Straps:Want to replace my DeJacques

[BobD]

I just recently got a Ref36 horn and my new teacher saw that I was using a DeJacques strap. He said he used one until it broke. I was wondering if anyone has had problems with this strap breaking and sending your horn to the floor. Also, I was thinking that maybe the Hyman Super Sling might be a good replacement but I don't know about that plastic hook. Seems like a lot of straps have pastic hooks. What's everyone using for a strap on tenor?

[Morry]

I used a Super Sling for nearly 20 years, and never had a problem with the hook breaking. It's not as deep as I would like a hook to be, and the sling was always a little hard to adjust when switching between alto and tenor. I have switched to these straps exclusively:

http://www.saxforte.com/accessories/play/saxforte_straps/saxforte_straps.html

I think they are the best straps I've ever used or seen.

[Gregg W. Jackson]

The Brancher strap that saxforte sells looks like a very good strap, but do we know that the cord in the Brancher strap is any stronger than the cord in the DeJacques strap?

Personally, I'm not worried about my DeJacques strap breaking. I've been using a DeJacques on my tenor for the last two years and haven't seen any sign of wear on the cord. Just in case, I keep one of the narrow Ray Hyman straps as a backup. If the plastic hook on the Hyman breaks during the same session that the cord on my DeJacques does, I'll worry about it then. :)

[Dweekie]

I currently use a the brancher strap that saxforte sells and i have used the dejaques strap (doesn't that sound alot like "the jock strap"?) in the past. The brancher strap just feels a lot sturdier. The cord is much thicker than the dejacques, though I doubt you can break either one before breaking your own neck. And the metal and leather-like material of the brancher just looks alot better,in my opinion, than the plastic and cloth of the dejacques, though that has nothing to do with its performance. The dejacques strap has a unique clipping mechanism with 2 metal "teeth" that spreads open and closes to catch the ring. I have seen the teeth break off, which didn't surprise me given the thin nature of the teeth. And the teeth wear away at the lacquer/plating of the ring over time a short period of time, which really irked me on a brand new sax. These 2 things make me shy away from the deJacques. This is just my opinion though, I have a friend that swears by the dejacques. She had the teeth break off her strap and she replaced it with another, I don't have the courage to do something like that.

[Gregg W. Jackson]

Dweekie, thanks for your comparison of the cords on the Brancher and DeJacque straps. Since you've used them both, did you notice any difference in slippage between the two. A lot of straps I've played slip as I'm playing, but the the DeJacque seems to hold its position pretty well. Does the Brancher?

[BobD]

Well I bought a Ray Hyman super sling. It's nice and wide and the hook seems very sturdy. I plan to make a few alterations to get it right. I'm going to use the neoprene from my old(unused)neotech strap and sew it to the Hyman. Then I'm going to epoxy a small piece of plastic over the hook opening so that the hook will never fall off. It'll be the perfect strap. :wink:

[Dweekie]

Gregg, I have to say i've never had a slippage prob on the neckstraps i've used. The brancher strap is not as easy to adjust on the fly as the dejacques due to the extra thickness and stiffness of the cord. That's the only useful information I can think of.

[Rick]

Hello, I was wondering which strap from the brancher you guys prefer. The Anatomical or the Classical? Is the brancher strap the sax forte sells the same as the brancher strap at wwbw? Thanks!

Rick

[Morry]

WW&BW sells only the large size, and saxforte.com sells the small, large and x-large in classic and anatomical size.

[Hurling Frootmig]

Morry,

Are you using the classic or the anatomical strap?

[Morry]

I have the anatomical strap in small for soprano, and an x-large for tenor and bari. I need to pick up a large for my alto. I started to get the classical, but Mathew at saxforte said that unless you're a small person, he felt like the metal pieces on the side of the classical tend to poke into your collar bones. I think the anatomical would work best for most folks.

[Hurling Frootmig]

Any concerns about the open hook? It looks really deep but I like the sense of security that a closed hook gives me.

[Morry]

No worry at all. It is a VERY deep hook. The only one I ever saw that looked safer was a Ligaphone strap that WWBW sells. It has a sort of weird overlapping cork screw hook that couldn't possibly come loose. I completely trust my Keilwerths hanging on the Branchers though.

Here's a link to the Ligaphone, but there's no picture.

http://www.wwbw.com/Item/?itemno=100002

[Hurling Frootmig]

Morry,

Thanks for the information. I am thinking about getting one of these straps as I think my Neotech looks wrong when I'm in my tux. It also has bounce to it which I don't like. Otherwise they are very comfortable straps.

