an odour problem.

[Richard Prowse]

There was a guy in Wainuiomata who was murdered and his body was dismembered. He was a bass player and had a very distinctive bag with red pieces of leather sewn onto it. The pieces of leather were cut to look a little like a devil's face, well , so some people said... I had never seen it. Only some of his body was ever found and the bass bag seemed to disappear. This happened about eight years ago.
Some say that the pieces of leather originally were taken from a dead soldier during the Maori wars, some 150 years ago.
One day, about a year ago, I was walking past a second hand shop in Wainuiomata and, would you believe it, the bag was in the window.

[Richard Prowse]

I was curious, so I went in to ask how much they were asking for the bag and where it had been found. The old guy in the shop seemed like he was hiding something and didn't seem that keen to sell it.

"I'm walking towards the door when he calls me back and says that I can have it for $40.
I go over and inspect the bag. It smells a bit musty, but seems in very good condition. I ask the old shop keeper why there is red leather sewn onto it and he gets a bit agitated. So I give him the money and take the bag home."

When I got home, I lay the bag next to my bass and it seemed like it would be a perfect fit. Bit I kept getting an uneasy feeling about the red leather 'face' that almost seemed to change at times.
Now, I don't like wasting forty bucks, but I decide d to get rid of the bag because it was making me feel a little uneasy. It was probably the leather face.

"I notice there's something in the bow pocket, but don't really want to use my hand to get it out, so I undo the pocket and shake the bag. The best part of a human finger falls out! And it's got a ring on it! I nearly soil myself!"

[Richard Prowse]

The ring was gold and seemed to have a face on it. If the finger belonged to the bag's original owner, why was it still intact after all these years? It had, logically, to belong to someone else. I put on some rubber gloves and carefully removed the ring from the finger. There was something written inside the ring... it looked like Spanish.
It seemed to read,
"El tercer dedo no es uso a un bajista."
It was written in very smal writing and was quite hard to read, so I may have gotten some of the letters wrong.
I was temped to try the ring on but, having seen 'Lord of the Rings', I knew better.
I put it in a drawer and squeezed the bag (with the finger back in the pocket) into my plastic rubbish bin. It was rubbish collection day the next day, so I wheeled the bin out to the side of the road.
It felt better to have the bin out of the house.

[Richard Prowse]

I must admit that it was a bit of a relief to hear the rubbish truck early the next morning.
After he'd gone I went out and checked the bin.
Empty.
Then I remembered the ring.
Damn! Why had I kept it?
I rushed inside and opened the drawer, but it was gone!

[Steve_M]

Someone needs to reclaim this thread.

I have a Ritter double gig back for both my fretted and fretless Smith BSR5GN basses. It's crap. The thing started falling apart from almost the time it was delivered and I went to great pains to sew some black denim reinforcement into the seams that held but its started falling apart in different places now. I wonder where my $120 went!

Part of me is tempted to get a double leather gig bag but they're fairly expensive.

[Richard Prowse]

Someone needs to reclaim this thread.

I have a Ritter double gig back for both my fretted and fretless Smith BSR5GN basses. It's crap. The thing started falling apart from almost the time it was delivered and I went to great pains to sew some black denim reinforcement into the seams that held but its started falling apart in different places now. I wonder where my $120 went!

Part of me is tempted to get a double leather gig bag but they're fairly expensive.
Steve, sorry to pull you up on a technicality but...
What you are talking about is actually a 'basses' bag and not a bass bag.
Unfortuuately we don't actually have a thread titled 'Talk about your basses bag' so I guess it's alright to post about this freak of the bass bag world here. But let's hope that this little leniency doesn't compell 2nd fiddle Rod to start going on about violin cases.

[Robert Prowse]

Puppy's are also a serious threat :eek: . Note damage in rim and padding
217
This case originally belonged to Richard Prowse and was home for his bass when just a baby:p

[Richard Prowse]

Puppy's are also a serious threat :eek: . Note damage in rim and padding
217
This case originally belonged to Richard Prowse and was home for his bass when just a baby:p
Cute, but "puppy's" shouldn't have a possessive apostrophe.

[Richard Prowse]

thanks.... did you really think it was cute ; 'cause I wouldn't want you saying it just to be nice ...you know what I mean ?
...and no space between 'mean' and the question mark.

[Richard Prowse]

That's not a sentence. What novel ever started '...'?

'... there lived a hobbit.'
There lived a hobbit, probably up your bottom.

