Opinions on the Neotech sousa shoulder pad

[Birdjosh]

Hey all,

So I just recently started playing a Conn 20k sousa. The muscle soreness is going away but it still causes pain on my collarbone which was surgically repaired a few years ago. Was wondering if anyone had experience with this pad and could speak to it's comfort and durability.

Cheers,

Josh

[bisontuba]

They are excellent!
Mark

[Birdjosh]

I hold my sousaphone like the dude in the old Conn ads. The issue isn't consistent it's just that as a busking player moving and dancing around with it all the time it can shift and the metal shoulder piece will hit the seam where the plate in the collarbone ends and hurts like none other. Figured as long as the contact wasn't metal on metal it wouldn't hurt as much. Tried it with a towel today and no issues but I'd like something that isn't as fuzzy in it's place.

[David Richoux]

You might try a right shoulder carry position - move the bell counterclockwise and rotate the gooseneck to point outside the loop. I learned that trick from a Canadian street band performer. This also makes it much easier to get in and out of the horn.

[NCSUSousa]

I'll second the 'Bloke' opinion about the pad not doing much.
I separated my left shoulder during marching season of my Junior Year of HS. I re-injured it (aggrivated the shoulder joint and torn Rotator Cuff) during my Sophomore Year of College. Both times, I was tempted to add some padding. It never really helped with the pain. The only thing I did that worked was sliding the sousa up my shoulder toward my neck so that I had less pressure on the AC joint (where the collarbone is supposed to meet the shoulder blade above the shoulder).
I will say that I prefer the added metal shape that's added to the modern Conn 20k. That actually made it easier on my shoulder than using the fiberglass 36k (lighter weight). NCSU had BOTH the 36k and the 20k during my Junior and Senior Years.

The best option I found was using a rolled up towel during band camp each summer while getting used to the weight again. I always ditched any kind of padding (including a bottom bow pad) before the real performance season started.

You should also consider Donn's suggestion for carrying off your right shoulder for any playing you might do while not marching in formation. That's what I did during game time (other than halftime) for the weeks after I re-injured my shoulder during college.

Good Luck.

[tofu]

It's interesting that even in really old photos from the 1920's you sometimes see guys trying to deal with this issue with towels etc. I personally find these pads not of any help. They just add some weight, shift around, make the opening just that much smaller etc. One of my groups bought some a few years ago for our vintage King 1250's after they were redone and mainly wanted the bottom bow protectors which came as a set with the shoulder pad protector. The shoulder pad protectors I removed after one season as I just found them unhelpful. I left on as the bottom bow protectors as they work well when at parade rest. Setting the horn on the foot works but sometimes it gets a little painful when it sets there for a half hour.

Personally I've got a 36K and you can play all day with that thing on your shoulder as it is only 16 well balanced pounds.

[opus37]

I have a pad protector for my helicon. I find it does help by not allowing the horn to dig into my shoulder while playing. I think of it as a towel with much better padding and easier to position.

[Birdjosh]

Collarbone.JPG

Thanks for the responses but those of you telling me to not use a pad are missing the fact that if the horn slides at all and the metal hits that bump you see on my shoulder/collarbone it causes extreme pain. Obviously the horn doesn't rest there but I need a guard to keep it from slipping and hitting that bump. And buying a new horn is not an option. I am a trombone player by trade and this 20K is brand new to me.

[Kevin_Iaquinto]

I have tendonitis in both of my shoulders and the pad is a GODSEND. I was only able to play for about 30 minutes without having to stop because of the pain and now i can go a good hour and a half during rehearsals. Totally worth the money, it allowed me to march last year and these upcoming two years.

[bigtubby]

I'm old enough to be having arthritis problems and recently acquired a sousaphone that I love. It came with a nice set of pads (maybe Neotech?) but as many have noted it didn't accomplish much in the pain relief department.

A gardening knee pad from a big box store helped a lot.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tommyco-Garde ... s/15789820 (the ones I bought were black).

Strap it onto the branch where it will rest on your shoulder and then install the Neotech pad over it. Helps me a lot.

When I was in high school we had these purpose made gray rubber pads with straps but when I looked recently I didn't find any. They worked pretty well keeping at the brass off a skinny kid's bones.

[NCSUSousa]

Any part of your collarbone will hurt if it comes in contact with the sousa. With my injuries, I get that.

Here's what worked for me - I always pressed forward against the top bow sousa with my left hand so that it was resting more on the top/back of my shoulder while playing or marching. That kept it from slipping down and hitting my collarbone. When we danced with our instruments, I would grab the bottom bow with my right hand too and lift it completely off of my shoulder and simply carry it in my hands. It helped that I lifted weights and swam in HS - I had no trouble with doing this through an entire parade or halftime show.

If you want to try using a pad - go ahead. Write a review here after you do so that others can find out how it worked for you.
I never tried the 'Neotech' pad. I tried 2 others, they didn't do the job as well as a simple towel when I was carrying the fiberglass sousa. That's why I recommend skipping the pad.

Thanks for the responses but those of you telling me to not use a pad are missing the fact that if the horn slides at all and the metal hits that bump you see on my shoulder/collarbone it causes extreme pain. Obviously the horn doesn't rest there but I need a guard to keep it from slipping and hitting that bump. And buying a new horn is not an option. I am a trombone player by trade and this 20K is brand new to me.

[Birdjosh]

So I've had the pad for enough time now that I feel confident saying it's very well done. It's thinner and less bulky than a towel and does just enough to keep the metal off my shoulder while not being to thick and unruly. Definitely recommend it to other sousa players with metal inserts in their shoulders like me.