Brasstring wrote:I have been looking into a tuba stand (for Playing) for my son and have seen the "Tubassist" advertised. Has anyone out there used one? How does it compare to a floor type stand (Good points and bad)?
This gives me an opportunity to write about the new Baltimore Brass stand that I saw at the Army Conference, but I've owned most of the stands available for tubas at one time or another.
There are now five tuba stands on the market. Three of them rest on the floor, one is mounted on the instrument, and one mounts on the chair. The Tubassist rests on the chair, of course. And that is the problem I have with it. (It's also among the most expensive, at $120, though that would not slow me down if it's what I wanted.)
From looking at pictures, it appears to be a flat plate that is strapped, using Velcro, to the surface of the seat. A clamp system is used to aim a rod with a basket for the bottom bow on the end of it. Positioning is quite versatile. In fact, I don't really have a problem with the basket arrangement, though the curvature of the basket seems a little tight for my 6/4 Holton bottom bow. My problem is that it mounts to the seat and depends on the weight of the player for much of its stability. I foresee difficulties with some chairs, and I really don't want to sit on an aluminum plate with holes in it. And I worry that the instrument, especially my heavy tubas, will shift the thing if I take my weight off the chair to adjust my position.
Now, before you Tubassist owners respond and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about because I haven't owned one, let me remind you that Mr. Johnson warns of this problem in his instructions, suggesting the use of a folded towel between the plate and contoured seat bottoms and a pillow on top of it. If he mentioned it there, then it was a problem for some.
I'll take a Tubassist any day of the week over a Stewart Stand, which mounts on the instrument, though. I used to own one. Firstly, the mounting system removed bands of lacquer off the instrument (that may no longer be a problem). The velcro squeaked. And it prevented the instrument from going into a case, and even into a gig bag, without either removing it or struggling with it. The Stewart Stand, however, is wonderful for standing, because you can remove the rubber cup and put the pin rest in a flag-holder's harness. I happily replaced my Stewart Stand with a DEG stand when they became available.
The DEG floor stand is make from thin-walled aluminum tubing, and the design has varied over the years. I used one for many years with my Miraphone, and it worked fine. When I started using it with the much heavier York Master, however, it came undone in a matter of months. The foam separated from the basket, and I had to recall my Captain Torque days to tighten the shaft screw to keep it from slipping. One owner of a DEG stand that I know had to put L-shaped tips on the ends of the legs because the legs bent under the stress of the instrument and would no longer sit properly. The DEG used to be the cheapest of the alternatives, and it was obvious that costs had been cut to achieve that low price point (in the $60-70 range). I think they are fine for lighter isntruments.
The most robust of the floor stands is made by Koenig and Meyer. The K&M stand is made like high-quality percussion stands, of chromed steel. The only non-metal parts are the well-designed rubber tips of the legs and the tough rubber covering over the saddle. I have two of them, one for the house and one for the car to use at rehearsals and gigs. Even though the latter bounces around in the car all the time, it still looks as good as the one that just sits in the house. The downside to the K&M is that it won't really go low enough for some people and some instruments. I use it at its lowest point for my Holton, and with some chairs that's not low enough. I paid $110-120 for mine.
I've saved the best for last.
Baltimore Brass has just come out with a new floor stand, and I think it's a winner. It uses the robust saddle from K&M, but rather than have an unfolding tripod arrangement for the legs, it has legs that individually unfold and lock into a secure socket using a stiff spring. The legs are not adjustible, but they are extremely secure. The construction is all metal, and it's all repairable. Instead of rivets, they used roll pins that can be replaced, for example. It will go lower than the K&M, and it is more compact with folded. It's also black instead of chrome, and therefore a bit more discreet. It's as heavy and as heavily constructed as the K&M, using square and round steel tubing. I want one, just because I think it's slick, and I'd have bought one at the Army conference if I hadn't have blown my play money on music. The best news about the Baltimore Brass stand is that it is priced about the same as the DEG stand, at around $70.
I don't see the BB stand on their website, so if you want one, give them a call. They also have the DEG and K&M stands, and those are available from the usual sources as well.
I should add that ANY stand is better than NO stand, though I'm sure that many will disagree. None of the contrabass tubas I've owned fit in my lap and put the mouthpiece at my lips without considerable muscle required, and I don't like the idea of being all tensed up just to hold the instrument upright. I don't use it for my F tubas, because when they are in my lap, they don't make my legs fall asleep and the mouthpiece comes to my lips. When I hold my Miraphone 186 BBb the same way, the mouthpiece hits me mid-forehead. The Holton, like most of the big Yorkophones, wants to sit at an angle away from my body, which makes it possible to reach the valves. It was clearly designed to rest on the chair, but nobody should experience having the tuba slip off the chair while they are playing it. The York Master is just plain heavy. When the big tubas are on a stand, I can move with them however I need to, without having to hold their weight.
Rick "noting also that back problems seem endemic to tuba players, and who knows from experience that prevention is better than cure" Denney