[Richard Prowse]

Actually, my sentence contained a 'split infinitive'.
I should have written:
Probably up your bottom was where the hobbit lived.

[Robert Prowse]

'Probably up your bottom was where the hobbit lived.'

No. Still don't buy it. First impressions count and think Tolkien's script would have been tossed in the bin. :)

[Richard Prowse]

This thread needs to get back onto bass bags.

Can a car qualify as a bass bag? Sorry, that was just plain silly.

My bag certainly is old. It doesn't really offer much protection. At least it doesn't smell of cat pee. I have a pretty good bag for my Fender bass, and a hard case.
I've just put my Fender back into tenor tuning. It's fun to play solo like that but I hope I don't let it interfere with my DB practice.
My Fender is a 78 jazz bass and I was feeling guilty seeing it sitting there unplayed. It certainly has a nice tone... and a good bag.

[Robert Prowse]

On Down here NZ
http://www.smithbassforums.com/showthread.php?t=33
we're talking about greetings!

Could "How's your bass bag?" be better than "how's it going?"

[Richard Prowse]

Rob...
"Get thee to a nunery!"

[David Powell]

Gee, What happened to the thread? The cat pee, the bass bags, etc. I think I must have found a wrinkle in the cosmos here. Perhaps it is the Stargate ...

[Ken Smith]

Gee, What happened to the thread? The cat pee, the bass bags, etc. I think I must have found a wrinkle in the cosmos here. Perhaps it is the Stargate ...

I tried to move it to the DB accessory's section and goofed. Split in two.., My bad.. Mike will fix it and move it back to the pit.

This thread is goofy and not all serious. If you want to talk serious, no stupid jokes, then do it in the DB section I just started for "Bag in the Wings".. Other wise keep the 12 year old jokes here in the Pit.

MIKE WILL FIX YOUR TOYS TODAY!!;)

http://www.smithbassforums.com/showthread.php?t=347&page=2
http://www.smithbassforums.com/showthread.php?t=346

[Richard Prowse]

Gee, What happened to the thread? The cat pee, the bass bags, etc. I think I must have found a wrinkle in the cosmos here. Perhaps it is the Stargate ...
And why is Ken starting to talk like Yoda from Star Wars?
Quote:
I tried to move it to the DB accessory's section and goofed. Split in two.., My bad.. Mike will fix it and move it back to the Pit.

This thread is goofy and not all serious. If you want to talk serious, no stupid jokes, then do it in the DB section I just started for "Bag in the Wings".. Other wise keep the 12 year old jokes here in the Pit.

[Richard Prowse]

Great reply Ken (the edit thing)!
5 gold stars!

[Steve_M]

I've been looking (http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1247) for a new double gig bag for my Smith 5's.

But the shoulder straps MUST be securely fastened as the two Smith basses are fairly heavy.

I've found these:
http://www.goincase.com/products/detail/dub-bag-cl56066/1

and these:
http://www.doc1rock.com/osc/eshop/product_...?products_id=64 (http://www.doc1rock.com/osc/eshop/product_info.php?products_id=64)

and these:
http://www.harvest-guitar.com/double-bass-bags.php

but the cost of the last two is a little eye watering.

[Ken Smith]

I've been looking (http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1247) for a new double gig bag for my Smith 5's.

But the shoulder straps MUST be securely fastened as the two Smith basses are fairly heavy.

I've found these:
http://www.goincase.com/products/detail/dub-bag-cl56066/1

and these:
http://www.doc1rock.com/osc/eshop/product_...?products_id=64 (http://www.doc1rock.com/osc/eshop/product_info.php?products_id=64)

and these:
http://www.harvest-guitar.com/double-bass-bags.php

but the cost of the last two is a little eye watering.

I think we are talking about the Double Bass here or at least that's what I thought. For the Smith, 'I' have a Bag (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/accessories/bassaccessories.html) that we have been selling for over 25 years in case you didn't know it.

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/accessories/thumbnails/gigbag(front).jpghttp://www.kensmithbasses.com/accessories/thumbnails/gigbag(back).jpg

I like keeping things simple but equipped. These are great light weight but protective Gig Bags that have features that have been copied by most companies that I put on these Bags over 25 years ago.

[Steve_M]

Thanks Ken, but I'm looking for one that can take two basses. I often go to gigs on public transport in London (given its free with my job) and use the house amp. So taking two basses in separate gig bags can prove unwieldy.

