Hand Guards for British Baritone?

[Fujiifilm]

Hi everyone!

It's been a few years since I last posted, but I have been active in reading the forums, and am very appreciative for the wealth of information available from the members here.

I recently purchased a Wessex BR140 (in fact I just picked it up from the local Fedex office today) based on the recommendations and reviews from the forum. I'll get to really become familiar with the horn starting tomorrow, but I'm very impressed with the sound and the build quality from what time I've had on it so far! I'm planning to use it in my recital in the spring as a fun way to showcase both the euphonium and baritone.

But returning my original question, I was wondering if any one knows of any hand guards available for baritone, or if the LSCO euphonium guards might fit? I'm mainly concerned with the right hand tubing, as that's where most of the lacquer wear on my euphonium is. (The oil and sweat on my hands tends to eat through the lacquer and brass.) I do wipe down the contact areas with a soft cloth after I play, though the lacquer has still worn away down over the years, and I'm hoping to avoid that as much as possible with the new instrument. Thank you very much for your time and help!

[Sara Hood]

Yeah, I want to know too. I have a JinBao clone of the same horn. I want to keep my silver finish all shiny and pretty. So I am very interested in any answer you get. I also want to know about a guard for the left hand tubing. Let's keep in touch (smile).
- Sara

[daruby]

I've been playing baritone for near 10 years now. I have never seen any leather guards. On my York 3056 (4 valve), I ended up using velcro tape and foam cushions to make a a right hand hand rest and left hand thumb rest that allowed me to hold the horn comfortably. On my Sterling 3 valve baritone, it is light enough that I don't need any help. However, I never have used hand guards for silver protection, just for ergonomic comfort.

[bbocaner]

LSCO will make them custom if you want to mock up a paper template for them. I don't consider them to be good protection for lacquer or silver, though, as the finish underneath the guards tends to get worn away just as fast. The best protection for your finish is to wipe the instrument down every time you use it.

[Fujiifilm]

Thanks for the responses. I didn't know that about the hand guards, regarding them wearing away the finish just as quickly as without. Is that because dirt tends to build up underneath? I have been wiping it down before putting it back in the case, but I was wondering about the guards since I did the same with my euphonium when I first got it, (wiping down with a clean cloth after use) but the finish began to wear off anyways within a year or so.

[opus37]

If the finish wore away that fast, you may have a lot of salt in you hand sweat. You might consider playing with gloves on your hands. Those cheap cotton white gloves are all than you need. If you want to feel the valves, cut off the finger tips. If you want to get fancier, look for a pair of weight lifting gloves. Most have the fingers open. The glove route gives you a good barrier between your skin and the horn thus protecting the finish and since the material does not stay on the horn, the moisture and sweat doesn't just sit on the horn and eat away the finish while the horn is not being played.

[booboo]

Grip Grip Pro - The Non Moving Cricket Grip Tape - Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SLLGO..._fPCDAb87S3MCQ

Vulcanised rubber. No adhesive and preserves the silver finish from tarnish. Easy to work around braces/stays and stays put after a soak in the bath. Cricket is a bit of a British thing, but there may be,an equivalent product for baseball bat handles?