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Which Stand

bamabass

bamabass

May 30, 2008
3,090
28
Indianapolis, IN
#1
Hope this is the right place for this. I am looking to pick up a new stand for my 3 laklands. Does anyone here have any perference when it comes to stands that hold multiple basses. I like the hercules but wonder how stable they are with 2 basses hanging. Is it out of balance? Here are the stands I am choosing between, but am open to suggestions. I guitar player friend recomended the last one.

1
Stand5.gif


2
Stand4.gif


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Stand3.gif


4
Stand1.gif
 
#6
I don't use multiple-bass stands, but I do find that hanging stands make for quicker switching on stage because there is not as much for the cord/strap to get hung up on. I like the ones made by Ultimate Support because they are stable, well-made, and fold up small.
 
#9
I've used the tri-bass hanging stands, although I've had to change that up since I've been using my headless bass more.

I will throw this out there - if you have only TWO basses, it is much better to go with the stand that holds THREE basses - the one that holds two is OK when both basses are on it, but because of how the legs line up (not in line with each bass) it becomes very unsturdy when only one bass is hanging on it (as it would be most of your show while you're playing the other bass).

*(The Hercules tri-bass stand doesn't have the basses line up with the legs, but the base of the stand pretty wide and sturdy)
 
#10
If it doesn't need to be a multi-stand I'd steer you towards the Ultimates.

I'm not a fan of the Hercules' due to the guitar-holding mechanism; non-moving parts last longer than moving parts. That said, that Hercules has long tripod legs, which will really help the stability.
 
#12
JustDavid said:
If it doesn't need to be a multi-stand I'd steer you towards the Ultimates.

I'm not a fan of the Hercules' due to the guitar-holding mechanism; non-moving parts last longer than moving parts. That said, that Hercules has long tripod legs, which will really help the stability.
Click to expand...

I originally felt the same way, but found that the plastic clip mechanism that acts as the height adjuster on the Ultimates ended up being MUCH more fragile than the 'clamp mechanism' on the Hercules (i.e., the weakest link on the Ultimates ended up being much weaker than the perceived weakest link on the Hercules).

After many years, and a couple of somewhat scary failures of that clamp mechanism on the Ultimates, I've moved to the Hercules hanging stands. The thing that sealed the deal for me was that the Low Down Sound bass shop had their entire stock hung from the Hercules wall mount versions of the hanging stand, and not one of those failed after years of hard use.

IME!
 
#13
Thanks.

The only issue I've (yet) encountered with the Ultimate was someone setting it up without engaging the leg lock (quick grab, so no damage). What sort of issues did you note? Plastic breaking? Not enough 'force' from the height lever?

The experience from Low Down Sound is good to hear. We've a music store here who also uses them & some have developed issues. But I'd guess Low Down had less reckless use than our store; you can break anything if you try hard enough.
 
#14
+1 on the Hercs. Adjust the height so that the longest bass is almost touching the floor for maximum stability. Oh, and BTW I had a problem with one of my Hercs and one phone call and a copy of my receipt = quick ship of a replacement. Warranted for life of original purchaser, no questions, no BS. Great service, which is rare as we all know.
 
#15
JustDavid said:
Thanks.

The only issue I've (yet) encountered with the Ultimate was someone setting it up without engaging the leg lock (quick grab, so no damage). What sort of issues did you note? Plastic breaking? Not enough 'force' from the height lever?

The experience from Low Down Sound is good to hear. We've a music store here who also uses them & some have developed issues. But I'd guess Low Down had less reckless use than our store; you can break anything if you try hard enough.
Click to expand...

Over time (to be fair, LOT's of time and lot's of gigs), I had two that eventually had (per your description above) not enough force from the height lever. The first time, it just wouldn't 'lock', so no big deal. I dumped the stand and used my second one. After another year or so, the second one failed with the bass on it. That was NOT a good thing, although it just gently slid down, doing no damage.

Also, +1 in that LDS was not a Guitar Center type situation with kids grabbing stuff, and very high traffic volumes. It would not surprise me if that locking mechanism wouldn't eventually fail, but it shouldn't result in the bass falling, just the clamps not engaging, which should be easy to see prior to any damage being done.

IME!
 
#16
Hey, "IME" is fine. I'm looking for it! I love this site when "disagreements" quickly evolve into discussions about the topic & can expand one's experience. Thanks!!

I've a few Ultimates, & now know what to look for & check every now & then on them. One starts to slip; out comes the gaffers tape.

ANY mechanism will fail with time & use. Good to know Hercules' is likely to be measured in years. Plus you raise a very good point about what happens should it break.
 
#17
JustDavid said:
Hey, "IME" is fine. I'm looking for it! I love this site when "disagreements" quickly evolve into discussions about the topic & can expand one's experience. Thanks!!

I've a few Ultimates, & now know what to look for & check every now & then on them. One starts to slip; out comes the gaffers tape.

ANY mechanism will fail with time & use. Good to know Hercules' is likely to be measured in years. Plus you raise a very good point about what happens should it break.
Click to expand...

I always thought the 'perfect' hanging stand would be the Hercules bottom with the Ultimate 'V' hanger mechanism... simple, sturdy, and seemingly foolproof. Maybe someone will make a high quality metal hanging stand with that simple hanging V some day. I'd be in on that in a minute!
 
#18
KJung said:
I originally felt the same way, but found that the plastic clip mechanism that acts as the height adjuster on the Ultimates ended up being MUCH more fragile than the 'clamp mechanism' on the Hercules (i.e., the weakest link on the Ultimates ended up being much weaker than the perceived weakest link on the Hercules).

After many years, and a couple of somewhat scary failures of that clamp mechanism on the Ultimates, I've moved to the Hercules hanging stands. The thing that sealed the deal for me was that the Low Down Sound bass shop had their entire stock hung from the Hercules wall mount versions of the hanging stand, and not one of those failed after years of hard use.

IME!
Click to expand...
Had the same problem which lead me away from the ultimate stands. The Hercules stands are much better quality if you are setting up and tearing down on a regular basis
 
#19
I had a Herc 3-bass stand, and it was excellent. I sold it, though because the mechanism that moves the prongs over the fretboard when the bass was placed on it stopped lining up horizontally after a short while. Hercules gladly replaced it, but the replacement soon had the same issue.

Another thing was that I kept the stand against a wall, so one bass was always facing the wall. I wound up building my own stand that lines them all up against each other, thusly...

040909_083100.jpg
 

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