Double Bass Stand

Simon Marsh · #1 09-02-2008, 05:42 PM

Can anyone please recommend a double bass stand or where I can get plans to buildone, for use at home, i.e rather than gigging (it doesn't have to fold up). I saw what looked like a home made stand constructed from timber that was almost a simple four sided "box" without bottom or top - is this sufficient (they could obviously topple over in one of these.

Sorry if this sounds an odd request but my bass takes up a lot of room lying on it's side!

Thanks in advance.

Will Yager · #2 09-02-2008, 05:48 PM

http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product...LES_SA_22.html

I have one of these and I've been pretty satisfied with it.

JimmyM · #3 09-02-2008, 05:55 PM

Ya, the Ingles is the only DB stand I like.

Marcus Johnson · #4 09-02-2008, 06:26 PM

I'm a little gun shy about the Ingles stand. I had my La Scala bass on one, and I heard a "pop", followed by the bass falling towards the floor. Fortunately, I was nearby and grabbed the neck before it hit the deck. The weld on one of legs that support the bass had failed, allowing it to open up and slide down, causing the whole stand to fall over. I'm the only guy I know to ever have this happen, so it's probably not a concern. But in my home, I lean the bass in a corner (bridge facing in) and I've had no problems. I did get a little nervous during our last earthquake....

Rebop · #5 09-02-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

I did get a little nervous during our last earthquake....

Aren't you supposed to keep it in a doorway or the back yard during earthquake season or something?

bribass · #6 09-02-2008, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

I'm a little gun shy about the Ingles stand. I had my La Scala bass on one, and I heard a "pop", followed by the bass falling towards the floor. Fortunately, I was nearby and grabbed the neck before it hit the deck. The weld on one of legs that support the bass had failed, allowing it to open up and slide down, causing the whole stand to fall over. I'm the only guy I know to ever have this happen, so it's probably not a concern. But in my home, I lean the bass in a corner (bridge facing in) and I've had no problems. I did get a little nervous during our last earthquake....

Marcus,

I have an Ingles stand and my Prescott bass is very heavy. Almost 30 lbs. w/o the case. It took me awhile to realize that the proper way to use the stand is to have the endpin far enough out and the arms adjusted low enough so the endpin remains in contact w/the floor. In this way most of the weight of the bass is NOT on the arms of the stand. They and the neck rest are designed just to cradle and prevent lateral or twisting movement of the instrument while the floor, via the endpin, takes most of the weight. In this way the stand is really quite balanced and sturdy. The weight of my bass shredded those rubber tubes on the lower arms quite quickly before I realized this. They really should include instructions outlining this, but I think they really have cellists more in mind w/ this stand so there would be much less of a weight issue in that case.

Bri

Marcus Johnson · #7 09-02-2008, 09:11 PM

Yeah, I figured that out, too. Afterwards! My bass is a relative feather compared to yours.

The rubber tubes were toast on my stand in short order. I was looking for replacement tubes when it broke, so then I just tossed it in my shed, where it still is now.

JimmyM · #8 09-02-2008, 09:26 PM

If you go to the hardware store and buy rubber gas line hose, it lasts forever and works a lot better than the crap on the Ingles stand.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #9 09-02-2008, 10:25 PM

Corners are good.

You can kind of see what I'm doing now here:

At the moment, I've got a sound absorber across the corner with a brace for the back of the bass; the bass just gets bungied to a couple of hooks behind the neck. It can't fall - so far, it's survived a 5 year old, 2 cats, and a minor earthquake. Before I had the sound absorber, I just had a big industrial hook in the corner (think porch swing hook) with the bungie cord (which goes under the FB and then up behind the heel). It's pretty idiot proof.

toman · #10 09-03-2008, 03:52 AM

Corners are good, and pianos often seem to create good ones.

If I were expecting a serious earthquake or something though, I'd get all the basses I could as far from any standing structure as i could. I'd rather have a whole gaggle of basses sitting in an open field someplace than worry about a house falling on them; likewise, I'd get them to as high a ground as possible in case of a flood; I think basses can probably float and survive (if in pieces) quite nicely.

In my living room I use all the available corners including the piano, table etc. plus the floor and my Meisel stand for my own bass, which gets played most often. It lets me keep the endpin out, even though the bass itself is a very tight fit in the stand. Note that this stand will NOT hold anything larger than a standard 7/8 bass, though it works great and even has a padded bow hanger. Those tripod things with the cup I wouldn't trust with the most worthless mutt of a bass.

