tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

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Grumpikins
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by Grumpikins »

Just a thought. What about somehow attaching a rod to the back of the tuba like a cello? It would be permanent. The rod could be adjusted for the chair being used at the time. You just need to balance the tuba while sitting or standing. No awkward seat or stand.

By the way, i have never owned a 6/4 tuba.

One time a conductor made a comment about how slowly i stood. My response was, this instrument cost more than my car so im not going to risk damaging it for your ego.

I refuse to spend a lot of money on a car thats just going to rust and fall apart in 5 years. Where i live, if you drive every day, the salt they dump on the roads will rot any car quick...

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Meinl Weston 2145 CC
King Symphonic BBb circa 1936ish
Pre H.N.White, Cleveland Eb 1924ish (project)
Conn Sousaphone, fiberglass 1960s? (Project)
Olds Baritone 1960s?
Hoping to find a dirt cheap Flugabone
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tofu
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

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:smilie7:
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bloke
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by bloke »

This particular tuba doesn't need to be 5 inches higher or 5 inches lower than my chair seat. With remarkable redundance in my reporting of my interest, it seems to work out really well on the corner of a chair - which is ~the~ height of a chair seat, but I just am afraid to rest on a place that small that has a even a rounded point at the front of it.
This is something to use with one tuba and not something that needs to be adjusted for other tubas. All of the other tubas around here are those whereby I prefer to play them by setting them across my legs.
I tried a typical tuba stand with this instrument (rehearsals/performance) and it was a dreadful experience - as in the past with other tubas.
The Big Ben
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by The Big Ben »

I'd consider something like you have drawn up but, instead of legs of some sort, make two hooks from 1/8" thick x 2" wide mild steel bent into hooks and fastened to the tuba seat to latch onto a steel folding chair. If it needed to be more secure than sitting on the chair with Blokeweight atop it, bungee cords could be employed.
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bloke (Sun May 28, 2023 12:20 am)
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bloke
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by bloke »

The Big Ben wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 12:02 am I'd consider something like you have drawn up but, instead of legs of some sort, make two hooks from 1/8" thick x 2" wide mild steel bent into hooks and fastened to the tuba seat to latch onto a steel folding chair. If it needed to be more secure than sitting on the chair with Blokeweight atop it, bungee cords could be employed.
If there was a set of nice flat unupholstered chairs, that would be great. One place that I play in has some really terrible folding chairs with those butt shapes in the plastic seats that slant backwards, and those wouldn't work out at all. Another place has upholstered flat seats that would make the piece of plywood unstable. I would have to bring a chair anyway I think.
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by peterbas »

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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

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Rick Denney
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by Rick Denney »

kingrob76 wrote:As much as Joe doesn't like stands, I like stands. The chair board/seat would position almost every tuba 4-5" too low for me.

I've used a stand since 1987 or 88 and it's not a problem. Standing? Leave the horn on the stand, and stand up. Yes, your legs are wider than normal. You'll be fine. I rarely set the horn down unless it's a LONG tacet section, it's just as easy to leave it up on the stand and hold it with one hand (for me). The fact I get to sit as relaxed as possible is key, the horn is at the correct height for me and after 35ish years I don't even think about it.
I could have written this post with few changes.

I wasn’t trolling Bloke, but others who I see looking down their nose at a tuba stand but who routinely drag in their own chair. “Amusing” is the right word because it makes me laugh (which, of course, I keep to myself).

But tripping hazard? That was my beef with the K&M stand, which splays out too wide, though I use it at home. In decades of use, though, and as clumsy as I am, I’ve never tripped over the legs of a stand on stage, and we stand up as often for applause as anybody (and more quickly, too, because that applause is, shall we say, not endless).

Rick “to each his own” Denney
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bloke
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by bloke »

I've never liked stands because they've never worked with any of my instruments, and they (not any of them) don't work with this one either. That's why I'm trying to come up with a better solution than a stand, such as something that starts out as a drummer's throne which isn't much bulkier than a tuba stand - as far as lugging it in the stage door.
If this doesn't work either, I'm just going to continue to rest the instrument on my legs.
Being handmade - which reduces weight, it doesn't balance all that badly, but it is really large even though it's not really tall. It's Holton size, I'm thinking probably a little bit taller than a Holton, because the bottom bow of this instrument actually has "legs", and - valveset wise - there is but more stuff on it than on a Holton... which puts some weight higher on the instrument - even though the sheet metal of the instrument itself is thin.

