Accessories Bari neck straps

[SaxBySW]

Hi Folks

Can anyone recommend a decent Bari neck strap / harness. I've got a sax holder but it's rubbish with the Bari, moves around all over the place. My other straps (padded round the neck type) don't spread the weight enough so my upper back / neck are pretty shagged after about an hour of playing.

Cheers

 

[nigeld]

I use a Thomann harness. It's cheap, it works sitting or standing, and it's the most comfortable I have found.
They seem to have two versions - one with a plastic hook and one with a metal hook. (Or maybe these are the old and new models.)

Thomann S 20HS Saxophone Harness

Cross Strap for Saxophone Metal carabiner, Wide shoulder padding (6.5 cm), For men, women and adolescents, Colour: black/ anthracite

www.thomann.de

Thomann S 20HS Saxophone Harness

Cross Strap for Saxophone With plastic carabiner, Wide shoulder padding (6,5 cm), Model suitable for men, women and teenagers

www.thomann.de

 

[rhysonsax]

I used a wide neckstrap on baritone for years without problem but then started to develop neck pain.

I tried several different harnesses but found some of them constricting and others not very secure. Some of the plastic hooks didn't seem strong enough for bari but I never had one fail.

Eventually I have settled on the BG with metal hook, like this and find it comfortable and secure for playing when seated or standing. If I was buying another I wouldn't choose the XL size, even though I am tall, and I personally wouldn't pay extra for the BG Comfort harness with its extra padding.

Rhys

 

[Colin the Bear]

For playing seated it might be worth considering a peg/spike.

 

[SaxBySW]

For playing seated it might be worth considering a peg/spike.

This would be ideal but alas no obvious place to fit one on my Bari (BW01) short of getting something custom soldered on which I don't fancy.

 

[SaxBySW]

I use a Thomann harness. It's cheap, it works sitting or standing, and it's the most comfortable I have found.
They seem to have two versions - one with a plastic hook and one with a metal hook. (Or maybe these are the old and new models.)

Thomann S 20HS Saxophone Harness

Cross Strap for Saxophone Metal carabiner, Wide shoulder padding (6.5 cm), For men, women and adolescents, Colour: black/ anthracite

www.thomann.de

Thomann S 20HS Saxophone Harness

Cross Strap for Saxophone With plastic carabiner, Wide shoulder padding (6,5 cm), Model suitable for men, women and teenagers

www.thomann.de

very cheap indeed - will take a look, thanks.

 

[Colin the Bear]

This would be ideal but alas no obvious place to fit one on my Bari (BW01) short of getting something custom soldered on which I don't fancy.

There's one that attaches with velcro straps. I'll have a google. It might be worth a search here.

Can't find the velcro one but sax.co have standing and sitting versions.

SAXRAX Seating Sax Stick for BaritoneDefault Title

Tired of hanging a heavy baritone around your neck whilst practicing or performing? Well here's the solution! The brand new innovation from SAXRAX for 2013. the Sax Stick is a versatile sax stand for baritone players that holds the sax without the need for a strap or harness. Gives ultimate...

sax.co.uk

 

[GJ77]

I’ve tried most of those on the market, never really finding anything that I was truly happy with, but a friend recently gave me a Marmaduke strap with two aluminium hooks which sit on the shoulders. She couldn’t get on with it because, without putting too fine a point on it, it didn’t sit well on her female frame. Personally, I’m finding it really comfortable, though it took a lot of fiddling to get the fit correct.
It’s very similar to this: Balam Artificial Leather Saxophone Strap

 

[SaxBySW]

I’ve tried most of those on the market, never really finding anything that I was truly happy with, but a friend recently gave me a Marmaduke strap with two aluminium hooks which sit on the shoulders. She couldn’t get on with it because, without putting too fine a point on it, it didn’t sit well on her female frame. Personally, I’m finding it really comfortable, though it took a lot of fiddling to get the fit correct.
It’s very similar to this: Balam Artificial Leather Saxophone Strap

Do you sort of bend it into shape around the shoulders then?

 

[GJ77]

Yes, and the adjustment at the back, which controls the spacing between the arms, took me a while to get just right. Simple trial and error until it felt perfect.

 

[jbtsax]

I use the Vandoren harness for bari sax. They are more expensive ($150 US), but they distribute the weight of the instrument very well. At my age and having had back surgery a few years ago, I consider it a good investment.

 

[SaxBySW]

I use the Vandoren harness for bari sax. They are more expensive ($150 US), but they distribute the weight of the instrument very well. At my age and having had back surgery a few years ago, I consider it a good investment.

It's £176 (!) at sax.co.uk. Looks robust

 

[Andante cantabile]

I use a Gemini Saxophone Harness.

Gemini Saxophone Harness | Elk Trading Co.

 

[thomsax]

I use BG harness XL w metal hook as well. I use the same harness for both tenor and bari. I'm not tall and slender. I'm rather short and massive. So maybe a 2XL after the pandemic with less motion? I'm back on the sax after a year.

 

[vries1]

Using the Zappatini Synthesis harness. This harness works very well, but while I am quite tall, I should probably have taken the regular size instead of large to obtain the best fit. I guess Zappatini's "large" size is tailored towards large in the, ahem, abdomen area?

 

[DartmoorHedgehog]

I've got a Jazzlab Saxholder that I use with my baritone. Can't say how it compares with others because it's the only one I've tried, but it's much better than a normal neck strap (weight held by shoulders and a pad that rests on the lower chest/diaphragm area).

 

[SaxBySW]

I've got a Jazzlab Saxholder that I use with my baritone. Can't say how it compares with others because it's the only one I've tried, but it's much better than a normal neck strap (weight held by shoulders and a pad that rests on the lower chest/diaphragm area).

Do you not find that it comes loose / moves around the shoulders with the Bari attached? I couldn’t get it to work for me at all standing up, and sitting was even worse.

 

[Vetinari]

Jazz lab needs wider and better padded shoulder pieces and locking system as well

 

[DartmoorHedgehog]

Do you not find that it comes loose / moves around the shoulders with the Bari attached? I couldn’t get it to work for me at all standing up, and sitting was even worse.

When the weight of the sax is on it I don't find it moves around - it moves around a bit unweighted though. I don't tend to play sitting down.

Jazz lab needs wider and better padded shoulder pieces and locking system as well

It works for me - but as I said, I haven't tried any other harnesses so I can't claim it to be "the best" or anything. All I know is it's a revelation compared with a normal neck strap.

 

[Tenor Viol]

My Jazzlab doesn't work for me with bari as it moves too much. I use the Freeneck which I reported here: Accessories - Baritone harness - Freeneck 8.1K