Accessories Baritone stand... Hercules?

[DavidUK]

Just having a look around for a baritone stand...
My alto/tenor stands are mostly Hercules fold up type and at under £35 delivered their bari stand looks good value.
Any others to consider without breaking the bank? It's for home use only in my music room.
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[nigeld]

Personally I like K&M

K&M Baritone Saxophone Stand at Gear4music

K&M Baritone Saxophone Stand at Gear4music

www.gear4music.com

But the best one is SaxRax

 

[Andante cantabile]

I have a Hercules. Seems fine. Good value.

 

[Ivan]

I was gonna say an informed “Hercule“, but my solid stable stand is a doubler: bari + tenor or alto

 

[DartmoorHedgehog]

I've got a Hercules bari stand. I had to drill another hole for the locking extendable part (the bit that holds the bell) because it is obviously designed for a low A sax and was far too high and top-heavy for my Bb (I can't remember what your Selmer is), but with that little mod it's fine. If it's going to get knocked (on stage etc) then I'd say there's a chance of it falling over, but for band practices and home use it's stable enough.

 

[Chris J]

Yes to Hercules too. Mine has a screw on tenor/alto stand to the right stay, and screw in clarinet/soprano stand on the left stay. All feels secure.

DS536B - Hercules Stands International

You count on your gear every time you create, and when things go wrong, it affects your performance. Hercules Stands is a company of musicians and creatives who understand your needs and provide solutions. Enjoy ease of use and peace of mind while you create with Hercules.

herculesstands.com

Chris

 

[Tenor Viol]

I use the Hercules too

 

[sax panther]

I've got the exact same setup as Chris J - I've had it for years and it's never let me down.

 

[turf3]

I have a Hercules bari stand, which I have now repurposed as a bass sax stand.

Positive: stable, inexpensive, folds up smaller than you'd think if you fold everything that folds.

Negative: Designed for low A, required extensive modification to fit a low Bb horn; very heavy; and it doesn't stay folded up on its own. The long front leg wants to flop down, so you either have to wrap it with a Velcro strap or put your hand all the way around it. I didn't care for the bright yellow paint, but I just sprayed it black. The various catches are kind of cheesy and could have been executed a bit better (hollow sheet metal shot pins instead of solid pins, for example).

For baritone sax my favorite is a cut down K&M (also sold under a myriad of other names). I took all the low-A-adjustment stuff completely off, tackwelded the horseshoe bell support part to the center post, and relocated the lower bow support to fit my horn. This is much lighter than any available alternative. It can't be adjusted to fit any horn other than mine, but I don't care.

So to the point, the Hercules bari stand is a reasonably priced stand, but it's not perfect. Making it adjustable to fit everything involves some compromises. I always felt the horn was safely held, which is important.

 

[Vetinari]

Hercules.
2 bari
1 alto/tenor
1 tall alto/tenor.
Wish they did tall curvy sop stand

Edit. That should say - a tall stand, for a curvy sop..

 

[Nick Wyver]

I've got something similar to the K&M but probably cheaper so it's obviously crap.

I've been gigging with it for the last 18 years.

 

[lydian]

So the takeaway is the K&M style is terrible since it only lasts a few decades. But the best stand is far more expensive and only requires some drilling, cutting and welding.

 

[jonf]

Personally I like the SaxRax one, but it is more than twice the price of the Hercules.

 

[turf3]

So the takeaway is the K&M style is terrible since it only lasts a few decades. But the best stand is far more expensive and only requires some drilling, cutting and welding.

Well, I don't know about that; I've been using mine close on to 30 years now. The weak point will be the plastic collar where the pinch bolt (for the tripod legs) is mounted, but mine's still OK after all that time.

I can't speak to the experiences of low A baritone owners but I have never had a bari stand that didn't need modification to fit my horn. Most of the alto and tenor stands I've had through the years have required a little tweaking too. Not to mention drilling and tapping non-standard peg holes so all my pegs can fit all my stands. It all just comes with the territory.

 

[saxyjt]

Personally I like K&M

K&M Baritone Saxophone Stand at Gear4music

K&M Baritone Saxophone Stand at Gear4music

www.gear4music.com

I also have a K&M.

I'm happy with it, but I wish I could find a variant that can be set against a wall and resting on a shelf. In other words, one (or more) fixation point(s) in the wall and the weight on the shelf. This to keep it at a convenient height while being secure. That way I could simply hook my harness without even lifting the thing off it's stand or barely. It would also keep it out of the way, against a wall, with shelves on both sides...

The main point with a bari being to keep it from being knocked down.

 

[DavidUK]

It's a low A MkVII so the Hercules looks favourite but the K&M is only a fiver or so more. Which one for low A?

 

[Vetinari]

I also have a K&M.

I'm happy with it, but I wish I could find a variant that can be set against a wall and resting on a shelf. In other words, one (or more) fixation point(s) in the wall and the weight on the shelf. This to keep it at a convenient height while being secure. That way I could simply hook my harness without even lifting the thing off it's stand or barely. It would also keep it out of the way, against a wall, with shelves on both sides...

The main point with a bari being to keep it from being knocked down.

Never tried or even seen one but at €95 no chance.

Locoparasaxo

Loco parasaxo

 

[lydian]

Well, I don't know about that; I've been using mine close on to 30 years now. The weak point will be the plastic collar where the pinch bolt (for the tripod legs) is mounted, but mine's still OK after all that time.

I can't speak to the experiences of low A baritone owners but I have never had a bari stand that didn't need modification to fit my horn. Most of the alto and tenor stands I've had through the years have required a little tweaking too. Not to mention drilling and tapping non-standard peg holes so all my pegs can fit all my stands. It all just comes with the territory.

I was joking. I modded my K&M for bass sax as well by drilling and bending. I had to replace the pinch bolt on mine because the plastic head got stripped.

I just got a kick out of the part about welding. I imagine very few sax players have welding equipment. Dancers are a different story. My understanding from Flashdance is that quite a few can weld.

The only stands I've had for 30+ years are the old chrome plated Hamilton ones. Talk about sturdy, and heavy.

In any case, my vote goes for any of the many K&M copies which run $20-$40 in the US (I got mine on sale for $20). A Herc runs around $60, the latest K&M around $85 and SaxRax around $150.

 

[jonf]

I just got a kick out of the part about welding. I imagine very few sax players have welding equipment.

Loads of us do. There is a strong correlation between being a sax player and a motorcyclist, and many motorcyclists can weld.

 

[jonf]