Wessex Tuba Resting Stand

[hrender]

Anyone use one of these? How big a horn does it handle?

https://us.wessex-tubas.com/collections ... nd-sdt-190

[matt g]

In the other picture on the site, it looks like a 4/4 sized horn.

I don’t like that the upper crossbar is without padding. That seems like a problem, even for careful adult users. The footprint looks a bit small also.

[hrender]

Lack of padding can be rectified. I’ve had to do that on other stands. Footprint and sturdiness are a bigger concern.

[matt g]

Lack of padding can be rectified. I’ve had to do that on other stands. Footprint and sturdiness are a bigger concern.

Specific to the footprint, the legs should extend frontwards to at least the extent of the hooks. And the legs should be equally as long rearward. In other words, that space is pretty much occupied by the tuba’s profile further off the floor, so why not use it at floor level?

[York-aholic]

I’ve been looking at one of these myself. Unfortunately they’ve been out of stock for awhile. As to lack of padding on top cross bar, what about a piece of pipe insulation? Around here they sell both the lighter grey, open cell foam and a denser, black closed cell type. I’d go with the black, denser (yet still cushioned enough for this application) insulation.

[York-aholic]

I’ve been looking at one of these myself. Unfortunately they’ve been out of stock for awhile. As to lack of padding on top cross bar, what about a piece of pipe insulation? Around here they sell both the lighter grey, open cell foam and a denser, black closed cell type. I’d go with the black, denser (yet still cushioned enough for this application) insulation.

I was thinking a pool noodle would be a good choice due to:

-price
-availability
-fun colors

[York-aholic]

Additional reasons for thinking pipe insulation:

Black
Already slit down the side (plenty have peel and stick adhesive on the slit to stick to itself once you put it on
Variety of inner diameters
Varying thicknesses are available
Availability (Home Depot, Lowes, real hardware stores)

But yep, either would work fine.

If only Wessex can get a few in stock…

[Paul Evans]

I have one that I sometimes use for my Wessex Wyvern which is a pretty heavy tuba. The stand holds the tuba with problems. I still keep the tuba near a wall and out of the way. It has a pretty small footprint and I think it would be relatively easy to knock over in a more heavily trafficked area.

[ronr]

I had one briefly that I used with my 186 and didn’t like it. It just never felt secure to me.

[Doc]

what about a piece of pipe insulation?

I was thinking a pool noodle would be a good choice

And...

(to complete the redneck trifecta...)

...Secure it with duct tape.

Or for the modern redneck... zip ties ---> Helicon Stand

[bloke]

just curious:

Has anyone ever tried resting their tuba on the bell - and simultaneously against the wall?

That might (??) even prevent stuff from falling into the bell.

bloke “an inventor”

[Doc]

just curious:

Has anyone ever tried resting their tuba on the bell - and simultaneously against the wall?

That might (??) even prevent stuff from falling into the bell.

bloke “an inventor”

186 - on the bell/against the wall
Symphonie - on the bell/against the wall
377 - on the bell/against the drum throne at my desk
Helicon - on the stand or in the case
20J - anywhere out of the way/it's an old tank/who cares
The Hagen is wide and tall for its bell diameter, and the bell is fairly thin, so it never goes on the bell. I simply lay it down on the floor. If it's still in the way for whatever I'm doing, I bag it up and stand it in the corner on the bottom bow.

[York-aholic]

just curious:

Has anyone ever tried resting their tuba on the bell - and simultaneously against the wall?

That might (??) even prevent stuff from falling into the bell.

bloke “an inventor”

USN Martin Mammoth that has had some substantial bell damage in the past and is a fairly substantial/stout horn...

No thanks. Given the feedback about the footprint of the Wessex stand, that won't work too well either.

Other tubas around here on the bell, yes.

[hrender]

just curious:

Has anyone ever tried resting their tuba on the bell - and simultaneously against the wall?

