Neotech 5401172 Pad-It Tuba Harness

So, I was hesitant to buy this as a 5'7 woman. I was worried it would rub wrong or not fit right, but I have been using it for like 2 years now with no issues at all. It's comfortable (obviously after a while your back might feel a little sore because it's a Tuba, duh), durable, and very practical! Works great for small ensembles where maybe using chairs is inconvenient. Would entirely recommend :)

This was specifically recommended by my son’s band teacher in a very competitive school district. We sized it per the video and had the teacher tweak it. Son wore it in a parade in south Texas the next weekend with zero difficulty and minimal fatigue. It was also compatible with a camelback worn at the same time because Texas heat. For reference son is 13years old and 5’9” and 155lbs. I would recommend and repurchase if needed.

Worked to allow me to play my upright tuba standing up

i Had the old Neotech tuba harness. That was great, but this is a huge improvement. What more flexible for fit, chest buckle for added support, and well-padded shoulder pads. The buckles had very long straps, so you can choose multiple ways to hook up and see which is best. I have a King 2341, and this works great with it. I use a nylon dog collar on the lower bow to add an attach point

I used this with a full size tuba. There are 3 support clips in the harness. One of the 3 clips broke on the first use. The other 2 have helped support the tuba, but I haven’t trusted it enough to let it take the full weight since the first clip broke so easily.

Yesterday was the first day I really used the new pad-it harness. I use a full size BBb Miraphone, and carried it all day (from about 6PM to 5PM). Today, my shoulders, back, and neck are barely sore, way less than previous carry methods. I did find that it works better if you pay attention to the various adjustment straps throughout the time you are using the harness to ensure you keep the horn in the optimal playing position for standing, sitting, walking, etc.

In an attempt to make the universal all-purpose tuba strap the manufacturers ended up with a Rube Goldberg device, a complete mess of overlapping straps and buckles. It looks fancy and versatile but unfortunately nothing is actually where you need it, and you spend so much time trying to move everything else out of the way you might as well just stick with an old suitcase strap.

My son is 5 feet 5 inches and slightly skinny. This harness is perfect for him. It's a little confusing to set up initially. But once you have it adjusted correctly it works great. He is able to carry his tuba with this and has no problems. I highly recommend this harness for marching band.