[David Powell]

....During that time, he made a nest in my bass bag and peed all over it.

The cat is fine now. ....

The bag still stinks a little.The drummer in my jazz ensemble has the same thing happen to his bass drum case. Cat pee chemistry: The pee residue is alkaline. It can be neutralized with a weak vinegar (acidic) solution. Best thing is mix it in a spray bottle like Glass Plus or 409 come in. It is not as harsh as those chemicals. I'd go about 1:5 or so vinegar to water. Then you can just hose the bag (garden hose!) and let it dry in the sun. The sun will go a long way to knock out odors.

I wouldn't put my DB in a bag the cat peed on because that stuff will transfer to whatever it gets close to. It's designed to mark territory, which means it is an invitation to other animals to do the same. It is pretty corrosive stuff, too.

A Chinese pug marked the cover of my ampeg cab (@#%$%$#! animals!) and I hosed it (garden hose) immediately and used laundry soap when I got it home. I think any decent bass bag or amp cover can take a good hosing. And a water filled squirt gun is a great way to "discourage" pets that get too close to gear.

[Richard Prowse]

David, your insight into bass bag cleaning is something that lifts all our lives.
Never underplay the effect that you have on us.

[stan haskins]

David -
We're poised to test your cat pee remedy today. I found a few more spots in the house that he hit and we didn't know about (a closet in the guest room, another duffel bag in the attic . . .)

I have balsamic vinegar, cider vinegar, and rice vinegar in the house. I think I'll start with the cider.

[Steve_M]

Stan I hope the one that smells nicest is most effective :D

[David Powell]

David -
We're poised to test your cat pee remedy today. I found a few more spots in the house that he hit and we didn't know about (a closet in the guest room, another duffel bag in the attic . . .)

I have balsamic vinegar, cider vinegar, and rice vinegar in the house. I think I'll start with the cider. Something without color. Distilled white is probably the best.

[Richard Prowse]

David -
We're poised to test your cat pee remedy today. I found a few more spots in the house that he hit and we didn't know about (a closet in the guest room, another duffel bag in the attic . . .)

I have balsamic vinegar, cider vinegar, and rice vinegar in the house. I think I'll start with the cider.
Gosh Stan, when the cat first peed in the bag, did you ever imagine that a guy down under would start a thread on a bass forum that would eventually, after much discussion, lead to a probable solution to the fact that your bass bag was not making you the least talked about member of your orchestra's double bass section and that this guy down under would exclamate this situation by using one incredibly long sentence as well as using a non existant verbal form of the noun 'exclamation'?

[Dennis Michaels]

I have a Levy's bouble bag and it has held up great. Theie stuff seams to be bullet proof so to speak.


Someone needs to reclaim this thread.

I have a Ritter double gig back for both my fretted and fretless Smith BSR5GN basses. It's crap. The thing started falling apart from almost the time it was delivered and I went to great pains to sew some black denim reinforcement into the seams that held but its started falling apart in different places now. I wonder where my $120 went!

Part of me is tempted to get a double leather gig bag but they're fairly expensive.

[Richard Prowse]

I have a Levy's bouble bag and it has held up great. Theie stuff seams to be bullet proof so to speak.
I don't believe it's bullet proof... not for the basses anyway!

[Richard Prowse]

"Levy's double bass bags are now standard issue to U.S.A. military".

Rob, you might be getting this 'Levy' bass bag confused with a Sherman Tank. Though, technically you could keep a bass in a tank.

[Richard Prowse]

I've recently gone back to using my old bag because the new one that my wife bought me is so damn cumbersome. There is something to be said for a thin bag. For one, when you enter a gig, people know that you've been playing for a long time. For two, a skimpy outfit can make a bass look desirable after a few chardonnays.

[Ken Smith]

I've recently gone back to using my old bag because the new one that my wife bought me is so damn cumbersome. There is something to be said for a thin bag. For one, when you enter a gig, people know that you've been playing for a long time. For two, a skimpy outfit can make a bass look desirable after a few chardonnays.

Lol.. you walking in wearing a skimpy bag..:eek:, what is this world coming to..:confused:

[Richard Prowse]

Lol.. you walking in wearing a skimpy bag..:eek:, what is this world coming to..:confused:
No, not me, the bass.

Ah!... I see, yes, yes! It could work!
First I put on the bag... put my right arm up into the top bit... Ken dims the lights ... and...and...

