funnygirl62221 Report post Posted May 10, 2010 Hi all, I have a friend that is in the Mid-America Airforce Band and he asked me to make a shoulder strap for his tuba. The type he has at present is just a 1 1/2" strip and there is not much to it. I would really like to make something that would make holding the tuba a bit more comfortable. Also, evidently he has had his strap snap during a performance before and his tuba hit the floor (it weighs about 40lbs). So something pretty strong is a must.It attaches to the tuba by wrapping around the bottom tube thingy and a tube thingy near the top. I'm not sure how it fastens. He wants me to tool the leather with a design so latigo is out, right? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all you do here. I don't post often but I am constantly checking in on topics to learn whatever I can and I have learned tons from you guys. Ellen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted May 10, 2010 Hi Ellen, How the strap attaches varies depending on the make of tuba. Some makes have rings welded to the body to attach a strap with just a snap hook, such as those shown here. http://www.nobcor.com/tubashoulderstraps.htm They also come in double-shoulder harnesses. For the instruments that don't have the welded rings, there is a smaller strap attachment that loops around any part of the instrument and has a ring for the strap or harness to snap-hook onto. The one shown here is a smaller one made for a euphonium: http://www.dwerden.com/talk/forum/attachments/viewattachment.cfm?attachid=273&forumid=1 Hope this helps... Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
funnygirl62221 Report post Posted May 10, 2010 Hi Ellen, How the strap attaches varies depending on the make of tuba. Some makes have rings welded to the body to attach a strap with just a snap hook, such as those shown here. http://www.nobcor.co...ulderstraps.htm They also come in double-shoulder harnesses. For the instruments that don't have the welded rings, there is a smaller strap attachment that loops around any part of the instrument and has a ring for the strap or harness to snap-hook onto. The one shown here is a smaller one made for a euphonium: http://www.dwerden.c...d=273&forumid=1 Hope this helps... Kate Yes this helps a ton. Thank you so much. The kind he has is the last one. I was not able to find a good picture of how it attaches to the instrument. Ellen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
funnygirl62221 Report post Posted July 9, 2010 Yes this helps a ton. Thank you so much. The kind he has is the last one. I was not able to find a good picture of how it attaches to the instrument. Ellen Just wanted to give an update on the tuba strap. I got it finished and gave it to my friend. He loved it! He had asked for cartoon characters on it, which I was able to do and they turned out pretty decent. Sorry I dont have a pict of it. I did get picts with my new phone but don't have a usb cord to transfer them to my computer yet. Anyway, my friend wants to pay me for the strap and I am at a loss as to what to tell him. It was a major learning experience for me so it did take a lot of time but I have no idea of the going rate for such a thing. Thanks for any thoughts you all might have Ellen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coiledup Report post Posted July 9, 2010 What I would say as far as pricing goes, if he can get a few of the other band members to pay say 50 bucks for a strap you make, then give him a discount off of that price, I'm not saying 50 is what you should charge, just using a number. I made a shotgun bag for a friend, (clay shooter) and told him the same, if any of his buddies at the range buy one, then depending how many I sell (5 or more) his is free. Unless you don't want to make any more. Or he is the only tuba player in the band. Just my 2 cents. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
funnygirl62221 Report post Posted July 9, 2010 What I would say as far as pricing goes, if he can get a few of the other band members to pay say 50 bucks for a strap you make, then give him a discount off of that price, I'm not saying 50 is what you should charge, just using a number. I made a shotgun bag for a friend, (clay shooter) and told him the same, if any of his buddies at the range buy one, then depending how many I sell (5 or more) his is free. Unless you don't want to make any more. Or he is the only tuba player in the band. Just my 2 cents. Hey thats a good idea. Thanks Ellen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