That might (??) even prevent stuff from falling into the bell.

bloke “an inventor”

I've done that with most of the horns I've owned that weren't recording bell. I don't do it with the Cerveny because it came with a flattened, cracked bell rim from someone doing that previously. I have it in a K&M stand that works well for it. On the Martin I could potentially do that with the Wessex XL bell in place, but I'm not sure how strong that bell is and don't want to bend it. I tried the Martin in the K&M stand, but it's not a good match. It's currently in a Hercules stand when it's not disassembled in its cases, but I'm not 100% happy with the Hercules stand. I don't have a good place to lay it on its side nor hang it from the wall (per a previous suggestion). Small house, multiple occupants, etc. I could buy a bigger house, but that's not my first choice.

[Rick Denney]

just curious:

Has anyone ever tried resting their tuba on the bell - and simultaneously against the wall?

That might (??) even prevent stuff from falling into the bell.

bloke “an inventor”

186 - on the bell/against the wall
Symphonie - on the bell/against the wall
377 - on the bell/against the drum throne at my desk
Helicon - on the stand or in the case
20J - anywhere out of the way/it's an old tank/who cares
The Hagen is wide and tall for its bell diameter, and the bell is fairly thin, so it never goes on the bell. I simply lay it down on the floor. If it's still in the way for whatever I'm doing, I bag it up and stand it in the corner on the bottom bow.

My Hirsbrunner against the piano--no problem.

My B&S against a cushy chair--no problem.

My Holton 345 against a wall--no problem.

My Eastman EBB-534 with its pancake bell--not a freaking chance I'll ever put that on the bell.

Rick "some bells should come with a warning sticker" Denney

[Stryk]

I use Bb guitar stands for the ones that don't have a case or a bag.

[York-aholic]

That might (??) even prevent stuff from falling into the bell.

Had a cat go down head first once. Fortunately my wife was a few feet away when it happened.

After that a beach ball sits in that bell while it’s in that direction.

[bloke]

If twenty pounds of static weight is going to damage a tuba bell, it isn’t a tuba bell.

Tuba bells get messed up by being racked against the door frames, run into walls, being dropped, being stepped on, etc…not by supporting twenty pounds of static weight.

If I had rambunctious kids, I would set any tuba on its bell and rest it against the wall, but I would lock the door to the “tuba room”.

Maybe I should create a stand that has a garden hose attachment, and call it a “tuba cleaning stand”.

bloke “ ‘ same people who think that pulling slides without depressing valves is going to damage valves: If a vacuum release can damage a tuba valve, that’s not a tuba valve.”

[the elephant]

… twenty pounds of static weight is going to damage a tuba bell…

All my tubas live on their bells when not in their bags or cases. They are always up against something, too. Always. The chairs in our rehearsal and concert halls are stout and do not tend to skitter across the floor when bumped. I always set my horn on its bell with it against the chair. I have never had an incident at work in 29 years. In situations where the chair is not of good quality (or if we are set up outdoors on the ground), when I have to leave the horn for a few minutes I will put it in the clamshell gig bag and lay that between my chair and stand. If I cannot control the situation I simply do not leave my seat and the horn rests on the bottom bow between my feet.

… that pulling slides without depressing valves is going to damage valves…

This silliness has always mystified me. How on earth can someone believe something like that? Have they never actually opened up and looked at their valves? I remember being told this by some "woodwindy" student-teacher/observer when I was in the beginning band in 1976. I told him that was not possible, and, therefore, a smelly diaper load. (My BS Detector was a highly sensitive instrument even when I was eleven years old.) For that crime (I, unfortunately, chose to use several "colorful metaphors" when talking to this obvious dolt), I was sent to the Vice Principal for three swats. My band director, after school, excoriated me for my choice of language and disrespectful attitude but praised my ability to ferret out the student teacher's pedagogical offal.

[bloke]

If a tuba bell has a wide “pancake“ and is a bit thin (say: .5mm vs. .6mm), I might imagine it could be creased by setting it down too quickly, too carelessly. and on one side of the bell - rather than straight down, but the person - above - who stated that they have a tuba like that - and that they would never set on it bell - is not a careless person. That person has a lot of mechanical knowledge/experience, and I would’ve thought that they knew better.

As far as something that I would hesitate to do, it would be to set something that’s about 3 feet tall on a short stand - whereby walking past it and bumping against a wide-flaring top shape could knock it over… whether that stand were some $300 German-made stand, or some $125 Chinese-made stand of equal quality.

bloke “20 inch square carpet remnant for the floor, and old washcloth for the wall”