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I just got one of these (-the large size) and really like it. Before buying it, I did a search here and found some info a few different threads. I thought a thread devoted solely to this subject (rather than posture / alignment in general, or footstools) might be convenient for others.
http://www.vamu.se/Product%20Information.html <<<< Product info and pictures. NB: the focus here is on classical guitars and players. I don't play classical guitar and don't use a classical guitar posture. I play a hollowbody electric and play jazz (among other things.) So here is a link to jazz guitarist Mimi Fox, who uses a Dynarette cushion. (I emailed her about this and her manager replied, saying Mimi uses the small-sized cushion and that it holds the guitar at the right level for her. Footstools were unkind to her spine and straps produced shoulder strain, so she tried the cushion and found it just the thing.) This is from a live performance, "Blues For Two."
And here is a studio clip. The cushion is more visible here.
One thing I love about the cushion is that it allows both feet to rest flat on the floor.
I would like to hear from other people who use this, or who think they might want to give one a try.
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11-02-2013 01:04 PM
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I'd love try one. Any idea where I could get one in Germany ( or Europe on general)?
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Check with a classical guitar supplier in Europe. Here's one in the UK: http://www.staffordguitar.com/shop/accessoriesnew.asp
Originally Posted by AlainJazz
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Thanks for the quick reply jabber!
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I use 2 Tempur Travel Pillows, one stacked on the other with non-slip mats in between them and on my thigh. Works a treat. Saves the spine. They damp the guitar somewhat though.
The good thing about the Tempur Travel Pillows is that they are good for a lie-down after.
I would love to get my hands on the Dynarette.
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This one might be closer to you, Alain: http://www.thomann.de/de/hopf_dynare...68b1ff6c1bd1f8
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Thanks again Jabber.
Mark, do you put the cushion on your right leg? I also don't play classical guitar and would use it with a hollow body archtop.
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Yes, the right one. If you look at the Mimi Fox videos, that is what she is doing. She doesn't have the neck at an angle as classical guitarists do. What I like is that the guitar stays in the same spot. (Some people may achieve this without a cushion but I did not. I'm long-waisted and needed to cross my legs to get the guitar at a good level, but crossing the legs is bad for the circulation and impedes patting one's foot.) Originally Posted by AlainJazz
I ordered my from Strings By Mail. Amazon sells them too. (They don't carry them directly, but you can buy it through Amazon and it will be shipped by, I presume, the nearest dealer to you.) I paid 35 bucks for mine. I'm glad I bought it.
I have the large and wonder if the small would have been big enough to suit me. (The large is larger than I expected.) This works and I'm happy but I do wonder what the small one would be like. I tried to find a local shop that carried them so I could try one out but no luck.
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I haven't tried the dynarette, but I've checked them out in the past when I was experimenting with making my own - I'd say for right leg playing the small would be the go - I imagine that the large version would elevate the right shoulder too much. For a long time I used one of those classical guitar supports with the suction cups on my right leg, I modified it with a hacksaw to make it lower (the support, not my leg) - worked fine as well. Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
I'm interested in ergonomics - tried all kinds of playing positions over the years - each tends to have advantages and disadvantages depending on your playing style. My latest breakthrough is with the lapstrap method (got the idea here from a video Philco posted) - for me it's the best solution I've found thus far. Lots of variables to consider though, such as body size, arm span, guitar shape, etc. So obviously what works for some may not work as well for others.
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A timely reminder to take care of our spines.
The large Dynarette has a height of 5.5"; the small has a height of 4".Last edited by Jabberwocky; 11-02-2013 at 10:02 PM.
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Whoever handles Mel Bay Publications in your area should be able to get one for you. I believe MBP has worldwide distribution rights. Originally Posted by AlainJazz
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Thx Mark. Will have to check it out. I've tried the leg-up with the cups, and didn't like it at all. For one thing it seemed better suited for fatter guitars than my Eastman. Also, the suction cups didn't stick very well to the guitar.
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Trying to add something positive to the thread so here is an alternate view....before you hit the "buy now" button.
I read this thread this morning and it reminded me that I actually HAD a large Dynarette in the studio somewhere.
I had totally forgotten about it. I also have 2 of those suction cup knee rest thingos that 3625 mentioned.
They just didn't work for me. Literally kept falling off even with the special plastic film supplied. The L5 was just to big and heavy for them. Perhaps they would work on the 175. It's much lighter.
Anyway back to the Dynarette. So because of this thread I go and find it and start using it this morning.
Felt great........at first.
2 hours in and the small of my back is on fire! It's killing me!
So perhaps I should have bought the smaller one?
I'm sitting exactly the same way as when I use the lap strap method. The small of my back pushed into my chair.
Whatever it did, it wasn't good. Probably lifted my shoulder up to high.
As soon as I went back to the lap strap I could feel my back being pushed even harder into the chair.
There is something about this method that makes me sit up straight.
I never get a sore anything and I can sit here for hours.
But I'm 6'1 and have always had back problems. ( I blame those Marshall 4x12 cabs)
So there's an alternative view for what it's worth.
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Thanks all for the replies. Could someone point me to the "lap strap" method? How does that work?
