POLL - protective (brass, NOT leather/vinyl) guard: yes, or no?

[bloke]

Before I get around to putting some sort of finish on this instrument,
Should I install a piece of thick/wide (King or old Elkhart-era side-mounted Conn 20K - which might be easier to fit) sousaphone guard wire on this 6th (small upper) bow, or not?

I'm thinking that I would rather wear through lacquer or silver on a guard plate, rather than through the instrument itself...

(My hand contacts the upper back part of that bow, and moves the #1 slide in when tuning for the 5th partial pitches, B and C, is critical...
...I actually just insert my hand into that (left-rotated) "D"-shape, and move the #1 slide without even actually grasping it.)

[Tubajug]

Yeah! Keep slickin' that thing out!

[York-aholic]

The answer to putting a guard strip on is

Yes

I don’t know if it will show in the picture, but there are spots where the brass is noticeably thinner. A cap for this is on my to do list!

1958 Martin

D103F4C8-C5DF-4FCF-BB1E-EEAFE35713E4.jpeg (34.41 KiB) Viewed 251 times

[the elephant]

Add a guard.

[bloke]

Add a guard.

OK !!!


poofy old cat

no poofy old cat

[the elephant]

Now son, that there's some pure "tuba-sexy". I tell ya whut.

[humBell]

I apologize for betraying my principles...

Duct tape is *always* a right answer, even if very seldom the right answer.

[bloke]

I apologize for betraying my principles...

Duct tape is *always* a right answer, even if very seldom the right answer.

Absolutely...and goes along with Bocephus famous line, "A country boy can survive."

This guard looks odd, because it actually protects the bow from the place where my hand contacts it, rather than looking "right" (ie. centered over the top of the bow).

oh yeah...possibly THE best song ever written, and THE best video setting ever filmed to go along with a song:

[the elephant]

One of my favorites from back in the day.