tuba strap/harness--playing

[scottw]

Ok, wow, I see there are some choices.
Haven't compared them, so cannot address the durability comparison question. The Neotech fits me. It's heavy duty. I'm 5'6" and 225 lbs. It comes in standard and extra long sizes. I bought the extra long figuring it was easier to make it shorter than make it longer. I do find it gives me better support for the tuba than a single strap sling. YMMV. I use it maybe twice a year.

Several of these say they come long or short. I wonder if I were to get the long and I couldn't get the mouthpiece high enough? Anyone know which ones fit which models? Any Mirafone 186 owners out there have any experience one way or the other?
Thanks for all the information so far!
Scottw

[Dan Schultz]

......Any Mirafone 186 owners out there have any experience one way or the other?....

I'm about 6' tall. I've used the Meinl harness with a Mirafone 186, an Allora 191, a Carl Wunderlich (B & S stencil), and a Mirafone 183 (little Eb). It works on all of them except of one very minor problem.... the bottom hook is substantial. On several of those horns that have the elongated strap loop... I had to slightly spread the loop on the horn slightly for the harness hook to work. Minor problem.

[lgb&dtuba]

Ok, wow, I see there are some choices.
Haven't compared them, so cannot address the durability comparison question. The Neotech fits me. It's heavy duty. I'm 5'6" and 225 lbs. It comes in standard and extra long sizes. I bought the extra long figuring it was easier to make it shorter than make it longer. I do find it gives me better support for the tuba than a single strap sling. YMMV. I use it maybe twice a year.

Several of these say they come long or short. I wonder if I were to get the long and I couldn't get the mouthpiece high enough? Anyone know which ones fit which models? Any Mirafone 186 owners out there have any experience one way or the other?
Thanks for all the information so far!
Scottw

On the Neotech the "long" has to do with the supplied strap lengths, which are all adjustable. You cannot make a short strap long, but you can always take up extra strap through the buckles. Everything adjusts on the Neotech.

You can get the mouthpiece wherever you need it. I'd bet you can get the mouthpiece wherever you need it on all the mentioned harnesses, or they'd be pretty worthless, wouldn't they? The size options have more to do with whether there's enough harness to get around you.

Jim "At some point you've just got to try one on" Wagner

[scottw]

The size options have more to do with whether there's enough harness to get around you.

Jim "At some point you've just got to try one on" Wagner[/quote]


When I saw that one of them fits up to 27 inches and the other fits from 26 to 36 inches, I got the impression that it might have more to do with the horn size than me---there is nothing on my body that is 26 inches! Certainly not chest, waist, gut measurements.

[Doug Elliott]

The maker is neither Stölzel nor Meinl/ Weston,
it´s Rudi Schwarz,
Pfronten,Germany
english spoken btw.................

http://www.schwarz-gurte.de/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Yeah, that's the guy... looks like Bill Clinton. And yes, he speaks English.

I can't find the one I have. It will probably turn up when we are finally able to move back into our house... whenever that is, hopefully later this summer.

[Doug Elliott]

(Hard to get the quotes right here, isn't it?)

I met him at the tuba conference in Budapest a few years ago. Am I remembering wrong about his English?

His tuba support system looked excellent so I got one even though I don't play tuba... I thought somebody would want it someday, and now I can't find it.

[imperialbari]

Very few brass instruments related matters can be patented. The Blaikley compensating system was one of them. But then Selmer and other French makers made compensating double horns with long pistons during the patent period. Only they used a rotor for the shift valve.

As for the type of harnesses discussed here they likely will have more companies making them. Meinl-Weston used to show them at their site, but I didn’t find them last time I looked.

Klaus

[ken k]

I have been fooling around with a set up which is unique for me since I have a Stewart Stand on my tuba. I borrowed a colorguard flag holster from my high school's colorguard. They have a box of about 25 of them that they no longer use.. Remember back in the day when colorguards actually used these things? now the American Flag squad is the only group who use them.

Anyway I can put the post of the Stewart Stand right into the cup on the holster and it supports the weight of the horn. I still have to hold the horn to balance it and keep it against my chops but I no longer have to support the weight of the horn with my hands while i try to play at the same time.

i will post some pix here soon.

ken k

[Tundratubast]

I use a NEOTEC Bari-sax double shoulder strap on my 983,works well standing, sitting. I do not need to use a tuba stand either, and they cost about $35.00. I clip it to an inside brace. Works great.

[imperialbari]

For the big guys:

[Tundratubast]

Hey Imperialbari,
That looks like something you would probably see crusing the after 2:00 am+ night life crowd in NYC wearing the polished black leather with silver studs, rather than back in the horse stable where it belongs.

[Dan Schultz]

Hey guys! The ultimate answer is a helicon.

[scottw]

Hey guys! The ultimate answer is a helicon.

Unfortunately, Dan, I need the strap/harness mostly for Civil War band gigs, and helicon just doesn't fit in all that well.Although, I don't know too much about the history of the helicon--I wonder if it pre-dates the 1861 period? I have never seen any period photos of a band using one. Then again, I've never seen one using a Mirafone, either!

Note: After studying all the advice [Thanks, everyone!], I ordered a Neotech harness this morning. I think the German one would be the best, but at 2 1/2 times the cost, I just can't justify the expenditure for the little that I use it per year. Doug Elliot: If you ever find yours and want to move it, please PM me? I may hate the Neotech and regret settling for it, or, it will work just fine. I hate getting anything sight-unseen.

[DavidK]

For anyone else looking for a comfortable strap. you can try out guitar straps at your local Guitar Center or music store.

I swapped a Planet Waves, extra wide padded strap off my guitar and it worked great on my front/side action tuba. You can use clips or whatever you want to fasten the strap SECURELY to your tuba.

For a period look - go with a leather strap that coordinates with your uniform or costume. Or maybe period webbing or even a couple pieces of rope, side-by-side (you could be sneaky and stitch the rope together and basically have a wider strap that looks like it was made of rope.)

Post pics of you in your re-enactment regalia with your tuba!!
Have fun!

[scottw]

For a period look - go with a leather strap that coordinates with your uniform or costume. Or maybe period webbing or even a couple pieces of rope, side-by-side (you could be sneaky and stitch the rope together and basically have a wider strap that looks like it was made of rope.)

Post pics of you in your re-enactment regalia with your tuba!!
Have fun!

Actually, it looks as though I can put the harness on under the short shell jacket and have the hook come out under the jacket--at least that's what I plan.

[bisontuba]

Hi-
HornGuys sells a 'tuba strap' made by Gebr. Alexander Mainz for I think(?) $30 that is a padded leather strap that works quite well.
Regards-
mark
jonestuba@Juno.com" target="_blank

[Bill Troiano]

If the tuba isn't too heavy, you might want to try a bass guitar strap. I found that the width (3+ in.) displaces the weight better and is far more comfortable than a padded tuba strap. I use one on my Yammy 621 and I attach the strap with heavy duty twisties.

[DavidK]

Scottw - sounds like you have this thing resolved.

Bill T - sounds like we did just about the same thing - extra wide padded strap. Very comfy because my vintage King compact 1241 is a little tank!

[scottw]

Scottw - sounds like you have this thing resolved.

Bill T - sounds like we did just about the same thing - extra wide padded strap. Very comfy because my vintage King compact 1241 is a little tank!

I'll report back,when it arrives in the next day or so, on how it works out. I am hoping it is better balanced than a single strap.