[Dweekie]

here's a pic of the ligaphone strap that wwbw carries, I have no experience with them. They also have a thick strap.

http://www.ligaphone.com/htm/anglais/thin-strap.htm

[Dweekie]

Oh, one more thing. I actually use the anatomical large size for soprano, alto, and tenor. I'm about 5'10" and it seems to work out just fine for all of them, so if you're around that size, i suggest trying a large instead of going with both the small and xlarge.

[Morry]

I'm about the same size but heavy, and like the x-large for tenor and bari. On tenor, it lets me hang the horn as low as I want, either sitting or standing. I had a hard time finding a strap that would adjust short enough for my curved soprano, and the Brancher small works well. For most guys, the regular Adult size (also called large I think) should suffice on alto or tenor.

[mark_m]

I was using a Neotech for my alto, but when I picked up a tenor I needed something sturdier, and I ordered a Brancher "anatomical" strap. I didn't find the curved neck pad to work, one edge of it seemed to carry all the tension of the cord and it dug into my neck. So I sent it back and ordered the "classic" version, which I've been using several months now for both alto and tenor.

The Neotech had always slipped slowly in use, but the Brancher doesn't slip at all. It is stiffer to adjust, but I don't find that a problem; it feels very sturdy and looks great. I am not 100% on the hook; I don't think it will ever come unhooked, but it has a swivel built into it, and you can't really see how sturdy the swivel is - it's internal and invisible. But, until we hear of any problems, I think the Brancher is a great strap. My recommend is for the classic model; I think the anatomical strap is misconceived, but that's just my $.02.

[Morry]

I found the opposite to be true. The classic dug into my neck. It really just depends on your build. Try one, and if it doesn't work, try the other. The trick to adjusting is to relieve some of the tension, but not all, when you slide the little metal adjuster.

Did you get yours from saxforte also?

[mark_m]

Yep, very friendly quick service. Glad to hear the ergo. strap works for some, guess you just have to try them and see which works best. For bari I'm using a sling-style strap I made from a sheepskin-padded bass guitar strap - whatever works!

[Morry]

I think maybe it went up, but the shipping for the one I ordered today was $9.95. I think that is a bit ridiculous for something small that weighs less than a pound, and is being shipped about 250 miles via the USPS.

[mark_m]

I don't remember what I paid, might have been less. Agreed, that should cost about $2.50 in priority mail.

[Dweekie]

yeah, he did raise shipping, i paid 5.85 for shipping over the summer for the strap and other accessories. It's not cheaper than wwbw anymore, but atleast you get better service and choices of size/design.

[saxforte]

Hi Guys,

We had to come up with simple rates that cover us for shipments of all sizes and to all destinations in the USA.
For a comparison, I went to my dear friends at the Woodwind and the Brasswind and came up with the following.....

Brancher Crescent Strap (only in one size and comlete with gaudy design we do not foist upon our clients) $44.95
Shipping by UPS Ground $3.99
Total = $48.94

Brancher Crescent Strap (only in one size and comlete with gaudy design we do not foist upon our clients) $44.95
Shipping by UPS 3-Day $7.99
Total = $52.94

Brancher Crescent Strap (only in one size and comlete with gaudy design we do not foist upon our clients) $44.95
Shipping by UPS 2-Day $10.99
Total = $55.94


We charge...

Brancher Crescent Strap (3 sizes, Gold or Black Silver Plated, Elegant Plain Black top) $39.95
Shipping by USPS Priority Mail (2 usually-3 Day Service anywhere in the USA) $9.95 -- includes lightning fast turnaround out of here
Total = 49.90

So we are anywhere from 96 cents more to $6.04 less depending on where you live.

Hopefully, we still represent a fair value to you.

Regards,

Mathew
http://www.saxforte.com

[mark_m]

I'm happy with mine:)

[Gregg W. Jackson]

I liked what I heard in this discussion enough to decide to order a Brancher strap from Saxforte. I placed the order on Tuesday and received the strap on Friday. That's pretty fast. I bought the Anatomical XL because one of my tenors is a Series III, which requires a longer than normal strap.

After a few hours of playing, my impression is that the Brancher is an excellent strap, as good or better than the DeJacques. The Brancher cord appears to be twice the diameter as the one on my DeJacques. The Brancher hook and slider are both extremely simple but effective designs. The hook is deep enough that it seems unlikely that it would slip out of the ring on the sax. The slider doesn't slip. The strap fits me comfortably, but I'd like to see how it feels after playing it for a longer time.

[WriterMom]

Is there anyone else here who prefers the "classic" Brancher strap to the "anatomical" Brancher strap (I see one poster does above)? I'm wondering if it would be better for me than the wider "anatomical" one. (Haven't tried either, but am thinking about ordering one.)

