Cheap Bass Clarinet Stand

tictactux

tictactux

Distinguished Member
Distinguished Member
For the upcoming show I'm doubling on bass and soprano. So I needed a stand for the bass. What was available locally was either rather expensive and/or not really transportable (read: heavy). So I bought myself a rather cheap Hercules guitar stand which looked like the perfect candidate.

All I needed to do was to attach a ring that would take up the peg and thusly secure the instrument from accidentally jumping off the stand. Both the upper and lower ends are adjustable in height to compensate for different peg lengths.

And the stand can still be used for guitar.

(Some pictures are here.)

Eventually I'll come up with an idea how to additionally secure the upper joint.
 
Very ingenious. Have you considered some type of "J" hook that would secure the top by attaching to the neck strap ring? I am assuming the guitar stand can be adjusted for height.
 
jbtsax said:
Very ingenious. Have you considered some type of "J" hook that would secure the top by attaching to the neck strap ring? I am assuming the guitar stand can be adjusted for height.
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Yes, that was the initial idea. The problem is that the "fork" on top is not wide enough for keywork to the left and right side of the instrument, so you have to find the spot of your joint with as little keywork as possible. Maybe I just take a bit of rope with a carabiner attached to secure the strap ring.

Anyhow - the test in today's rehearsal was very successful.
 
I think it's a really good idea, and it will work with guitar stands that are even cheaper. I would opt for a larger diameter ring for the peg for faster switches.
 
gregcagle said:
Hercules does make a few different bass clarinet stands. I use this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0WFDVPM59NFZKFB9YXF2

which is essentially what you've ended up with anyway :).
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Does it allow the instrument to be put down with the floor peg in combat position? Or would you have to remove/retract it?

PS: The ring on mine has about three times the diameter of the rubber foot, this seems to be sufficient - I'm not trying to throw the instrument on the stand from two meters away. ;-)
 
I'm not a fan of light weight stands. I know that they're easy to tote about, but very often the light weight devices are too light to handle quick horn changes.

When I use the "most portable" version of my old Andersen cast aluminum stand (which adapts to either bass clarinet or alto or tenor saxophone), I always sit with one foot firmly planted on one of the longer legs of the beast. That keeps one large instrument and a clarinet safely in place, even when pulling the bass clarinet bell out of the securing rings.

(However, with a low Bb instrument, it would be necessary to extend the peg. I don't normally use a low Bb instrument, so I don't have that problem.)

When it comes to jobs where I might have to stand up, that's the time to switch to my heavy duty stand, the one with the heavy H-bar base that is made of oak lumber (both for the weight and the durability). Bolted to that is the upper portion of the Andersen bass clarinet stand, and up to three saxophone stands, or two and a bassoon stand, plus clarinet or flute pegs as needed.

It's not the lightest beast in the world (dependent upon configuration, it weighs about ten pounds), but it holds it all securely and without damage. And with up to twenty thousand simoleons sitting atop it on some occasions, that's the most important thing.

Having a couple of Hercules stands (and realizing how flimsy and poorly constructed they can be), I'd not trust a valuable bass to their stand. If I had to buy a new bass stand, I'd get me a Koenig and Meyer. But, even then I'd not be comfortable with leaving the horn unattended...
 
I just picked up one of these for my new BC:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Color me impressed. Very sturdy, nice positive click lock on the moving parts, and a very secure hold on the horn due to the bell curvy things. Not terribly heavy, and it does fold up rather nicely. The only weird thing is the backwards orientation. If you want to grab it quickly, you need to set it up with the bell facing you. If you need a clarinet or flute peg, the Beechler and Belmonte pegs both fit the threads.

I have to say I have not been impressed with the Hercules sax stands, but this one seems to be a winner.
 
The problem I've always seen with bass clarinet stands is that they're really bass clarinet "leans," as in, you're leaning the horn against something. Which can be easily knocked to the floor, especially if you miss grabbing that bass clarinet when switching horns.

What would be nice is if you could make some kind of hook assembly on the bass clarinet -- someplace on the upper joint and possibly near the strap hook -- and have that hook fit a stand that is anchored in some way to the chair you're sitting on.

I'm not handy enough to make something like that. I can think about it, though :).

FWIW, I've always managed to get a seat that has enough room for a BC to be put on the floor and out of anyone's possible footpath. However, that also might mean missing a measure or two ....
 
I'm on my second Hercules bass clarinet stand. My 2 year old son destroyed the first one so I am not impressed at all with the build quality. Functionally, it does hold the bass well, but it is not easy to do a quick change with this stand in a crowded pit. The K&M seems better for fast changes, but I'm not confident in the way it holds an instrument. Maybe I should look into the Hercules bassoon/bass clarinet version of the K&M.
 
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