Introducing FHRED

Supports for Oboe, Oboe d'Amore, Bass Oboe, Clarinets, Basset Horn and Soprano Saxophone

The FHRED instrument support is a telescoping peg with an attachment for the thumb rest of your instrument on one end and a rubber foot on the other. The telescoping sections of the FHRED allow easy adjustment, extending to the length needed for playing and collapsing to a minimum length for storage and transport. Because the FHRED attaches to thumb rest of your instrument and the base is placed on the seat of your chair or in a SAMI, nothing will interfere with the sound production of your instrument. It attaches to the thumb rest, not the instrument. When a FHRED is used for playing in a seated position, it transfers the stresses which cause physical problems to the chair seat not to some other part of your body. When a FHRED is used for playing standing, it transfers the stresses to a SAMI which attaches to a belt or sash around your waist so you never experience more force than the weight of your instrument.

Visitors to our booth at a conference often say "I'm not injured, why should I use a FHRED?" We're glad you don't have an injury and we hope you never have one. But, consider this: For many years professional athletes have worn protective sports gear - not because they are injured but because they want to prevent an injury that could jeopardize or end their careers. More recently, recreational athletes have adopted protective gear for cycling, in-line skating, skiing and other recreational pursuits. Now, technology has made it possible for clarinet, oboe, oboe d'amore, english horn, basset horn and soprano saxophone players to enjoy the same preventative benefits enjoyed by athletes. Hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder and neck injuries are all very painful. They are difficult, time-consuming and expensive to rehabilitate successfully and they have brought a premature end to many promising musical careers. No one can predict with absolute certainty which players will experience a disabling injury during the course of a musical career. So, if making music is your passion, why put yourself at risk? Enjoy the benefits of a FHRED now and make music for years to come. And, if you are a teacher, encourage your students to practice injury prevention with a FHRED.

When a FHRED is used alone or with a SAMI attached to a belt, the entire weight of the instrument is placed on the FHRED. The chair or the waist replaces the neck and shoulders as the weight bearer. The thumb can be completely free from weight.

In contrast, a neck strap does not support the instrument by carrying the weight down along the body, limiting the force on the neck and shoulders to the weight of the instrument. In order for the neck strap to work, the player must push up and out on the instrument to create tension on the strap. This produces a force on the neck which is equal to several times the weight of the instrument. The hands and forearms must supply this force, which changes the force on the thumb from one pushing the thumb downward to one pushing the thumb backward also causing tension in the forearms, aggravating the problems instead of alleviating them.

A note for the ladies: A FHRED can be used with a dress as long as the dress has a gathered skirt and the skirt is not made with a slippery fabric such as taffeta. To use a FHRED with a straight skirt or a slippery fabric, a SAMI is recommended. For women who play in military bands, a cord tied around the waist can be used to attach the SAMI.

There are three different FHRED models; Concert, Studio and Student. The difference between the models is how they attach to the thumb rest and how they open, lock and close.

All FHRED models:

	Take the weight of the instrument off of your hand, forearm, elbow, shoulder and neck.
	Provide the same freedom of motion.
	Are Adjustable in length to accommodate different players and different instruments.
	With every purchase of a FHRED, there is a 30 day trial period. We want you to be happy with our product. If it doesn't work for you, for any reason, just contact us using our e-mail or 800 telephone number, tell us why and we will arrange to have you return it to us, and refund your purchase price.

The method of attachment and the method of adjustment are what differentiate the various FHRED models

FHRED Student models use a wire loop to support the thumb rest. It provides basic support allowing beginners to learn proper hand and finger position. The FHRED Student model also encourages the beginner to use proper posture and breathing while learning to play relaxed.

FHRED Standard and FHRED student models use a thumb screw to unlock and lock the telescoping sections for adjustment.

FHRED Pro and FHRED Standardmodels use our patented latch assembly.

The latch assembly provides a secure attachment to the neck strap ring on the thumb rest of your instrument. This allows the FHRED support to stay with your instrument even when you put it on an instrument stand. A FHRED support not only takes the weight of the instrument off of your hand but also restricts the tendency of the instrument to roll from side to side. If you have an injury, long practice sessions, if you rehearse before you play a concert or play multiple gigs a day, you need this latch assembly.

If your thumb rest does not have a ring on it, we offer several accessories which provide one or, at your request, we can supply a ring which your instrument repair technician can silver solder to your thumb rest.

FHRED Pro models have mechanical memory. Once you have set the FHRED to the correct length it will return to the pre-set length when opened, allowing for instant use.

To determine which FHRED model is best for you, decide how you will use a FHRED.

The FHRED Pro model was developed for professional oboe players who wanted to be able to take it out of their pocket and have it ready to go between the time the Concertmaster started on stage and the time they had to sound the "A" pitch. The FHRED Pro models have a mechanical memory which remembers the length you have set.

	Are you a professional player?
	Do you need to have your FHRED support ready to go at a moments notice?

You need a FHRED Pro model.

The FHRED Standard model was developed for clarinet and oboe players who do not need the "instant ready" feature of the Pro model. It uses a single telescoping section with a thumb screw lock instead of the mechanical memory in the FHRED Pro model.

Are you are a player who needs our patented latch assembly but not the mechanical memory?

you need the FHRED Standard model.

The FHRED Student model uses the single telescoping section and thumb screw lock used in the Studio model but it attaches to the thumb rest with a wire loop, eliminating the need for a neck strap ring. It is designed for players in their first year of study and for recreational players whose practice sessions are limited to thirty minutes of playing time per day.

	Are you are a beginner who wants to develop a good hand position and make better progress on your clarinet or oboe?
	Are you are a beginner who is having problems learning to play due to the weight of your instrument on your thumb, hand and forearm?

The FHRED Student model will help you solve these problems and get more enjoyment out of your music.

A note to teachers: Do you work with beginning students in a school or studio setting? We believe that every person who expresses an interest in clarinet or oboe should have the opportunity to learn to play that instrument. For this reason, we offer special teacher discounts on Student FHREDs. To find out more about this program, please contact us at 1-800-59-FHRED.

Which length is best for you?

	The length you need is determined by measuring the distance from your thumb rest to the chair seat when you are holding your instrument in your normal playing position.
	If you plan to use your FHRED on more than one instrument, measure the distance for each instrument and then choose a length which satisfies your need. If the instruments are too dissimilar in length you may need two units one shorter and one longer.
	If there is no length to match your need, e-mail us with your requirement.