Sax on the Web

Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Baritone Saxophone / Neckstraps and neck problems

Next 20 Messages

MusicMan
User ID: 9398453 Jul 3rd 1:37 PM
I've searched a long time for a neckstrap that I felt was the best compromise for security in holding my horn and comfort for me. Since I live somewhat in the boonies and can't find a lot of straps in stock at the local stores, I thought I'd throw this open to you other bari playes and get your ideas...

I currently use the padded Protec strap. It has a lobster-claw like hook that provides a pretty secure attachment to the horn. I never use those open hooks...I'm afraid I'd end up with a flattened horn at my feet when I stood up...

In college, I made an over-the-shoulder strap that worked pretty good. Unfortunately, since it was tooled leather, I decorated it 70's style, and the design is a bit out of date...

JP
User ID: 2463104 Jul 3rd 8:46 PM
I use the Neotech harness thing. Saves my neck, and my horn has never just fallen off. Check it out at wwandbw.com.

John C
User ID: 9454293 Jul 4th 8:44 AM
I just got that Neotech harness it does the trick for me.

A funny thing happened to me at a gig on a college campus. During a break I took my jacket off white shirt and the black harness - I almost got jacked-up because security thought it was a gun shoulder holster ;)

MusicMan
User ID: 9398453 Jul 5th 1:09 PM
Well, the night after I posted this, I was in rehearsal with our big band, and as I lowered the horn from my lap to playing position, I heard the unmistakable snap of plastic breaking and felt the full weight of the horn fall on my hands. Luckily, I had a good grip on the horn, or I would have been very upset. This stupid "engineering" black plastic everything seems to be made out of these days is way too easy to break. So there I was, 9:00 pm an the evening before the July 4th concert, and a broken neckstrap. It's was a safe bet that all the local music stores were gonna be closed (and they were).

I ended up going to the local TSC (tractor supply co...farm store) and into the tack section (horse riding accessories). I picked up a spring loaded clip and a "D" ring and made the repair myself.

Christian W
User ID: 0317884 Jul 5th 8:12 PM
neotech definetly make the best harness for bari i have seen.

MusicMan
User ID: 9398453 Jul 6th 11:36 AM
On the Neotech harness, is the hook a "snap" or open hook. Is it made of plastic or metal?

Gary Hartle
User ID: 1529574 Jul 6th 11:53 AM
The plastic hooks have one great advantage - they don't wear out the strap eye on the horn. Steel hooks are okay as long as the plastic covering is intact. Any hook you use should have a spring lock and swivel. I use plastic hooks, and am always thinking about what could happen when I take both hands off the horn.

Helen
User ID: 1599514 Jul 6th 1:24 PM
I had a friend design a custom bari harness for me. It is amazing. I tried the Neotech, but for women, it doesn't work very well. Besides the chest thing, I didn't like that the sax is so close to your body that you can't move the horn around very much.

The one my friend designed is made of neoprene, elastic strapping, and regular webbing like a regular sax strap is made of. But what makes this thing great is that on it, the sax hangs like on a regular strap, and you have the same range of motion you have with a regular strap. The elastic sewn on the neoprene gives it the same lighter feel that the Neotec neck straps have.

T.S.
User ID: 9753653 Jul 6th 1:56 PM
The Neotech harness is great. My one critism is that they need to put a swivel hook on it. You have to twist the straps around if you like to hook from the right.

Chuck Hollocker
User ID: 0916684 Jul 10th 9:38 PM
Can't you just wear the harness inside-out?

GaryL
User ID: 2149564 Jul 10th 10:57 PM
TS, are you saying there are left handed and right handed neck straps? I've heard of left handed monkey wrenches but never a left handed neck strap.

GHartle is right about metal hooks digging the eyelet out, especially on YTS62. Put a piece of heat shrink on the hook... replace as needed.

mutha potamus Jul 10th 11:13 PM
T.S., I've got a Neotech harness with a swivel hook on it.

MusicMan
User ID: 9398453 Jul 13th 12:02 PM
Although I am still looking for a different neckstrap, I must report this. I called Protec and complained about the hook breaking. The lady was very polite and took down the information. Three days later there was a padded envelope in my mailbox. Inside was a new neckstrap. I already had a good feeling about Protec from their quality cases and now am impressed with their customer service.

T.S.
User ID: 9753653 Jul 13th 12:11 PM
Rgular straps with fixed hooks are not a problem because your pivot is from the neck. The fixed hook on my Neotech is right at the sternum and put on the way it's designed, allows hooking from the left, which I find awkward. It's a simple thing to turn the straps at the buckles and hook from the other side, but I would have preferred a swivel, which would eliminated the need to do that. You can't just turn the harness inside out as the shoulder cushions can only fit one way.
It's not a big deal, just a minor annoyance.