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I found out about this on the internet somewhere.
It looks silly..........but it really works.
You can have the headstock pointing up as high as you like. You can have your legs apart....I do all the time.
No strain anywhere.
Like anything that's new it takes time to get used to it.
I'm sitting here typing whilst my guitar sits under my arm.
I've been here since 10.30 this morning. It's now 6.00 in the evening. I've played all day.
Zero discomfort.
You can hear me smack the Wesmo headstock on the bench......oops.
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That's really cool. Thanks for taking the time to post a video. I'm going try that out this morning!
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I should also say a big thanks to Philco for posting this in previous threads, otherwise I seriously doubt I would have run across this obscure, yet uber effective method.
Something I've observed about using the lap strap - if you watch Philco's video, the bottom of the guitar sits comfortably suspended, sticking out beyond the right leg. For me, this really helps - I've tried similar positions before where the bottom of the guitar rests actually on top of the right leg (with the input jack smack bang on the right leg) - but with the lap strap moving the guitar a little bit more to the right side, this makes everything (for me) 'click' into place, especially my left hand/arm across the entire neck, allowing a very straight wrist in all positions. However, similar to Philco, I'm 6'2 and have a relatively long arm span so this could really vary from person to person. It's pretty easy though to adjust how the guitar sits by shortening, or lengthening the amount of strap tucked under your leg. Disclaimer - work in progress! My2c
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I don't know about the small one but the large one is sloped, rising from back (-the part nearest the player) to front (-the visible shelf one sees in the Mimi Fox videos above.) Looks like at least an inch of slope to me. This allows one to support AND tilt the guitar, which seems ideal to me. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
Does the smaller cushion have the same degree of slope? I would like to try the small one just to see the difference.
As for the concern raised by 3625, about raising the shoulder too high, I notice with the large that a) the guitar is higher than I'm used to and b) that means my shoulder is higher than I'm used to, but c) my playing is more consistent and holding the guitar is more comfortable. In my case, the shoulder needed to come up.
I have spent an ungodly amount of time working on my picking, trying different picks and grips, and it appears now that main problem was that I held my guitar in troublesome position. I'm going over lots of lines / exercises that were inconsistent before and they aren't a problem with the cushion. So on the one hand I'm thinking, "Dang, if only I'd had this years ago, there's no telling...." but on the other hand I'm telling myself, "Hey, be grateful you have this now and make the most of it."
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Thanks for the tip, Mark.
Can you adjust the position of the guitar while it is on the cushion, or does the cushion kind of lock the guitar into one place?
I bought the Neck Up mini (because I mostly play a solid body) about a year ago and although it is an imperfect solution, I can't go back to playing without it if I'm playing music that requires my pinky.
Spending some time thinking about and studying this stuff I think it's really difficult to play a normal guitar sitting down without some sort of support method like a cushion, the neck up, or the lapstrap technique. Looking at my students and the problems beginners have when starting on the guitar I'm almost tempted to tell them to all get neck-ups.
It's so difficult to play a normal guitar and have a straight back, even shoulders, feet flat on the floor, straight wrist, thumb on the back of the neck...and play music that requires any leaps or chord stretches with the pinky.
The footstool is the classic but jury seems to agree is quite difficult on the back.
I took some lessons with Tim Miller and he said something I won't ever forget, that the guitar is 'outdated technology.' It's so true. For the serious player, who wants to play sitting down, the guitar is a horrible design from an ergonomic perspective.
Srlank have you tried the neck up mini? Designed for solid body and smaller guitars. Originally Posted by srlank
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I gave the lapstrap technique a try right now and tried it before when it was posted. I'm much shorter than you guys, at about 5'9", so while this holds the neck up at a nice angle, my right shoulder winds up being quite elevated to be able to get over the guitar. This is a big no no for me. Any attempts to position it lower result in me picking over the fretboard, or having to twist my shoulder to reach the strings over the sound hole. Granted this is only after about a minute of experimentation, so if you have any tips I'm all ears.
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My guess is the small and large Dynarettes have the same 1-inch rise from back to front. Every gearhead needs one of each, at least, to accommodate guitars of different lower bout sizes.
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"Srlank have you tried the neck up mini? Designed for solid body and smaller guitars."
I didn't know about the mini Jake. I'll have to check it out. It looks much less cumbersome, and it's nice to be able to use with a solid-body.
I tried the lapstrap, but couldn't get comfortable with it. But what some of are you saying, maybe there's a learning curve to get the perfect click. Will give it another go.Last edited by srlank; 11-03-2013 at 11:02 AM.
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I've been using the lap strap all day and find it great so far. Very cool trick. Thank-you very much for showing me this.
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Yes, you can adjust the position of the guitar. There's nothing like a lock in the cushion. However, it seems (-and I've had this thing only 3-4 days now) that it stays where you put it. Originally Posted by JakeAcci
Also, the earlier models of the cushion drew complaints because they slid around one's thigh. The cushions now have a coarser material on the underside (-the part that rests on a player's thigh) to minimize that.
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Oh, cool, so...just so understand, you can set it where you want, but it stays put?
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