TubeNet

I play a Kanstul 90-S and am having issues finding a way to keep my horn on my lap comfortably. I have tried a couple of shelving cloths designed to hold things in place but nothing has helped. Suggestions?

I've never had the shelf liner *not* work, but I'll admit that it is a little goofy.

Have you tried a stand? The BBC tuba rests are great, and then you don't have to worry about your lap at all!

I would also recommend a stand. The BBC ones are great, but my favorite is the one by Hercules. That's my current one and I couldn't be happier.

Baltimore Brass stand. Problem solved!

kmorgancraw wrote:Baltimore Brass stand. Problem solved!

+1

I use a DEG stand while sitting and playing. The height clutch is not as substantial as the one from Baltimore Brass but much less money. I also use a rifle sling to keep the horn on my lap when resting or page turns.

I find a small piece (@ 1 ft. square) of carpet - gripping fabric on my lap does a great job of keeping the horn from sliding off, it doesn't mar the finish, and it's much easier to carry around than a stand.

I've obtained it in black, so it blends in easily with a tuxedo.

bisontuba wrote:

kmorgancraw wrote:Baltimore Brass stand. Problem solved!

+1

+2

I wrapped the bottom bow in a solid textured neoprene drawer liner fabric. First I cut it into a 2 inch strip, glued it end to end to make it about 25 feet long and basically wrapped it like a bandage. I just taped the end with a double sided carpet tape. The friction keeps it from sliding off of my thigh, regardless if I am wearing slippeyr tux pants, or denim. It goes with the horn and never falls on the floor or gets tangled in anything. For my BAT I do use the BBC tuba rest. Its perfect, except one more thing to schlepp to a gig with an already very heavy horn. Plans are to lower the lead pipe and also give the bottom bow the old bandage wrap.

There's really nothing like a tuba stand for this. It provides solid support to the horn and doesn't shift or move about -- unlike your lap or legs, no matter how strong you are. Yes, it's another thing to carry, but I wouldn't try to live without mine. And I'd rather carry it for five minutes and use it for an hour than not carry anything and be tortured for an hour.

There are several commercial varieties, or you can make your own. Mine's a sit-on one that I made myself out of spare plywood, some PVC, a cushion, and a bit of bolt and knob hardware. It fits into the bag I carry my other tuba junk in. No more wrestling with the horn; no more aching muscles. I just play the horn now. I tried all the other lap pads and non-slip stuff and was still wrestling with the horn.

A thumbs-up for Gary's chair seat. At one time he was kind enough so post photos. I built one similar, and YES it is worth the schlepp. The 'bandage' style wrap I posted earlier is on an F tuba that is a 'lap horn'. It is light enough to make it very easy to hold on the right thigh without any discomfort. A larger horn would present different issues and a stand is probably the best solution. I vote for BBC. However, on some folding chairs it does not adjust to a low enough position, in which case for the BAT I need to bring a seat to place on the chair. But again, comfort and ergonomics is the issue. Without having to wrestle and twist the torso, it is so much better for breathing and also having the RH free to just finger the valves and not have to hold the horn. Being able to play in such a relaxed manner is a treat for a tuba player.

PaulMaybery wrote:However, on some folding chairs it does not adjust to a low enough position, in which case for the BAT I need to bring a seat to place on the chair. But again, comfort and ergonomics is the issue. Without having to wrestle and twist the torso, it is so much better for breathing and also having the RH free to just finger the valves and not have to hold the horn. Being able to play in such a relaxed manner is a treat for a tuba player.

That was the same problem I was having with my DEG stand with my old 1291. I have sold that horn and can hold my current CB-50 on my lap in those chairs, but the Hercules stand goes low enough (with some extra space to go even lower) to work with a folding chair. Plus I am only 5'4" with a relatively compact torso, so I'm sure it would work well for larger people with bigger horns in similar situations.

