K&M Memphis Pro or Hercules GS415B+

[ShawnG]

Looking for a hanging guitar stand for basses with side-mount jacks. These two have risen to the top of my list.
Price is about the same, can anyone who has either comment on them?
Desired points of comparison are build quality, stability, ease of use & portability. Any other user comments/experiences appreciated as well.
Thx!
SPG

 

[Clark Westfield]

I don’t know about the K&M, but I can tell you the Hercules stuff is great.

I have a 415 single, double, triple and hanging grips.

ALL are top notch and worthy of $10k+ bass security.

If you plan to leave your bass plugged in, you may also may want to look at the Hercules

GS412B PLUS.

Similar to the 415, but with more room so you will not hit the side jack.

I had an issue with one of my stands years ago, filled out a claim, then a new stand was delivered.

The K&M looks awesome too, just never had any interaction with the company’s products.

 

[JakobT]

I own the Hercules GS415B+. The Hercules stuff is good, no doubt about it.

That said, I like the K&M as well. The Hercules does have a fair amount of moving parts, especially in the yoke, which means more possible points of failure. The K&M is a much simpler construction, and folds up smaller.

Both will serve you well. Get the one that appeals to you the most.

 

[ShawnG]

Picked up the K&M. Very impressed.

 

[Tour Dad]

Looking for a hanging guitar stand for basses with side-mount jacks. These two have risen to the top of my list.
Price is about the same, can anyone who has either comment on them?
Desired points of comparison are build quality, stability, ease of use & portability. Any other user comments/experiences appreciated as well.
Thx!
SPG

I had the Hercules on my wishlist for a while as I've toured with many musicians who used them. It felt sturdy, stable and secure, but I when discovered that their stands have a foam that reacts with nitro finishes and alters it, it was a no-go for me.
As a tour manager & backliner, I had to make sure the instruments are not ruined by the backline I provide.
So I went for the K&M Memphis Pro. It's really nice with the rubber instead of the foam, it feels safe and secure and, on top of that, it folds nicely which makes it perfect for touring.
I've read since that Hercules has changed their foam to solve the problem with nitro finishes, so shouldn't be a problem anymore, but if you go for the Hercules, make sure it's a newly sourced one and it hasn't sit in a warehouse for 2 years or more...

 

[ShawnG]

I had the Hercules on my wishlist for a while as I've toured with many musicians who used them. It felt sturdy, stable and secure, but I when discovered that their stands have a foam that reacts with nitro finishes and alters it, it was a no-go for me.
As a tour manager & backliner, I had to make sure the instruments are not ruined by the backline I provide.
So I went for the K&M Memphis Pro. It's really nice with the rubber instead of the foam, it feels safe and secure and, on top of that, it folds nicely which makes it perfect for touring.
I've read since that Hercules has changed their foam to solve the problem with nitro finishes, so shouldn't be a problem anymore, but if you go for the Hercules, make sure it's a newly sourced one and it hasn't sit in a warehouse for 2 years or more...

Thanks for the excellent info!!
One of the reasons I chose the K&M is that several of the Hercules stands I looked at appeared to have foam vs. rubber on the legs (where the base of the guitar contacts the stand). I have never had good long-term luck with foam, so the all rubber construction of the K&M swung me.
The K&M is a really well made unit. Elegant folding mechanism for the head and folds up into a really compact unit. Very pleased with it!

 

[B String]

I have a few K&M's and an Ultimate Support hanging stand. Both are different, both equally good. The Hercules (in my opinion) are heavy, complicated, and more cumbersome.

 

[Clark Westfield]

FYI- Today I just had a stand delivered because the height adjustment mechanism broke.

Hercules sent a new complete stand for free.

I had another one in the past that got smacked while gigging and the head broke.

Again another free replacement.

Hercules fan for life.

Awesome customer support.

 

[walterw]

I had the Hercules on my wishlist for a while as I've toured with many musicians who used them. It felt sturdy, stable and secure, but I when discovered that their stands have a foam that reacts with nitro finishes and alters it, it was a no-go for me.
As a tour manager & backliner, I had to make sure the instruments are not ruined by the backline I provide.
So I went for the K&M Memphis Pro.

huh, first i've heard of that!

been using the hercules for years, long enough that i had to replace them (under warranty) because they were the old ones with the bad production run of plastic that went gummy. they held two nitro lacquer guitars every weekend for a good long time and have not reacted at all with the finish.

typically it's actual rubber that reacts with nitro, especially the yellow surgical type.

 

[Tour Dad]

huh, first i've heard of that!

been using the hercules for years, long enough that i had to replace them (under warranty) because they were the old ones with the bad production run of plastic that went gummy. they held two nitro lacquer guitars every weekend for a good long time and have not reacted at all with the finish.

typically it's actual rubber that reacts with nitro, especially the yellow surgical type.

I remember I've explicitely read on the vendor site that the stands weren't suitable for instruments with a nitro finish. So I digged a little bit at that time (it was maybe 4 or 5 years ago) and I read that the problem was a chemical reaction between their foam and the finish.

Since maybe 2 years or so and the introduction of the versions that include a "+" in their references, all those mentions seem to have disappear.
Instead, you find this text in their FAQ:

Is SFF (Special Formulated Foam) safe for Nitrocellulose lacquer finish?
HERCULES takes great pride in providing you with the highest quality and most trusted stands in the world. HERCULES had conducted numerous trials on our SFF foam and is pleased to conclude that the foam does NOT react with the large majority of popular instrument finishes on the market, including Nitrocellulose. These trials included subjecting an assortment of high end and budget friendly instruments on our variety of stands to punishing heat, bitter cold and common room temperatures for periods of up to six months without disruption.

However, each instrument manufacturer has their own formulation of Nitrocellulose, with varying proportions of the chemical agents involved. There are thousands of variations of lacquer in use in today’s instrument manufacturing processes, making it impossible to test them all. Therefore, to maintain the level of respect and support your valuable instrument deserves, we recommend you refer to your instrument's owner’s manual for more information regarding the proper storage of your instrument.

And you can find a similar text on the vendor's website as well:

Discolouration due to chemical reaction:

All HERCULES guitar stands and wall mounts are equipped with soft foam supports to protect your instrument from damage. These supports are free of plasticisers and have shown no signs of reaction with many different lacquer finishes in long-term tests.

However, discolourations on sensitive lacquer surfaces (e.g. nitrocellulose) cannot be completely ruled out. We accept no liability in such cases.

In order to completely rule out damage of this type, cover parts that come into direct contact with the instrument with a soft, natural fibre cloth (cotton, silk, etc.). This way discolouration can be easily avoided.


I'm gonna try to find out more info about what has been changed and when exactly.

 

[walterw]

you find this text in their FAQ:

Reads like CYA boilerplate to me but yeah; long-term hanging I’d go with natural cotton cloth over the foam

 

[Clark Westfield]

I put Sadowsky fuzzy covers over the foam just to be super safe.