I'm eager to see what my friend at Memphis Drum Shop has to show to me that he thinks might allow me to just use a drummer's throne with some auxiliary thing made to put on a drummer's throne, apparently...?? Again, I'm also ready to retreat to using nothing.
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by kingrob76 »

Thinking solely from a design standpoint, Wessex had one that resembles what you describe. Circular “seat” and I think padded. If not, I would guess padding would be an easy modification for you since you adjust the insides of hard cases without issue.

https://us.wessex-tubas.com/products/pr ... and-sdt-30

I personally find the BBC saddle to be flat enough to work for any horn I’ve owned, but the saddle here is described as concave. As I own two BBC stands plus my original Frankenstand, I don’t need this personally. It’s a little more expensive than I’d like to see and I wonder about its portability given the base.
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by arpthark »

Eliminate the problem by getting one of these and using your feet to cradle it at the appropriate height:

Image
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bort2.0
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by bort2.0 »

Am I the only one who has never had any issues with holding a tuba and playing using a whatever-wherever chair?

Among other reasons, I don't like stands, because although it means that the tuba stays in the same place, it also means that *I* can't really move around either
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bloke
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by bloke »

bort2.0 wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 10:00 am Am I the only one who has never had any issues with holding a tuba and playing using a whatever-wherever chair?

Among other reasons, I don't like stands, because although it means that the tuba stays in the same place, it also means that *I* can't really move around either
LOVE THIS...YES !!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

...It's just that this ONE PARTICULAR huge tuba (though I can manage it) I'VE DISCOVERED THAT I like holding/playing it EVEN BETTER when it's RESTING ON THE CHAIR SEAT, instead of on me. LOL...To argue that "I shouldn't like that" or that "I'm stupid to now - after all these years - be seeking a tuba stand (when I'm NOT seeking a tuba stand)", fills up bandwidth, but it's not going to alter my findings, regarding THIS tuba, and HOLDING/playing THIS tuba.

I sit on the VERY FRONTS (front two inches, actually) of most chairs - when playing - because I can't breathe very well (nor see very well) when I'm sitting back in one of those molded breathtakingly horrible "butt-bucket" chairs that force a person (this person) to slouch...

One or two orchestras in which I play are fancy and budget enough to supply GOOD chairs...one or two others: not so much.

bloke "Oh yeah...and this tuba's better than any/all of yours."

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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by groovlow »

[url]https://www.worthingtondirect.com/chair ... ty.htm/url]
[img]https://www.worthingtondirect.com/media ... 36.jpg/img]

There must have been [m]billions of these made from the '40s to '80s,
It is called a library chair. In high school our tuba section had four of these chairs (Tuba chairs).
In the 70s and 80s seems like we could always find these chairs around the music buildings or wherever we played.

Benefits
Sturdy and durable... comfortable
Large platform for BATs or BATPs
Usually taller than any of the folding chairs, an inch or two,
EASIER to breathe quickly, less squatting
Visually neutral on stage

Joe H
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Thomas
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by Thomas »

When I got my 3+1 BBb, I found the solution for this issue for me with a drum seat and the standard K&M playing stand. I have used it for all of my BBb playing since as this provides the same upright and comfortable playing position (same height both stand and seat) in every (sitting) situation. Depending on the British or German model, the tuba stand is on the left or right which can be arranged easily with the round drum seat.

At home I have a standard flat IKEA chair. If all location would provide such seats, I would not need any helper equipment.

My Firebird clone F-Tuba is perfect on my lap.

I am 179cm (5.9) tall, normal average.
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bloke
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by bloke »

Were it that I could walk in to any venue, encounter something like this in place onstage, and just sit down and play (DIAGONALLY) with the Miraphone model 98, I wouldn't be looking for anything to make or buy:

(It's about 18" wide by 16" deep, and I would actually prefer 18" deep by 16" wide, since I'd be sitting in it diagonally.)

notice the title of the thread: "chair" (not "stand")

https://www.churchchairs4less.com/SEPCH ... html?gad=1
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by groovlow »

I really dislike those chairs without a level platform. They wanna throw your back into the into the back of the chair. When you sit on the front feels like you're gonna roll into the back of the chair.
Another benefit Duh a near level seat.
Piano benches are OK except for appearance and if portable it tend to be overly, soft padded.

jlh
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bloke (Sun May 28, 2023 3:11 pm)
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bloke
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by bloke »

Wow. I think I just found the perfect thing, and all I have to do is sit on it long-wise. It's thirty bucks or maybe less if I buy it from Harris teller wholesale.

RockJam KB100 Adjustable Padded Keyboard Bench, X-Style, Black https://a.co/d/bJZ59iK
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Re: tuba chair (SIMPLE design)

Post by peterbas »

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