I don’t think this has been brought up here. What exactly is the best neck strap? There are a ton out there. I personally use a Ray Hyman strap. But it tends to hurt after a while if I’m not wearing a shirt with a collar 😉 I sometimes also use BG harness instead. Especially if I have to stand.
Oleg has some straps and harnesses. I’m sure there are a lot of others out there as well.
For me, I basically like how I can really adjust the horn level on the Hyman strap. And the hook has yet to fail me. Plus it makes a great weapon (whipping students and fellow musicians). Just someone needs to put some padding on it.
I sometimes use a Neotech strap. It’s very comfy, but can get sweaty/itchy if you wear it directly against your skin on a hot/humid day. On those days, it’s best to wear the strap over your shirt collar.
http://www.wwbw.com/Neotech-Soft-Sax-Neck-Strap-i4 3353.music
If that’s not possible, I use a sort of generic strap made of nylon, but where the part of the strap that contacts the neck is made of leather. That works better for me.
I’ve also tried various types of harnesses & shoulder staps, but never found one that I liked. These all feel too restrictive to me — I can never find a comfortable position.
–Todd
I switched to a De Jacques and love this thing! The part that goes around the neck is woven cotton canvas and very comfortable on my neck without a collar. De Jacques designed this thing so the cotton canvas just goes around the neck and stops at the collar bones where leather ends join heavy cord that descends down to something like the old bolero tie thingy (at about heart level) that is really an ingenious slider about the size of a nickel working like a pulley from which descends not two but four cords. This makes height adjustment quick and absolutely steady. I set it and there it stays! Saw one of the Rova folks using De Jacques.
But there’s more and this is the best part…(Ginzu chopping knives: just kidding about Ginzu), at the bottom where the traditional hook would be is a patented connector that is amazing! I just press it against the the hook-eye on the saxophone and voila! it’s on as fast as jacking a phono plug into an amp. To disconnect the instrument I just make a funny little twist motion combined with a jab and it’s off. It has never disconnected unless I wanted it off.
I don’t know how it would be for a tenor. I have a soprano. It would likely be fine for alto, but definitely not for a bari.
Don’t be mislead, though, this thing is tough, comfortable, reliable, and fast. Just amazing!
I’m assuming it’s this neckstrap? I dunno, it looks strange……
Yeah, I picked up a NeoTech in the local music store’s bargain bin for the awesome price of $5. I’ve used it ever since for almost 3 years, and nothing compares to it comfort-wise. My sax feels lighter, and I don’t have to worry about an itchy neck due to long playing. I still keep my no-name nylon strap in my case for certain collared situations because the NeoTech is kinda bulky to put under a collar…
i also use a de jacques. its a great strap just like -88- said. its comfortable, never slides (a problem i found with the neo-strap), and its clip makes doubling a breeze (it has a quite amazing design). so many people emphazise comfort in strap but i think the most important feature of a strap is if it holds your horn in place or not. its quite a pain to have to constantly tug your horn back up into place.
Indeed. However, one would want some comfort as well…..
I’ll have to check out these straps…..
Yep Eric, that’s it about half way down the page. Guess it’s proper name is de Jacques Ultra Strap.
Expensive, but I’d replace it in a blink if I lost it. My lady says that when the sax is not attached to it and I forget to take it off, it looks like a magic amulet. Dunno about that, but in a way it is magic the way it works so well. Maybe de Jacques ought to rename this thing magic amulet. Just kidding.
I am using Neotech harness or Neotech strap depending on my felling. The harness helped and still help me a lot because of some problem with my right hand. I had a suregery in my right wrist and the harness help to me reduce the pressure of the sax on the right hand expecialy when I have to stand. Even if you don’t have healt problem or back broblem, harness if not the choise. When i don’t have to stand or play for few hour .. I prefer Neotech for sure.
I have developed a totally new concept whitch is neither strap nor harness.
I have patented it under the name B.A.Sling, and it reduces the weight of your saxophone in your upper neck by 40 % trough a sliding buckle which devides the weight between your neck and your back in any playing position, standing, sitting or swinging around.
One size is adjustable to any size of saxophone/person.
It is ideal for children who start on an Alto as well as for Adults on Tenor or Baritone saxophone.
For more info and pictures, please visit my website;
blazersatelier@hetnet.nl or http://www.ba-sling.com and look under BA SLING.
Allaert ‘Brassman’ Pesman, Blazersatelier Tilburg (Holland)
That looks like a half-harness from the pictures. Interesting concept, hope it sells for you!
It would be nice to see an English version of your site