Marcus Johnson · #11 09-03-2008, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toman

If I were expecting a serious earthquake or something though, I'd get all the basses I could as far from any standing structure as i could. I'd rather have a whole gaggle of basses sitting in an open field someplace than worry about a house falling on them;

Unfortunately, every earthquake I've been in, I didn't see 'em coming. Last one, I just jumped out of bed and took a few steps, then just kind of "surfed" it out until my poor old 30's vintage plantation house stopped rocking, which seemed to last forever but only took about 40 seconds. There wasn't time to grab.... well, anything

, let alone the bass.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #12 09-03-2008, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Unfortunately, every earthquake I've been in, I didn't see 'em coming. Last one, I just jumped out of bed and took a few steps, then just kind of "surfed" it out until my poor old 30's vintage plantation house stopped rocking, which seemed to last forever but only took about 40 seconds. There wasn't time to grab.... well, anything

, let alone the bass.

Amen. We had one in the 'Ville a month or so ago that *nobody* saw coming. Three in the morning, and I get awakened up when our 3 story brick victorian house was shaking like a leaf. I thought for a minute that George Clinton's mothership had landed in my front yard. That was some scary ****! Like the whole Monty Python "Spanish Inquisition" sketch thing, nobody expects earthquakes in Kentucky.

toman · #13 09-03-2008, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Unfortunately, every earthquake I've been in, I didn't see 'em coming. Last one, I just jumped out of bed and took a few steps, then just kind of "surfed" it out until my poor old 30's vintage plantation house stopped rocking, which seemed to last forever but only took about 40 seconds. There wasn't time to grab.... well, anything

, let alone the bass.

heheheh. Good point. I was half asleep and was thinking more along the lines of aftershocks, volcanic activity, like that...

bnutz · #14 09-05-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Unfortunately, every earthquake I've been in, I didn't see 'em coming. Last one, I just jumped out of bed and took a few steps, then just kind of "surfed" it out until my poor old 30's vintage plantation house stopped rocking, which seemed to last forever but only took about 40 seconds. There wasn't time to grab.... well, anything

, let alone the bass.

I know how you feel. We had a pretty good one here a month or so ago and my only thought was to run into the house to check on my sleeping 6 month old and didn't even think about the bass until hours later... Which was fine on it's Ingles stand.

I think to the original post though, your idea of building something is not a bad one. I've seen racks like this at repair shops and schools.

-b

David Potts · #15 09-11-2008, 03:00 AM

Bridge into corner is good, so is between end of cupboard and corner. Protect the bass edges and the wall paint by draping a soft cloth over the shoulders.

Another idea, if the wall is yours , is to securely plug a large cup hook into the wall at just below scroll height and tie the upright bass to it with strong cord. The end pin takes the weight. Probably best in a cover, otherwise use plastic foam to prevent scratching the back varnish. Simple and very cheap!

For myself I make an enlarged copy of a wooden guitar stand that is shaped like a pyramid. The bass sits on angled-in foam covered platforms and leans back 3 or 4 degrees against a foam pad at the apex that is high enough to give very stable positive support. If you send me a PM with a fax number I will send you a sketch. It is easy to make.

DP

cryfok · #16 09-11-2008, 04:13 PM

what about this guy?

http://musical-instruments.pricegrab...ses/m/3843332/

any good? seems sturdier than the ingles.

David Potts · #17 09-11-2008, 09:52 PM

Same principal as my wooden home made one but supported at neck level. This should be better than another old folding one I have seen whose rubber tipped arms supported the bass in the "dees" and could cause some deep scratches in the back. The end pin stood in a metal cup.

DP

salcott · #18 09-12-2008, 10:38 AM

I don't trust any stand. For me, the only way to go is facing the bass into a corner. Stick some Dr Scholl's moleskin on the wall where the edges make contact if you want. For absolute security, take a piece of 3/4 plywood 4"x4" or so and cut out a circle out big enough to accommodate your endpin. Stand the bass in the corner and mark where the pin is. Attach the plywood piece to the floor. Put a hook of your choice into the wall on either side of the bass, and run a bungee cord of appropriate length between them, holding the bass in place. Simple, foolproof, and the bass will not fall over unless the house does.

bejoyous · #19 09-12-2008, 01:02 PM

I had a Hamilton stand. I never really trusted it. It seemed too flimsy to me. It fell over once when I taking my bass out and the shoulder hook was stuck to the upper bout. The stand fell over and scratched a fellow student's bass.

I now only put it in a corner. During rehearsals I put it on the floor between two violists' chairs and put in the endpin. Or if the stage has a corner, I place it there. I never put it on a chair. Too much potential for disaster.

McGryff · #20 09-19-2008, 09:58 AM

This is presumably old news, but it seems as though Meisel has redesigned their bass stand to match the features of the Ingles. It's got adjustable arms now, and a little gate for the neck cradle.

Given this, would any of you favor either one over the other? I've got an old Meisel, and I'd like to get something that's got the adjustable arms at some point. Is the Ingles sturdier and steadier than the Meisel?

Thanks!