Rath Hand support

[NotATrumpet]

Does anyone use a Rath Hand Support or have any experience with one ? I've tried other aids with varying success. The most comfortable one was the NeoTech but it only fits my King small bore. The Rath and Conn have small braces which hamper the fitting of the NeoTech.

[dbwhitaker]

There have been a lot of previous discussions here about various hand supports including Rath. I use a Rath hand support when playing bass or large tenor. I can hold my 3b just fine without support. A common complaint about the Rath brace is that the pressure on the back of the hand becomes uncomfortable after a while. It helps to add some extra foam padding: https://www.trombonechat.com/viewtopic. ... 62#p233462

[Burgerbob]

I don't personally dig the Rath. I had one on my contra and it was just not great. I have a much better brace on it now that does everything better.

On tenors and basses I think the Rath is typically overkill, and adds a lot of weight and stuff bolted onto the trombone.

[mrdeacon]

For my Raths the only two removable hand supports I’ve liked are the Calder Pipe grip and the Yamaha 2.0 hand strap.

I recently went back to my Calder Pip grips and I think I’ll stay with them. I like the support that they offer your hand and they are very comfortable to use.

The Olsen Axe handles come in different versions that can fit Conn or Rath. If you’re looking for a thumb rest solution I’d put them at the top of your list.

[BGuttman]

Does anyone use a Rath Hand Support or have any experience with one ? I've tried other aids with varying success. The most comfortable one was the NeoTech but it only fits my King small bore. The Rath and Conn have small braces which hamper the fitting of the NeoTech.

The NeoTech grip comes wit a set of shims to put inside the clamp to fit different brace sizes -- or did you misplace yours?

[UATrombone]

The NeoTech grip comes wit a set of shims to put inside the clamp to fit different brace sizes -- or did you misplace yours?

For Conn you need to "tune" it with a file as I did...

[NotATrumpet]

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions. I've tried the Clader pips and that had a lot of potential but I have never managed to find the optimum fitting. When it's comfortable and supportive it's getting in the way of the trigger. Plus I found that the leather soon wore away leaving the metal underneath exposed where it grips on to the trombone. No damage had been done but then I found it in time. The leather hand straps are OK but (maybe I'm doing it wrong) they seem to tighten and squash my hand. The part of the NeoTech that attaches to the trombone does so by two screws in the clamp. On the Rath and Conn there are are extra little "braces" which means that clamp can be fixed but only with one of the screws which isn't ideal. I also couldn't get a good position for the hand strap part without it making the trigger harder to operate. I haven't got a Rath support to try but, looking at the pictures, I agree that it does look like it will add weight which seems counterproductive, hence my original question. I need to find something because, even though I've tried refining the way I hold the trombone, I'm getting numbness in the tip of my 2nd finger.