BrianA
User ID: 1564944 Jul 14th 1:41 AM
I do not work for the company that I am going to mention but after many many years of playing not only bari sax but having been a football player in my youth, my back and neck are really damaged. It used to be pure torture for me to not only play bari but tenor and alto etc.. I tried every contraption out there including what I find to be a very heavy and cumbersome harness made by neotech, I cannot understant what can be good about such a non breathing warm thing that does not even let you securely hold the mouthpiece because of that rubber bungee feel to it. I then was given a Lebayle shoulder harness made in France, they sell them in the WWBW catalog.. it is the greatest bari harness I have ever used, secure good snaphook easily adjusts and is not hot and sweaty. try one you will love it and they are only around $25.00 and last forever..I have mine for around 6 or 7 years and I play for a living using it every day.
Brian

Bootman
User ID: 2491374 Jul 15th 4:47 PM
I actually use something very similar for Bari, it is a harness that rests over your shoulder blades and takes the weight off your neck. It is a a 6" wide leather strap which takes the weight, it has a solid platic hook on a swivel, not the cheap nasty variety which have a tendency to release when they shouldn't. It is the best strap I have found bar none and it allows me to play Baritone standing up for hours without any strain or damage. I find the constraints of movement with the standard harness make it almost impossible to play the Baritone properly. These new Harnesses don't line up well with the vintage Baritone strap hook position properly.

keilmer
User ID: 0408214 Aug 5th 7:07 AM
An alternative neck strap:
http://ergonomic-systems.com/englisch/home/home.htm

I'm not using it (until now), but i've seen some
pro's working with it...

Nitetimer
User ID: 6702393 Aug 14th 6:40 PM
Check this one out also:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1452172834
Probably wouldn't last with a baritone though.

Fun Bun
User ID: 1174374 Aug 17th 12:07 PM
keilmer, where and how do I get one of these ergostraps?

keilmer
User ID: 0408214 Aug 19th 9:44 AM
Fun Bun, because i'm from germany i can give you only german addresses:

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/index.html?sn=3a7b35365c1371dca337cc234a2818a1

http://www.saxophon-service.de/homep/saxophon.htm

I've heard, that http://ergonomic-systems.com/
will be closed soon, but the owner of the company will further sell the freeneck-"strap"