If you don't want to use a stand as suggested above, a friend of mine who plays a CB-50 uses one of those knee braces and wraps it around the bottom bow. He's used it for a number of years and is quite happy with it.

Rex Martin uses a "Silicon Heat Resistant Pad" which is draped across the left thigh and provides good gripping power to hold the tuba (in his case, a Rudy 5/4 CC). He said he bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond.

Chris Olka took a regular mouse pad and glued it to his tuba where it rests against his leg. He discusses it on one of his Drill of the Week YouTube videos.

Here is a link that shows what the pad looks like. http://www.beautycarechoices.com/salon- ... aQodU9YFpQ" target="_blank" target="_blank

I went there to see if I could get one, but they did not have the same one he uses, so I bought one of the Silpat baking pads. It was not very comfortable for me, so I almost immediately went back to my Baltimore Brass stand.

A huge benefit to using a stand is that the instrument vibrates much more freely than holding it in your lap, which tends to dampen the vibration, and thus the sound. My tuba definitely has more "ring" to the sound when using the stand. It will just take some time to find the height that works best for your tuba and your body shape.

I originally bought the DEG stand, and it came with a cushioned bag that holds the stand when folded up, and fits neatly in the bell of the tuba, so that is my solution for carrying the stand with me.

I did use the padded bag with the BBC tuba rest - carried it in the bell of the BAT. Pretty convenient until I noticed several little dings in the bow from where the legs of the tuba rest had poked from the inside of the bell. I know it is not suppose to happen - Murphy's Law - if it can happen, it will happen. Now it is carried separately. The dents were removed with magnetic dent removal and all is fine.

PaulMaybery wrote:I did use the padded bag with the BBC tuba rest - carried it in the bell of the BAT. Pretty convenient until I noticed several little dings in the bow from where the legs of the tuba rest had poked from the inside of the bell. I know it is not suppose to happen - Murphy's Law - if it can happen, it will happen. Now it is carried separately. The dents were removed with magnetic dent removal and all is fine.

I carried a BBC stand like that once, and realized that wasn't a great idea for my situation. A small wire stand, however, is easily carried this way!

bort wrote:

PaulMaybery wrote:I did use the padded bag with the BBC tuba rest - carried it in the bell of the BAT. Pretty convenient until I noticed several little dings in the bow from where the legs of the tuba rest had poked from the inside of the bell. I know it is not suppose to happen - Murphy's Law - if it can happen, it will happen. Now it is carried separately. The dents were removed with magnetic dent removal and all is fine.

I carried a BBC stand like that once, and realized that wasn't a great idea for my situation. A small wire stand, however, is easily carried this way!

I used to do this my DEG stand and thought it was the best thing ever until noticed all of the small dents.

If you or someone you know has an old drum throne laying around its pretty simple and inexpensive to make one. Just take the seat off and replace it with a round piece of wood. cover the wood in leather or something soft to avoid scratches. I just made one a couple weeks ago and it didn't really cost me anything. I use a pt-6 and sitting with it, even with the shelf liner isnt very comfortable but the stand works very well. Good luck! Ill attach pictures so you get an idea of what it looks like.

http://s296.photobucket.com/user/joshd2 ... show/stand" target="_blank" target="_blank

hockeyched wrote:If you or someone you know has an old drum throne laying around its pretty simple and inexpensive to make one. Just take the seat off and replace it with a round piece of wood. cover the wood in leather or something soft to avoid scratches. I just made one a couple weeks ago and it didn't really cost me anything. I use a pt-6 and sitting with it, even with the shelf liner isnt very comfortable but the stand works very well. Good luck! Ill attach pictures so you get an idea of what it looks like.

http://s296.photobucket.com/user/joshd2 ... show/stand" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

The big difference between yours and the BBC stand is that the legs of the BBC are almost flat to the floor and yours are definitely not. This difference is huge when finding a comfortable, safe way to sit.

works just fine for me, and I know several other people with stands like this (and it wasn't $90) but to each their own I suppose. Just a suggestion.