TubeNet

Hey everybody,

I'm looking for some solutions on standing and playing. Something like a tuba harness. I've done the searching online, but without a hands-on look at any products, I can't tell up from down. My only concern is that it puts most of the instrument's weight on my hips, in the way that a good hiking backpack or baby carrier would.

With that being said, what do you think are the best stand-and-play options out there for a concert tuba with front-facing valves? I am familiar with a few products, but I figure you TubeNetters are going to know more than I when it comes to the newer options out there.

I'm also open to DIY suggestions, though I'm not the best at that sort of thing.

-William

Thanks for the suggestion. If anyone else has any more insights as to that particular setup, I'd be glad to hear it.

-WR

I can tell you what I've arrived at -- largely out of a sense of frustration and some experimentation, and a desire not to pour untold amounts of money into the project. I think I'm happy with it, but I haven't yet tested it under "field" conditions. However, it offers simplicity and very low cost. It assumes that you have a tuba that either has a strap ring at the bottom of its central bow -- or that you can fashion a secondary strap for that purpose. But in my case, the Cerveny has such a ring (though it is actually quite flat). So ...

Get one cheap guitar strap ($6:00 or so at your local guitar shop) with ends that are intended to go over "buttons" on the instrument. Get some sturdy shoelaces (I like the kind for athetic shoes/boots). Get an "appropriately sized" button somewhere like Walmart (I'm using classic leather coat buttons that have a metal ring on their back side). Cut a piece of shoelace and run it through the button ring and then not the loose ends together in a tight double overhand knot so that now the whole affair of (doubled) shoelace loop with button on it is about three inches long. You are now done with the construction.

To apply: slip the end of the doubled shoelace through your bottom ring on the tuba and then slip the button through the loop -- firmly attaching the shoelace/button part to the tuba. Put the button first through one end of the guitar strap and then through the other. Put strap over appropriate side of neck/shoulder and adjust.

I know this supports the horn at only the bottom, but it is quite comfortable and secure for me. I found that any attempts to make use of the other support ring (up near the mouthpipe on the bugle) tended to torque the instrument in painful ways. Attached is a photo which isn't great, but should illustrate the simplicity of all this.

I'm personally not convinced that I would want the weight of the instrument on my waist/hips, and I think it would tend to bounce around more in that case. But to each his own. Total cost for my solution was on the order of $8.00 or so.

William, What model of tuba is it? Does it have carry hooks? That will help determine best carrying harness.

I guess I'm not asking about any one tuba specifically. Actually, none of my horns have a hook on the bottom bow, but I could fix that pretty easily.

I would most likely be putting this contraption on a new small F tuba (TBD). Sorry I can't be more specific.

-WR

Here's the link for the Paungers Tubabelt that Goodgigs mentioned. If the Mnozil Brass videos are anything to judge by, it works really well!

http://members.aon.at/tubtub.at/page_4_1.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

Dave

For all of my standing playing I use a K&M tuba stand.
It takes all of the weight which is favourable since I have a kaiser model, quite heavy.
http://produkte.k-m.de/de/Staender-und- ... er-schwarz

basspiper wrote:Here's the link for the Paungers Tubabelt that Goodgigs mentioned. If the Mnozil Brass videos are anything to judge by, it works really well!

http://members.aon.at/tubtub.at/page_4_1.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

That looks really good for a fairly lightweight F, but wonder if would be suitable for larger, heavier tuba? I use a German made harness called in the US the Meinl-Weston harness. I will be getting some less expensive harnesses from Jinbao in stock, but have not yet received any to tell you what they are like.

If NOT moving around, a high K&M tuba stand as suggested by Lars is best option. Let the stand take the weight!

Neptune wrote:

basspiper wrote:Here's the link for the Paungers Tubabelt that Goodgigs mentioned. If the Mnozil Brass videos are anything to judge by, it works really well!

http://members.aon.at/tubtub.at/page_4_1.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

That looks really good for a fairly lightweight F, but wonder if would be suitable for larger, heavier tuba? I use a German made harness called in the US the Meinl-Weston harness. I will be getting some less expensive harnesses from Jinbao in stock, but have not yet received any to tell you what they are like.

If NOT moving around, a high K&M tuba stand as suggested by Lars is best option. Let the stand take the weight!

I thought the same thing, more or less, as I was hitting "submit". I think it would depend on the tuba, and that the Tubabelt could be OK for something up to Miraphone 186-ish size/weight, IF the tuba were reasonably well-balanced. If not, I could see it squirting out of sweaty hands like a caber-toss and...well...you know.

Dave

Thanks for all of the ideas. I've been busy moving into a new apartment this week, so hopefully I can get working on this once I'm settled in. I'll be sure to report any successes.

Will

We had a great deal of discussion a year or so back about this, so a search would cover a lot of the options. Out of that discussion, I bought the Meinl-Weston harness and have been very happy with it for those times when I absolutely must stand.In America, it's marketed as M-W, but the maker is here: http://www.schwarz-gurte.de/" target="_blank
It is very simple to put on your body, the tuba simply clicks into the ring; most importantly, unlike the belt described above, is kept at a set distance from your mouth by a pair of straps, so there is absolutely no fear of it falling. Not cheap like some of the pretenders, but it is a serious piece of equipment that actually works.

There is a price (Preisliste) list on the site. It lists the 3 types of tuba belts they sell at 79 - 88 euros (c. $114-$124) It might be somewhat less if you're not charged the VAT tax but there's the shipping. I don't know who the American distributor is or even if there is one.

Pete

When I emailed the people regarding the Tubabelt a few years ago, I seem to remember that it would have cost around $300. or more There are several ways of fitting whatever attaches the tuba to the belt, depending on the tuba and that also affected the cost. I thought the cost was prohibitive and that I could manufacuture something that would accomplish the same thing. Needless to say, I never did attempt it. I like the concept though.

You're welcome!! These days, at my age, I'm happy just using a small tuba on standing gigs. I use my 621CC with a wide bass guitar strap that I fasten with heavy duty twisties. Works for me!