Another mandolin stand question

[Sue Rieter]

Well, I picked up one of those Ingles stands to check out. It just came in today while I was practicing.

It's pretty good in a lot of ways; well constructed and I like the lock after all. The SOL sits nicely, but I really wish the legs at the bottom spread out further, though. With even another inch or so of width, I think it would be way more stable and less likely to be bumped over like what happened to Jeff. My situation is going to be kind of similar to his.

It might go back. I'm not sure yet. If the legs were adjustable, I think it would be a keeper for sure. It just seems so narrow at the bottom.



I guess I need to look at a few others with mando in hand before I decide.

[DougC]

Silicone is fairly inert and should be fine for instrument finishes.



I have an old 'On Stage' version, with rubber feet and fewer parts that would break. It is heavier for sure. But that weight helps it to be stable and it never tips over.

BTW the hinge is strong enough to maintain different angles that make it useful for guitar or mandolin. (I even set my violin there for brief adjustments). Sadly, the new versions have no hinge at the top and they are made of cheap plastic.

The Ingles looks very nice. I would prefer that it would tilt back more and not be so upright.

That Cooperstand is certainly worth a trial.

[Kevin Winn]

Another vote for the CooperStand Pro-Mini. Not the most secure for the stage, but can't be beat for ease of access. Folds up into a small block that fits in a gig bag pocket.

https://www.cooperstand.com/products/pro-mini

[Ranald]

I know that you've already made your choice, Sue (or have you?). Still, I thought I'd share this simple stand with others. I have one and like it. However, I've never used it for high speed instrument changes. Also, I'd be cautious about using it or any other stand where the drunk and clumsy roam. Online prices vary a great deal on these stands, from about $30 -50 USD. I'm not certain that Kala is still manufacturing them, but they're available.

https://ukebuddy.com/reviews/stands/...lele-stand-out

[Sue Rieter]

No, I haven't fully made up my mind. I borrowed this Hercules GS200B stand from Mando Esq yesterday and tried it successfully for the high speed swap. It's super stable, more so than the Ingles, I think, and folds up pretty dang compactly. This goes for about $24 v the $34 I paid for the Ingles.



I don't think a cat could knock it over, but the drunk and/or clumsy will no doubt always be a wildcard.

I'm also still a little interested in the related one that Steve Mead posted: Hercules GS303 Travelite Folk Instrument Stand.



Supposed to be for mandos, ukes, violins and banjos. Doesn't appear to fold up as compactly, but may be more adjustable. I kind of wish I could see one in person.

I also might be getting into overthinking territory here, which is not all that unusual for me

[Dan in NH]

Just saw this thread. I have several of the Amazon Basic folding guitar stands, and use them for all my guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles. Two cats, and never an incident with one of them knocking an instrument off the stand. I bring one with me to my monthly Barn Jam even if I'm only playing one instrument that night.

I also recently got a bolt-on ukulele/violin/mandolin hanger for my portable music stand now that I'm playing mandolin at the Barn Jam. It's surprisingly stable.

I'm considering getting a "nice" hanging stand for my mandolin, but the cheap SOB in me is holding me back.

[Jim Garber]

I am highly paranoid about my instruments and *never* leave them out on a stand or chair even if playing at home. And I don’t have small children in my house. Those small mandolin stands are sturdy but at a gig I would be concerned they would be kicked over.

As I said earlier I often play dances and have two fiddles tunes differently and use a screw on violin hanger on a sturdy microphone stand.

[Mandobart]

I keep a Cooperstand in my mandolin case. I keep one in my tenor ukulele case too. It's always there when I need it.

I have several guitar sized ones as well that live in my octave mandolin, mandocello and guitar cases.

Every case has a stand, picks, strap, tuner, capo, etc. when I leave the house with an instrument. Having what I need where and when I need it reduces stress and is totally worth the duplication cost to me.

[eleison]

If I were ever to return to stage work with a mandolin, I would get a Hercules Uke stand that grabs the peghead. It's an easy one hand lift to pick up the instrument. Stands that only hold the instrument by the bottom of the body give me the heebee geebees, it's just too easy to knock the instrument off them. My flattop guitars are in the $3,000 to $5,000 range and Hercules is the only stand they'll ever be in.

Yeah, I had my headstock-heavy F mandolin on a stand that only holds it by the bottom, and without even touching it, the whole thing just rotated like a clock and the headstock smashed into the ground, with a chunk splitting off. It was only an $800 mandolin, but it was my mandolin.

[DougC]

I'm exactly like Jim in this regard although there are a few caveats.

As a practical matter, at gigs I just set the mandolin in the open case for a quick adjustment to the sound system. (I'm totally paranoid however and I'm the guy that 'watches like a hawk' at everyone's instruments on stage). I don't bring a stand because it is 'just one more thing to carry".

If I had two instruments however, I still sit them in the case, but I get very paranoid at that point. I should have a little stand for the mandolin or a 'string swing' for the fiddle that clamps onto a STURDY mic stand / music stand. Generally the violin bow goes onto the music stand, where the charts lie and the instrument goes onto the open case. I place the case 'right next to the chair' and always within reach. Not the best arrangement, but that's the 'best I can do'.

I may consider a small stand that would hold the fiddle or the mandolin. The bow can sit like a pencil on the music stand or go back to the case for brief periods. I'm not playing both at gigs right now so I have time to think about it....

