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I have a sweet Mirafone 184 (thanks Mark Jones) that I love except the thumb ring digs into my thumb. What do you use for padding on these older horns with non-rounded thumb rings? Considering getting some leather/vinyl strips to tie around it.

I would just use a small piece of foam

I'm going more for smooth/rounded/no edge as opposed to soft and spongy; foam would likely compress and not offer much support.

My Miraphones' thumb rings were very uncomfortable. Dan Oberloh made me replacement rings that work great.

Wind a shoelace around it. Once you figure out how to tie it you almost never need to replace it. Feels good, absorbs sweat, does not cut into your thumb.

Timely question as I just fixed the thumb ring on my 20J after the bleeding thumb left some spots my shirt. (Oops)

I bought some adhesive corn cushion pads for feet. I think they're about 4 inches by 5 inches. I cut them into strips approximately 1/4 inch wide and wound them around the thumb ring (adhesive side down, of course). They work like a charm for me.

arpthark wrote:I have a sweet Mirafone 184 (thanks Mark Jones) that I love except the thumb ring digs into my thumb. What do you use for padding on these older horns with non-rounded thumb rings? Considering getting some leather/vinyl strips to tie around it.

Maybe just remove it altogether?

bort wrote:

arpthark wrote:I have a sweet Mirafone 184 (thanks Mark Jones) that I love except the thumb ring digs into my thumb. What do you use for padding on these older horns with non-rounded thumb rings? Considering getting some leather/vinyl strips to tie around it.

Maybe just remove it altogether?

I do like the leverage the thumb ring provides so I wouldn't want to get rid of it. I removed the one on my old PT-20 and my Willson F tuba and it created some wrist and hand discomfort. Probably because I tend to white-knuckle when I play... At any rate, I took Art's advice and bought some $1.75 shoestring. Works great so far.

Good new thumb rings are not cheap, but I personally would look to replace what you have on there with a thumb ring with a rounded ring. It's possible a repair shop may have something suitable in the junk box that they could sell you and install rather economically. Or, if you are handy, the soldering is not that difficult.

For the long haul, I've always found that extra material on the ring was disconcerting and did not seem all that permanent. I enjoy the smooth feel of a solidly installed TR, and comfort is the main consideration.

Stryk wrote:I don't use the thumb ring - I use the ring on the 2nd valve slide. This makes the finger movement more natural.

+1. I seldom use the thumbrings on any of my horns... especially rotary ones.

These are made by Voigt. The one pictured is for mounting on tubing, but they also make a version for rotary valve horns with a plate for mounting on the bell.