[Tim Murphy]

I recently bought a very nice MONO M80 bag. It's very sturdy and heavily padded but still fairly lite. I think my new BSR5 GN is going to be very happy with it. ;) I also have a Roadrunner bag for my Sadowsky J that is incredible. Sturdy and padded like a tank so it's a tad heavy. It was discontinued a few years ago and replaced with a few others that are just plain crap. One of the best gig bags I've ever seen (at any $$$) I'm glad I bought one while they were in production.

[Richard Prowse]

I recently bought a very nice MONO M80 bag. It's very sturdy and heavily padded but still fairly lite. I think my new BSR5 GN is going to be very happy with it. ;) I also have a Roadrunner bag for my Sadowsky J that is incredible. Sturdy and padded like a tank so it's a tad heavy. It was discontinued a few years ago and replaced with a few others that are just plain crap. One of the best gig bags I've ever seen (at any $$$) I'm glad I bought one while they were in production.
Hey, please keep on topic! This thread asks for an expression about your bag, not a road test accompanied by a balance sheet. Feel the bag - is it soft? Is it warm? Think about your bass? Does its head stock look big in this bag? Think from the bass' point of view. Lets not make this thread about us! Think of the bass.

[Richard Prowse]

Radbass has become Tim Murphy!
Will I become something too?
I want to be Spiderman!

[Anselm Hauke]

richard, don´t worry,
for me you are spiderman!

[Richard Prowse]

richard, don´t worry,
for me you are spiderman!
This, Anselm, is why I named a hill after you!

[Anselm Hauke]

and if the spiderman-job does not work, you can try it as an arborist
http://www.arborist.co.uk/welcome.htm

[Richard Prowse]

and if the spiderman-job does not work, you can try it as an arborist
http://www.arborist.co.uk/welcome.htm
Anselm, you are a god of the double bass... and I help sick trees!

[Anselm Hauke]

Anselm, you are a god of the double bass... and I help sick trees!
richard!!!! please don´t write things like this, or strange things will happen again...

[Richard Prowse]

richard!!!! please don´t write things like this, or strange things will happen again...
Vot ees this meaning? (imitation German)

[Richard Prowse]

Anselm, I see you're signed on, but it's late over here and I need to go to bed. Good night, my friend.

[Anselm Hauke]

Vot ees this meaning? (imitation German)
the attached pic is a screenshot from zoominfo.com
this is a website that works like a search-engine (like google etc.) and makes "profiles" of people you search for, from the websites it finds with your name.
if you search for my name, it finds the post from this forum where you called me "captain kirk", and makes me a captain. that´s it.
i wonder what zoominfo will make from your post #51 above :eek:

[Richard Prowse]

the attached pic is a screenshot from zoominfo.com
this is a website that works like a search-engine (like google etc.) and makes "profiles" of people you search for, from the websites it finds with your name.
if you search for my name, it finds the post from this forum where you called me "captain kirk", and makes me a captain. that´s it.
i wonder what zoominfo will make from your post #51 above :eek:
From now on I will call you Captain. I like Captain Anselm.

[Anselm Hauke]

From now on I will call you Captain. I like Captain Anselm.
then i will call you "reverend prowse" because of your many christian oriented posts on your blog

[Richard Prowse]

then i will call you "reverend prowse" because of your many christian oriented posts on your blog
It's a fair trade.

[Richard Prowse]

Have you ever wondered why we've never seen a picture of Captain Anselm's bass bag? There are two schools of thought on this:
1) He's presently using several bags and has yet to commit to one.
2) His bag is an embarrassing colour like lime green.

Using several bags is a bit like cheating on your wife. I had an affair with a new bag (that my wife actually bought me) but have gone back to the old one because it has a nicer personality.
Captain Anselm, can we please have some information about your bass bag?

[Richard Prowse]

I now have three double bass bags.

[Jorge Gonzalez]

Mine is a green canvas bag. It looks like one of those miliraty-like sacks where they put a bunch of stuff. It has no handles or zippers. It's closed with a lace through some holes in the bottom. The first lace it had (brown) broke pretty early so I changed it for a shoe lace. Well, a boot-lace. One of those almost knee high boots (don't ask). It lasted for a couple of years. The other day it broke and I couldn't find another lace that's long enough to fit, so I tied to shorter laces together and it's working again. It was urinated on by my dog. I put it in the washing machine and has been O.K. Canvas is really durable. I guess I should get a new one, padded with all of those zippers, pockets, straps, wheels, etc.

