[Dixielandjazz] Bates Sax Chain

Sat Dec 6 13:04:12 PST 2008

My sax strap is something, I know not what, a nylon web at the neck and nylon chord, with an adjustment that "tilts" to release and
re-grip.  The thing that amazes me is that I've had it since Jr. High School and I am now 73 years old.

I've never used a strap with the soprano.  I know a guy that uses a strap with his clarinet.

Russ Guarino

"Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" wrote:

> I do use a strap with my soprano.  The custom Yamaha is a little bit heavy
> and my thumb gets sore after awhile.  My other soprano is much lighter in
> weight and I didn't use one with it.
>
> You are right about the Bates being hard to find.  At one time I had two.  I
> loaned one to a student who that night moved out of the state and we never
> saw the horn or the strap again. (some people will do anything for a Bates)
>
> I was prepared to give the guy $50 for it.  He asked me what I would give
> for it and I hesitated a bit and he said how about $10.  I think they sold
> for $2 or less in the 50's.
>
> They are no good for Bari although it wouldn't be hard to change out the
> chain.  I think some didn't like them because they tend to get tangled up.
> That is a bother until you figure out how to untangle the chain.  After that
> it isn't much of a bother.  When I first got mine I didn't like it because
> the strap sort of cut in to your neck and you would sweat under it but since
> I always wear collars now that isn't an issue.  I don't think they would be
> very comfortable for Bari without something under the strap to pad it.
>
> I like the hook too.  You squeeze it just so it will go on the ring easy but
> won't fall off.  I have had other straps slip free from the hook.  I have
> only dropped a horn twice in my life and the neck strap coming free from the
> horn was the reason for one of the accidents.  The horn slipped off my lap
> as I reached to change a chart.  Today the hooks are either plastic or have
> a plastic coating on them.  Neither of them I trust or like.
>
> I like that there is no give in the strap and they don't slip.  I played
> tenor in a parade to honor the Tuskegee Airmen once and used a new style
> strap with a lot of padding and some stretch.  It almost knocked my teeth
> out with every step.
>
>  When you stand up to take a solo the strap needs to be slightly adjusted or
> at least for me anyway.  It's not that I can't use the same adjustment but I
> like to change it just a little and you don't have a lot of time to do it.
> It's that speed of adjustment that I like a lot.
>
> I'm playing tonight with a band leader that allows almost no time between
> tunes.  By the time I get the tune opened up on the stand and change horns
> he's already counting off or sometimes we are already in the first several
> bars.  I just can't change charts, bend over, change horns, stand up and hit
> it without a pretty fast strap that won't get hung up on the ring or that I
> have to fool with.  He calls up about 20 charts on break or before the gig
> starts and just doesn't leave any time to do all the stuff I need to do
> without the Bates.
>
> Some years ago I played a gig where one of the attendance prizes was a full
> length fur coat.  Some old guy won it and walked over to a young gal and
> dropped it in her lap.  She went screaming out of the place with her new
> coat.  That's what I felt like after the gig and the guy gave me the strap.
> Larry
> StL
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paul Edgerton" <paul.edgerton at gmail.com>
> To: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 7:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Bates Sax Chain
>
> > Yeah, I'd buy one for $10 too, but they a basically impossible to
> > find. So I wear multiple neckstraps when I'm doubling. Besides, I like
> > a 2 inch neckstrap for the bari, but one inch or less for the alto.
> > Tenor get's whatever is left. And who uses a neckstrap for soprano?
> > This way, I get to look like something like Michael Phelps at the
> > awards ceremony.
> >
> > -- Paul
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 3:41 PM, Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis
> > <larrys.bands at charter.net> wrote:
> >> I don't know if anyone has ever used a Bates Sax chain neck strap but at
> >> one time I owned two.  The one I currently have has been with me for over
> >> 50 years.  It broke about three weeks ago after more than 50 years of
> >> use.   I went to the local hardware store where I bought three feet of
> >> beaded chain and had it back like new in about 15 minutes.
> >>
> >> Why the Bates?  It's the fastest adjusting sax neck strap in existence
> >> which is worth it's weight in gold if you are a doubling musician.  It
> >> also locks in place and is capable of micro adjustment even while you are
> >> playing.  If you do shows where switching from one sax to another then
> >> you come to appreciate a quick adjusting strap.
> >>
> >> Yesterday I played a gig with a band that I don't play with very often.
> >> The lead alto player and leader of the band had one.  I told him that I
> >> would simply have to kill him or put out a hit on him to get his neck
> >> strap.  He offered to sell it to me for $10.  I instantly whipped out a
> >> ten and now I own a second Bates.  So he saved his life and I can give up
> >> my life of potential crime and quit stalking other sax players.
> >>
> >> The patents ran out years ago and I can't believe that anyone hasn't
> >> started making them again but then maybe nobody doubles much anymore.
> >> Larry
> >> St. Louis
> >>
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