Next 20 Messages

MusicMan User ID: 9398453	Jul 3rd 1:37 PM I've searched a long time for a neckstrap that I felt was the best compromise for security in holding my horn and comfort for me. Since I live somewhat in the boonies and can't find a lot of straps in stock at the local stores, I thought I'd throw this open to you other bari playes and get your ideas... I currently use the padded Protec strap. It has a lobster-claw like hook that provides a pretty secure attachment to the horn. I never use those open hooks...I'm afraid I'd end up with a flattened horn at my feet when I stood up... In college, I made an over-the-shoulder strap that worked pretty good. Unfortunately, since it was tooled leather, I decorated it 70's style, and the design is a bit out of date...
JP User ID: 2463104	Jul 3rd 8:46 PM I use the Neotech harness thing. Saves my neck, and my horn has never just fallen off. Check it out at wwandbw.com.
John C User ID: 9454293	Jul 4th 8:44 AM I just got that Neotech harness it does the trick for me. A funny thing happened to me at a gig on a college campus. During a break I took my jacket off white shirt and the black harness - I almost got jacked-up because security thought it was a gun shoulder holster ;)
MusicMan User ID: 9398453	Jul 5th 1:09 PM Well, the night after I posted this, I was in rehearsal with our big band, and as I lowered the horn from my lap to playing position, I heard the unmistakable snap of plastic breaking and felt the full weight of the horn fall on my hands. Luckily, I had a good grip on the horn, or I would have been very upset. This stupid "engineering" black plastic everything seems to be made out of these days is way too easy to break. So there I was, 9:00 pm an the evening before the July 4th concert, and a broken neckstrap. It's was a safe bet that all the local music stores were gonna be closed (and they were). I ended up going to the local TSC (tractor supply co...farm store) and into the tack section (horse riding accessories). I picked up a spring loaded clip and a "D" ring and made the repair myself.
Christian W User ID: 0317884	Jul 5th 8:12 PM neotech definetly make the best harness for bari i have seen.
MusicMan User ID: 9398453	Jul 6th 11:36 AM On the Neotech harness, is the hook a "snap" or open hook. Is it made of plastic or metal?
Gary Hartle User ID: 1529574	Jul 6th 11:53 AM The plastic hooks have one great advantage - they don't wear out the strap eye on the horn. Steel hooks are okay as long as the plastic covering is intact. Any hook you use should have a spring lock and swivel. I use plastic hooks, and am always thinking about what could happen when I take both hands off the horn.
Helen User ID: 1599514	Jul 6th 1:24 PM I had a friend design a custom bari harness for me. It is amazing. I tried the Neotech, but for women, it doesn't work very well. Besides the chest thing, I didn't like that the sax is so close to your body that you can't move the horn around very much. The one my friend designed is made of neoprene, elastic strapping, and regular webbing like a regular sax strap is made of. But what makes this thing great is that on it, the sax hangs like on a regular strap, and you have the same range of motion you have with a regular strap. The elastic sewn on the neoprene gives it the same lighter feel that the Neotec neck straps have.
T.S. User ID: 9753653	Jul 6th 1:56 PM The Neotech harness is great. My one critism is that they need to put a swivel hook on it. You have to twist the straps around if you like to hook from the right.
Chuck Hollocker User ID: 0916684	Jul 10th 9:38 PM Can't you just wear the harness inside-out?
GaryL User ID: 2149564	Jul 10th 10:57 PM TS, are you saying there are left handed and right handed neck straps? I've heard of left handed monkey wrenches but never a left handed neck strap. GHartle is right about metal hooks digging the eyelet out, especially on YTS62. Put a piece of heat shrink on the hook... replace as needed.
mutha potamus	Jul 10th 11:13 PM T.S., I've got a Neotech harness with a swivel hook on it.
MusicMan User ID: 9398453	Jul 13th 12:02 PM Although I am still looking for a different neckstrap, I must report this. I called Protec and complained about the hook breaking. The lady was very polite and took down the information. Three days later there was a padded envelope in my mailbox. Inside was a new neckstrap. I already had a good feeling about Protec from their quality cases and now am impressed with their customer service.
T.S. User ID: 9753653	Jul 13th 12:11 PM Rgular straps with fixed hooks are not a problem because your pivot is from the neck. The fixed hook on my Neotech is right at the sternum and put on the way it's designed, allows hooking from the left, which I find awkward. It's a simple thing to turn the straps at the buckles and hook from the other side, but I would have preferred a swivel, which would eliminated the need to do that. You can't just turn the harness inside out as the shoulder cushions can only fit one way. It's not a big deal, just a minor annoyance.
BrianA User ID: 1564944	Jul 14th 1:41 AM I do not work for the company that I am going to mention but after many many years of playing not only bari sax but having been a football player in my youth, my back and neck are really damaged. It used to be pure torture for me to not only play bari but tenor and alto etc.. I tried every contraption out there including what I find to be a very heavy and cumbersome harness made by neotech, I cannot understant what can be good about such a non breathing warm thing that does not even let you securely hold the mouthpiece because of that rubber bungee feel to it. I then was given a Lebayle shoulder harness made in France, they sell them in the WWBW catalog.. it is the greatest bari harness I have ever used, secure good snaphook easily adjusts and is not hot and sweaty. try one you will love it and they are only around $25.00 and last forever..I have mine for around 6 or 7 years and I play for a living using it every day. Brian
Bootman User ID: 2491374	Jul 15th 4:47 PM I actually use something very similar for Bari, it is a harness that rests over your shoulder blades and takes the weight off your neck. It is a a 6" wide leather strap which takes the weight, it has a solid platic hook on a swivel, not the cheap nasty variety which have a tendency to release when they shouldn't. It is the best strap I have found bar none and it allows me to play Baritone standing up for hours without any strain or damage. I find the constraints of movement with the standard harness make it almost impossible to play the Baritone properly. These new Harnesses don't line up well with the vintage Baritone strap hook position properly.
keilmer User ID: 0408214	Aug 5th 7:07 AM An alternative neck strap: http://ergonomic-systems.com/englisch/home/home.htm I'm not using it (until now), but i've seen some pro's working with it...
Nitetimer User ID: 6702393	Aug 14th 6:40 PM Check this one out also: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1452172834 Probably wouldn't last with a baritone though.
Fun Bun User ID: 1174374	Aug 17th 12:07 PM keilmer, where and how do I get one of these ergostraps?
keilmer User ID: 0408214	Aug 19th 9:44 AM Fun Bun, because i'm from germany i can give you only german addresses: http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/index.html?sn=3a7b35365c1371dca337cc234a2818a1 http://www.saxophon-service.de/homep/saxophon.htm I've heard, that http://ergonomic-systems.com/ will be closed soon, but the owner of the company will further sell the freeneck-"strap"