The Neotech Practice Harness has been a gift to saxophone players since its' launch.
At some point we all think to ourselves about how stiff our necks or backs are after 3+ hour gigs, and try to find a solution. It's common knowledge that not only are saxophones kind of heavy, but in the position we play them in, we're probably using more back and neck muscles than we'd imagined while we're playing. Some people do find with a standard neck strap, but more and more, people are moving to using harnesses. Why? They take a lot of the weight of holding a saxophone, and displace the weight to other parts of your body where that kind of weight is handled better.
Looking for a super-configurable harness for all of your saxophone needs? This is a fantastic harness that should meet all of your needs.
If you're looking to buy one for yourself, you can get one right here.
Make sure when looking at Neotech straps to look at all of the options concerning clasps. They sometimes have a few different options per strap.
Full-Body support for Heavy Saxophones
Being such a feature-rich harness, we need to talk through every level of the Practice Harness.
You'll notice a lot of change in the way that you play the saxophone once you've switched from a typical strap to a harness. The center of gravity of your horns may change, or the horns may feel lighter in your hands. But there's still some work to be done to make sure that you have a comfortable playing experience. That's why this strap has a lot of cool construction elements.
When you get the harness out of the packaging, you'll notice that the part that goes across your back and shoulders is straight. These bars are made of aluminum, and should be molded to your body for a perfect fit. That's right- this thing can basically fit like a glove to suit every nuance of your back and shoulders. Surrounding the aluminum bars are various materials typical to Neotech like their Lycra binding, but they've created more comfort by putting memory foam padding in between those bars and your body.
On the end of the strap is a typical closed connector, which is seen on most woodwind products coming from Neotech. The benefit in this area is all of the lateral motion that you get out of the harness. This is the ability to move side to side with the connector area, which is not typical of other harnesses because it's common for this area to be sewn together with other parts of the harness, and the end result is that you will get very little movement out of the saxophone. With the Practice Harness, you can move so much more freely, just like you would with a typical neck strap.
The strap comes together by being strapped around your mid-section. You're thinking, "Won't that affect my breathing?" No, at least not in my case. The strap is wide enough that it's not squeezing anything on your body, and is wide enough to provide stability without needing to be too tight. All-in-all, a nice solution.
I should note for everyone too that this strap is comfortable to use on Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Baritone Saxophones. In my own use scenario, I barely have to make any adjustments on my strap (length-wise) to be able to fit all of the horns, even going from Soprano to Baritone. This can potentially be a good solution for people on all SATB horns.
I use the Neotech Practice Harness for almost every gig I play. Photo: Jim Houle
Want my thoughts?
This is a product I have a close attachment to: It's one that I helped test for Neotech. I always tell the people at Neotech, "You saved my back and neck!", but when I moved over to using harnesses- that was actually very true for me. My body just doesn't do well with neck straps, no matter how comfortable they are. Using the Practice Harness, I've never felt better on stage.
I like the idea that I can be comfortable on stage with a harness and be able to have freedom of motion all at the same time. Sometimes this strap is a little difficult when you're considering moving it from gig to gig because it doesn't fit in your case (at least not mine), but I'll do anything I can do to take it with me. In the end, my long gigs are so much easier for me physically, and I can concentrate less on the weight of my horn, and more on the way that I'm playing a particular song.
Why Neotech?
Based in Belgrade, Montana, Neotech has been making products for the music industry since 1986.
Being one of the most comfortable straps to wear for musicians, Neotech strives to change the way we play our instruments by making everything easier. Their website says when talking about the materials they use: "This results in the instrument feeling up to 50% lighter and 100% more comfortable", and as a user of Neotech products since 1997, I'd have to agree.
They also offer a lot of configurable options for each of their straps so that you can feel the most comfortable while using their products.
As well, they've got some of the best customer support that I've experienced in the industry. The company is also constantly looking to develop great new products, or modify existing products for best results.
”By far the most dependable, comfortable, and safest harnesses out there. I feel safe knowing I'm caring for my back and neck by allowing this strap to do the heaving lifting for me.” -Pedro Esparza, Professional Saxophonist
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