Accessories BALAM Premium Neck Strap

[Pete Thomas]

Hi Pete. Will you be reviewing the 'Newbury Street' Strap? They Boston Sax shop sells this and the Balam.

Yes I think that's what it is.

 

[Pete Thomas]

And the review is up!

Saxophone Strap Reviews

The importance of a good saxophone strap or harness, for your playing comfort and health. Some popular straps reviewed

tamingthesaxophone.com

 

[Nick Wyver]

And the review is up!

Saxophone Strap Reviews

The importance of a good saxophone strap or harness, for your playing comfort and health. Some popular straps reviewed

tamingthesaxophone.com

Ah, but does it slip?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Ah, but does it slip?

No, but does any strap slip? Or are we talking about different things?

 

[Nick Wyver]

No, but does any strap slip? Or are we talking about different things?

They all do.
I've only ever had one strap that didn't need hoiking up at some time during a gig. That had a locking mechanism on the adjuster. Unfortunately it disintegrated at a gig in Bognor. I currently have over 20 slings. A Cebulla with the wide adjuster is probably my favourite at the mo.

 

[OldNotGrey]

Love some of these straps and aesthetically I like the metal hooks. However a particularly nice leather strap (can't recall which) that I was pleased with had a metal clip hook but after using for less than a year I became aware of considerable wear on the sax neck strap ring so have had to revert back to nylon.

 

[STABBS MacKENZIE]

I've been using a Guardala sling for a while now. Not cheap, but then it is all moose leather and gold plated fittings, but it really hasn't slipped under any conditions and adjusts to soprano length and back as smooth as silk.

 

[Pete Thomas]

They all do.
I've only ever had one strap that didn't need hoiking up at some time during a gig. That had a locking mechanism on the adjuster. Unfortunately it disintegrated at a gig in Bognor. I currently have over 20 slings. A Cebulla with the wide adjuster is probably my favourite at the mo.

Hmm, I've never had a Cebulla slip. I'll use this BSS one for a bit and report back on slippage...

 

[StageFright]

Used a Cebulla for 2 years - never had a problem with slipping.
Using a Balam now for over a year and love it. No slipping either.
Prefer the Balam for its better distribution of weight over the Cebulla (IMHO).
Should note I've only used these straps with a tenor.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Used a Cebulla for 2 years - never had a problem with slipping.
Using a Balam now for over a year and love it. No slipping either.
Prefer the Balam for its better distribution of weight over the Cebulla (IMHO).
Should note I've only used these straps with a tenor.

I just noticed on thew Boston Sax Shop site:

Pronounced BAH-LAM, the Korean word for 'Wind'

Is that what I thin k it is, so it would sound like bah lamb?

What kind of leather is it?

 

[nigeld]

Most of my straps don't slip, but my Balam one slips often.

 

[Nick Wyver]

but it really hasn't slipped under any conditions

I've never had a Cebulla slip.

never had a problem with slipping.

Most of my straps don't slip

Oh well. Must be the way I play.

 

[DartmoorHedgehog]

Oh well. Must be the way I play.

It's your neck sagging during the gig 😉

 

[davidk]

I've recently bought the artificial leather version of this strap. It doesn't have the adjustments of the premium version - the cord doesn't unhook from the top holes and there isn't a lock hook for the adjuster. However, after over an hour's fettling I managed to get it adjusted for alto and tenor around my thin neck, sloping shoulders and bony clavicles. I've just finished a two hour practise session and it worked a treat.

I've found the way to get the length right is to loosen the knots at the top of the front adjuster cord and shorten/lengthen the cord so that the adjuster is almost at the bottom when your largest saxophone is attached. Be sure to tighten the knots again before attaching a saxophone! This means that when a shorter saxophone is attached the adjuster doesn't need to be pulled so far towards your neck.

For the width, it was a combination of adjusting the length of the cord at the back and threading the cord through the butterfly adjuster until the straps could pass either side of the neck without rubbing against it.

The shaping of the covered aluminium straps is a matter of bending them in the right place by the right amount, and in the right direction. After some trial and error, I found it best to start at the back and work forwards, making sure that the straps are in contact with your body behind and on top of your shoulders. After this, they can come forward over the clavicle bones so that you can see air between the strap and body, then bent back towards the body at the ends so that they contact your chest. Once one side is the correct shape, it can be used as a template for the second. It's good exercise for the thumbs.

I now have a tailor fitted strap that keeps the weight of the saxophone off my neck. And I have sore thumbs.