"A GREAT GIFT!"

The Story of the Tubassist Tuba Support System

In 1943, I was a high school student living in a small town in North Dakota. Our country was deeply involved in World War II, and it seemed like every able person in town had gone to far away places to be a part of the war effort. Food and gas were rationed, and most everything else was in very short supply. There was also a shortage of activities for young school age persons. The only music teacher in our school said that we could have a band that school year if enough students were interested, and if they could find instruments to play. Soon twenty kids came forth with enough instruments to make a band. We had trumpets, trombones, clarinets, saxophones, alto horns, baritones (just two or three of each part), but no tuba. The school did have an ancient tuba, but no one to play it. This is where I come in. I volunteered to play that tuba. It was a kind of sousaphone styled E flat tuba with the bell pointing straight out toward left field. I believe it was called a Helicon. When I got it all cleaned up and lubricated, it sounded good and was easy enough to play. I have often wished that I yet had that horn during this period of my life. My father taught me how to play the scales, and that was the beginning of my formal training. I played in the band for only one year, as it was my last year in school. I graduated and left my fair city to join the war effort just like everybody else.

In 1993 when I retired, one of my first thoughts was to return to playing the tuba. I remembered it had been one of the most enjoyable things I had ever done. I also have always had a strong attraction for the bass cleft or lower harmony part whenever I sang or listened to any kind of music. I can now say that actively playing the tuba has been the very best way to nourish, enjoy and satisfy that passion.

I located and purchased a very nice but old concert style E flat tuba. In order to get myself back to some respectable level of playing, I have spent considerable time in the practice mode. In addition, I joined any band, brass group or organization with enough patience for my level of play.

As a result of all this playing time I began to notice fatigue simply from holding the instrument. Finding a place to comfortably set or rest the bow of my tuba, whether on my lap or the chair, was requiring as much effort and attention as I was giving to playing it. The attention I wanted to give to playing was always compromised when the place I was using to set or hold the horn was insecure or uncomfortable.

So I began thinking about, sketching ideas for, building and revising prototypes of a support system for my tuba. Some of the attributes of the system I wanted were:

What resulted from all this fun and effort was a patented device (U.S. patent #5789687, Canadian patent #2,206,512) that surpassed most of my expectations. It is a very strong and sturdy, attractive, black anodized aluminum appliance that I can place on my chair, and then sit on it to hold it in place. It has a padded bow cup in which to set my horn. The bow cup may be adjusted higher or lower than the seat of the chair, and adjusted closer to or further away from me for the most comfortable playing position. The bow cup holds the bow or bottom of my instrument very securely, but not absolutely. I can still rock back and forth, hug, and twist right and left with my tuba. When my tuba is placed in the Tubassist, I can then concentrate on reading the music, using proper breathing techniques, sit upright and have better body posture. I have more freedom to finger the valves and concentrate on the notes, music, and time. I no longer have to divide my attention between playing and supporting my tuba. It makes playing so much easier and more enjoyable. (Now, if only I had better eyeglasses, lips of steel, and an extra air supply, I’d be in tuba heaven).

I formed the Johnson Company, and am now offering this musical instrument device for sale to all Tuba players everywhere!

[ top] [ back ]