I'm currently using a Neotech strap, but am a bit nervous about how well it holds my sax. For whatever reason, my alto slipped out of the plastic clip once last week (fortunately, I had a good grip on my sax at the time).

[Morry]

I think Mathew will swap the Classic for the Anatomical strap if you find the crescent shape does not fit you well. Just give him a call.

[Gregg W. Jackson]

I bought a Brancher from Saxforte in December. You can read my initial impressions in my post above. Now that the hot weather is here, I am feeling less comfortable using the Brancher. It feels as if the strap is hotter than my other straps, perhaps because it is wider, and perhaps because it doesn't breathe well. In any case, I'm going to go back to my Ray Hyman for a night or so and see if less support is worth a cooler neck.

[WriterMom]

I thought I'd replied to this post earlier, but don't see it. Oh, well.

I ended up buying a Brancher neckstrap from Saxforte, and bought the classic model rather than the anatomical one. I love this neckstrap! IMHO it's the perfect neckstrap for alto (and will probably work well once I get a tenor, too). It's much more comfortable than any other neckstrap I've used.

[sorelip]

I purchased a Brancher anatomical a few months ago and have had constant problems with the lttle bolt holding the neckpiece to the cord coming loose - as there is no screw head on it it is very difficult to tighten.

This has now happened twice with the cord separating from the neckpiece; only desperate lunges have prevented my tenor crashing to the ground... maybe I just got a duff strap but its now been consigned to the bin!

[Rahspeak]

Man, i really dig that brancher strap (anatomical, large) for both tenor and alto. And I hated it the first few days! Thought I got ripped off. the thing is like a baseball glove--it needs to be broken in to your neck. And, because they're (usually) so solidly built, it really made the first few days rough--it dug into the top and sides of my neck and made my tenor feel really heavy. But after it broke in, the tenor feels extremely comfortable around my neck. The alto also, although I have to adjust it pretty tight to get the alto high enough, but this is a small problem. i'm 5'9" and skinny, so at first I thought I would exchange for a classic version which would fit me better, but I'm glad I kept it. The hook is excellent, it feels comfortable but sturdy (horn remains in place nicely), and at least mine seems very well-made. Bummer, sounds like you got a bad one from the bunch.

[wersax]

I, too, bought a Brancher strap from Saxforte and was pleased; BTW I bought it to replace a DeJacques strap where the "teeth" on the clip broke. I've never has a problem with the Brancher strap slipping.........

[tonyg]

I bought a brancher classic a while back, and a few other brands to find the best strap for "me". The brancher probably looked the best, it would definately look good if wearing a suit. I ended up using the oleg, my father prefered the saxforte brancher. I really liked the de jaques,but wasn't going to let that thing take the finish of my horns strap hook.

[wersax]

FYI: the aforementioned Brancher strap has come apart twice (!); once at a gig, once at a rehearsal. Each time the cord came unscrewed. Fortunately, I caught my tenor both times, so no harm, no foul. But, I have retired this strap.

[Kritavi]

My favorite strap is the one Emilio Lyons at Rayburns in Boston designed. Although I would never use a clamp in the past ( I don't trust them), Emilio assured me that this was the best clamp on the market, it is metal and after five years of use it has as much tension in the spring as when I got it. A very comfortable and reliable strap. Call Rayburns and order one.

[CircaRevival]

I've tried dozens of straps and I must say the Oleg ergonomic strap is the best i've tried.

[Saxturtle]

Planet Wave leather. Comfortable and with a rubberized corkscrew hook.

[MM]

I use a DeJaques for my alto and have had it forever without any problems. I've even gotten the knack of doing fast changes with it for shows. However I feel it's kinda small for the tenor so I use a Ray Hyman for that.

Here's a potential problem with open hooks. I've had a multi-weekend tenor gig for which I play standing with some chances to sit and rest. Sometimes I'd just sit and hold the tenor rather than put it on the stand. Occasioanally when I'd have the tenor on my lap, the hook would slide off, catching me by suprise when I started to stand up and play.

[Razzy]

Nothing's beat the Oleg ergonomic for me. I like how it can be used for any of the saxes. Also, it was slightly uncomfortable for me in the normal position (prominent collar bones were being "cut into" by the strap), but when I inverted it the problem went away and I can barely feel there's a strap on my neck.

[brassnaked]

I have both....I like both...I like the ruggedness of the Brancher but I like the comfort of the DeJacque much, much better. I don't worry about the clip mechanism on the DeJacque. After about an hour to an hour and a half of playing, the Brancher starts hurting my neck and right shoulder...not so at all with the DeJacque. Just my 2 cents!