Trombone Braces
This is another page that has nothing to do with dogs. It does have to do with my search to find a supportive brace for my trombones to help my tired limbs to hold the heavy instruments over longer periods of time. Hope this helps you.
I have or have tried almost all the available braces.
For example:
Hagmann hand support
Rath hand support
My take:
ErgoBone - was excellent for me at the time. Takes all the weight off the left hand. While using it, I heard that when that tension is gone, how free my tone can be, so that became my measure of how free my left hand was with other supports. But it made my Yamaha 822g very nose heavy, so I bought 2 counterweights, which mostly helped. Rather a nuisance with mute changes and I found it difficult to achieve micro-movements in angle face-to-horn necessary for accuracy, especially setting on. When I stopped using this, I also took off the counterweights.
Rath hand support and Hagmann hand support: Both were impossible for me to adjust, that they supported the weight without slippage and without unpleasant pressure points on the back of my left hand. Hagmann gave me a 10 day trial period so I was able to send it back. It's more configurable than Rath, but it was too small. Tried again in May and June - and just not stable enough, nor does it provide enough comfortable support.
Ax Handle: Mr. Olsen tried his best, but it just didn't work with my horn. The balance point is too far forward, which made the instrument very nose heavy and the attachment clamp is too thick to go optimally on the brace.
Curtis thumb rest – similar to the Ax Handle/Bullet Brace, but attaches to the trombone on the body just below the valve section to fit under the f-trigger. But on my Yamaha 822G the balance point was farther forward by the slide grip, so this made my instrument VERY nose heavy and demanded I counter this diving ... with the left hand. Like the Ax Handle, it then didn’t really support much weight at all.
NeoTech: Comes the closest to what I need. Not easy to adjust, simply because you have so many possible positions. But it's working now for me. BUT ... the velcro attachment points tend to want to open if I don't periodically give them a squeeze to make sure they sit well. It works best on my bass bone when I use the Yeo hand grip, but on my tenor when I use the tradition left hand grip.
ColinPips Trombone Grip: This is a relatively new product that looks like the old Sheridan Grip if you're aware of that. While I tried the Sheridan and it didn't work for me, being too difficult to bend as I wanted/needed it, this might very well work better. This is one I really wanted to "work" for me, but i'm just a wuz and couldn't muster the strength to bend it to the shapes necessary to fit on the Yamaha. So for me, it's a "no".
Yamaha Strap: This was recommended to me and I was sceptical. I actually bought a similar product from Leather Specialties that didn't work as well - too clunky with the f-attachment trigger. And then I found that sometime in my dark past, I actually bought one of the Yamaha straps, but never actually tried it out. I use it now everyday instead of the NeoTech until I get my new horn. It's only semi-comfortable, the leather cuts a little, because it has to be snug. But it works and the horn sounds good. We'll see if i go back to NeoTech or simply stay with this.
New: as of 16, June 2024, with my new Shires Q36GR, I've gone back to the NeoTech.
Especially with the NeoTech, but also with the Rath and Hagmann, they do not relieve all the tension from the hand-lower arm-shoulder, but do so for much of it. I've found that approaching it like weight training has been a huge help. No problems getting through rehearsals and concerts as there are enough pauses to take the horn down and straighten my left arm. But when practicing, especially longer etudes, where you're in playing position for minutes at a time, I played until I began to feel an ache in my left shoulder, then I played for 10-15 seconds more and ... took a break for 30-45 seconds. This regenerated the muscles and I could continue. I didn't try to play through a lot of pain, but simply pushed the edge of the envelope. I also went to the gym twice a week and do exercises there for my wrist and forearm, but also shoulder. All this combined has improved my strength and stamina. Even at my age of 71, it's still possible. I not long have this fatigue problem at age 71.
Instruments:
Shires Q36GR bass trombone (new)
Rath R400 tenor trombone
FOR SALE:
Griego Markey 87 & 90
Greg Black 1 3/8 medium
Michael Rath handbrake