At home, I use a stand. It is 'out of the way' near my music stand and it is quite easy to set it there while I make notes, or fuss with a tuner or metronome. The instrument 'goes right back' to the case when I'm done. NO EXCEPTIONS EVER...

I am highly paranoid about my instruments and *never* leave them out on a stand or chair even if playing at home. And I don’t have small children in my house. Those small mandolin stands are sturdy but at a gig I would be concerned they would be kicked over.

As I said earlier I often play dances and have two fiddles tunes differently and use a screw on violin hanger on a sturdy microphone stand.

[Sue Rieter]

I get where Doug and Jim are coming from for sure. I thought about how it might be fun to play different instruments on some of the pieces, but didn't want the burden of juggling multiples in close quarters with a large amount of folks milling about. The drum and my SOL are more than enough to manage, and that's just for a few minutes. The rest of the time, I'm just not putting my mandolin down at all.

I took some of my other instruments out today and tried them in the two stands. The Hercules fold up stand is fine for most of them, but when I put my F2 on, it is not only top heavy, but the strap button hits the floor and acts like a fulcrum, keeping the legs from sitting evenly. As this is likely the only F2 I'll ever have, it's too risky; it does feel like it could rotate and tip over. So while this stand works for my immediate situation, it doesn't cover all eventualities.

The Ingles is going back for sure, the legs are just too close together. None of my instruments felt really secure. Might be great for a fiddle, but even for occasional closely supervised use, it seems just too tippy with a mando on it. I know a few people thought they were great. I wonder if the stand has had a design change to the legs.

[GenoK]

I'm a little late to the party, but ...........

I've been using the K&M Heli 2 guitar stand for years and it has served me well. It folds up nicely, is relatively light weight and the rubber protectors do not harm the finish of the instrument. It has a wide enough stance that it is very stable and is far enough off the ground that I can use a 90 degree cord if I choose to use an amp.
Good luck with your search.

[LadysSolo]

i'm even later to the party, but I started reading this thread about a week ago and decided to get a stand for using when playing at church. I decided to get one for my mandolins, and another one for my guitar. I got a collapsible one of each (from Musician's Friend NFI.) I like the mandolin one, the guitar one works also but is significantly heavier. I wouldn't want to carry it very far or very often. The guitar one is very stable, however, and will work for my mandolins also. The mandolin one might be unstable in a questionable environment.

[Bill Cameron]

After decades of trial and error and.a couple of disasters, I have concluded that no stand is perfect. They are just like life, like gigs, and like political practitioners; they all make promises they can’t quite live up to.
After my Herc double-guitar stand dumped my Collings MTO onto a hard tile floor last summer due to my own carelessness, I decided not to use it for back-to-back Mando duty anymore. After a long search I ended up with one of these (sorry bout the U-word but it is specced for mandos also):

So far so good. The pawls clasp to securely hold the peghead, and the padded legs don’t interfere with the gravity-activation. What can interfere with the activation on other Hercules stands is if a well-meaning friend, or myself (see: last summer etc.) places the base of the instrument on top of the brace that the back should be resting against…this looks a lot like what you got. (Priced here in $Cdn so around $50 US). I really don’t trust stands that don’t secure the peghead especially if they are designed for a different-sized instrument.

[Tom Haywood]

I've used the K&M Heli 2 stands for several years. The snap adjustment for the the leg width makes it easy to carry in a bag (fully collapsed) and easily adjustable for mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar, cello, etc. Haven't tried a banjo on it. You do have to be careful if you use it around a dog or a lot of people since there is no safety latch, but that's normal. The instruments lay back just right to avoid tipping forward. The price is right to have two so you have two instruments ready to grab. They are even aerodynamic. Recently, I sat one folded up on top of the car while packing to go to a jam. Thirty minutes on the highway, and it stayed right there.

https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Guit...29450405&psc=1

[Sue Rieter]

I've used the K&M Heli 2 stands for several years. The snap adjustment for the the leg width makes it easy to carry in a bag (fully collapsed) and easily adjustable for mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar, cello, etc. Haven't tried a banjo on it. You do have to be careful if you use it around a dog or a lot of people since there is no safety latch, but that's normal. The instruments lay back just right to avoid tipping forward. The price is right to have two so you have two instruments ready to grab. They are even aerodynamic. Recently, I sat one folded up on top of the car while packing to go to a jam. Thirty minutes on the highway, and it stayed right there.

https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Guit...29450405&psc=1

Just when I thought I was settled on the Hercules Folk Instrument stand, along comes this one - and it even has a pick holder

[NDO]

Sue, Sue, Sue…
You need more than one stand!
Upright stands for everyday use at home and anywhere you have room to easily carry it.
Flat folding stands for travel or anywhere you need it to fit in a bag…

Instruments on a stand get played more than instruments in a case

[Mandophyte]

Argh!
Stand Aquisition Syndrome!

[DougC]

Oh yea, one in every room. Ha, ha.

Actually we have a string swing for our violins in at least four locations. (They are temporary places to put the instrument, as they go back in the case. But it's better than setting the instrument on a chair, or the floor.)
I just realized that placement on a wall (or bookcase) is a bit 'safer' than a stand located on the FLOOR.

[Rick Jones]

For years I have been using the guitar version of the stand that Bill Cameron posted above. The mandolin just hangs from it, but the pawls that prevent the peghead from slipping off are reliable. It's been sitting next to the computer desk for probably a decade or more, and it gets used every day.