[Richard Prowse]

Mine is a green canvas bag. It looks like one of those miliraty-like sacks where they put a bunch of stuff. It has no handles or zippers. It's closed with a lace through some holes in the bottom. The first lace it had (brown) broke pretty early so I changed it for a shoe lace. Well, a boot-lace. One of those almost knee high boots (don't ask). It lasted for a couple of years. The other day it broke and I couldn't find another lace that's long enough to fit, so I tied to shorter laces together and it's working again. It was urinated on by my dog. I put it in the washing machine and has been O.K. Canvas is really durable. I guess I should get a new one, padded with all of those zippers, pockets, straps, wheels, etc.
Jorge, please replace this bag.

[Jorge Gonzalez]

I could never!

Well... OK

I will...

[Richard Prowse]

I could never!

Well... OK

I will...
Jorge, I expected more of a fight.

[Richard Prowse]

I own three bass bags. One is very old and ripped, one is a bit on the big side and one is pretty much right for both of my basses.
Hey who started this thread? What a good idea to be able to talk about our basses' wardrobes!

[Joel Larsson]

I used to have three, too. Had to let the good one go when I sold my first bass. (It was a bit tight over my fat bottomed Bussetto anyway.) I have a small bag for my very small bass. That is, the bag is still a bit too big. It's basically a piece of cloth, absolutely w/o any frills. Need to get a new one. In the bow pocket is what can only be the worst bow in the world. (I found it some nine month after purchasing the instrument, along with a set of Pyramid strings.)
My other bass bag is a 4/4 for my 3/4 but fat bottomed Bussetto. A 7/8 bag would fit better, but here I am. It's also very slim and basic but at least it's a bit more elaborated than the small one. I keep the bass in it when I fly, as the whole package fits nicely into the flight case, and it's nice to always bring a gig bag with you for any unforeseen ventures.
If the flight case counts, I have three! It's pretty decent, too. Not the highest end stuff where you hang the bass inside (I think one of Rabbath's sons makes these?) but no cheap solution. It's the only one of my bass covers that I can be proud of.
There! Lots of text about my bass bags. Nice thread, allowing this utterly pointless extravagance.

[Anselm Hauke]

what flightcases do you have?

[Richard Prowse]

what flightcases do you have?
Flight cases are for sissies!

[Joel Larsson]

What, ever tried carrying one, a backpack, a bag, a big suitcase, and a big box of stuff all at once? I did that, with a real lousy flightcase I rented, when I moved to Norway. Nothing sissy about that!!
That case was basically home-made, a bass player, general inventor, and moped collector I know made a form and took it to a boat builder, who made the shells out of glass fiber and/or something else. Then this first guy put some real big wheels and some handles on it. I could get one for about $800 had I wanted to. But after both the wheels and a handle broke on a trip, and I had to drag it on the ground without even a handle, I decided to invest in a 4/4 size Winter case. I was going to take it to a couple of auditions, but it turns out that it's first trip will be on Friday when I leave for a course in Sweden and then go to Narvik. What's yours, Anselm?

[Anselm Hauke]

i have one 3/4 like this:
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/Amati/images/amati-014.jpg
and one 4/4 like this:
http://www.jakobwinter.de/images/streicher/JW8892.jpg (http://cgi.ebay.de/Kontrabasskoffer-Flightcase-weiss-brandneu_W0QQitemZ120397574233QQcmdZViewItemQQptZS treich_und_Zupfinstrumente?hash=item120397574233&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1229%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318)

[Joel Larsson]

Wow Anselm, two flight cases... you really are a man!!

That 4/4 is the exact same as mine.

[Anselm Hauke]

Wow Anselm, two flight cases... you really are a man!!

That 4/4 is the exact same as mine.

well.... the 3/4 was a cheap occasion at ebay, so i bought it.
but it´s 3/4, so not all of my basses fit into.

i´m interested in your on the road experiences with your winter case

[Richard Prowse]

Okay guys, I'll come straight. I don't own a flight case. Sorry, I nearly bought one when I bought my new bass, but it was far too big for my car. Sorry again.

[Calvin Marks]

I must admit that it was a bit of a relief to hear the rubbish truck early the next morning.
After he'd gone I went out and checked the bin.
Empty.
Then I remembered the ring.
Damn! Why had I kept it?
I rushed inside and opened the drawer, but it was gone!

This was perhaps one of the most entertaining stories I've read.