Music Stands for Alembic shaped bodies

[jazzyvee]

I have a standard type of guitar stand like this one.

 Now my alembics apart from Stanley Bass and Series I guitar won't sit comfortably in those and so I'm always concerned that they may tip over.   I'm looking for another stand to use for these instruments at home, rehearsals and on-stage.  Here are my options. Stand in a regular guitar type case

   Stand in a aluminium flight case  

  There is also the hercules model but I'm not sure how sturdy it is with a heavy bass(s).  

  I like the ones in a case because they seem to have a sturdy base and if it ever got knocked over it looks like the headstock would not hit the floor.  I don't need to carry 6 guitars on stage but I haven't found a smaller sized one yet and I'm more concerned about protecting my instrument on stage. I normally have tried to keep the guitar/bass in its case but sometimes I've found that with short intervals, its inconvenient and the tuning can get knocked out when either putting in or out of the case so I'm looking for safety and quick access.    Any experience on these or others to share.  Jazzyvee

[811952]

I've got a couple of the Hercules single-instrument stands.  I feel they're the least likely to tip over.
 
John

[sonicus]

I like this kind

[jon_jackson]

The stand Wolf shows is the one I've gone with after trying several, including ones like the Hercules model. it works with Europa, ?lan, Tribute, and Dragon Wing body shapes.
Jon

[redcloud]

The inexpensive one that Sonicus cited works great.

[mtjam]

I like the Hamilton stands. I've used these for several years with no problems to report.
 
http://shop.dansr.com/products/productdetail/Neck-Suspending+Guitar+Stand/part_number=KBGS/3140.0.1.1.73568.33866.0.0.0?pp=12&

[edwin]

My favorite seems to be discontinued. It's like this one except it has shorter arms.
 
http://www.ultimatesupport.com/product/GS-55

[JimmyJ]

I'm with Rob, it's the Hamilton KB38 for me.  Here's another source:
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Hanging-Guitar-Stand-Chrome/dp/B0002TJO92
 
Jimmy J

[keith_h]

I have had good results with this On-Stage stand. The only intruments I don't think it would work for are the more extreme body shapes.  
 
Keith

[jazzyvee]

I used to have one like sonicous shows but th plastic covers on the neck and base support areas went brittle over a few years and peeled off exposing the metal which made it unsuitable for resting the guitar on.  The end caps also came off also and In actual fact the same has happened to the stand I have like the one  in the first picture.
 
Jazzyvee

[sonicus]

HI  jazzyvee ,
                  I had an old stand with the same problem as you describe. It can be repaired with replacement rubber or plastic hose tubing . A well stocked hardware store might have it. Also a medical and laboratory supply might have it. Since a short length is required the repair does not cost much to do yourself. I repaired mine  a while back.

[poor_nigel]

Do be careful with cheap stands with rubber that makes contact with the surface of your instruments.  I bought a batch from a seller on eBay and used one of them on my black Les Paul Custom, and it somehow left patches where the checmicals used in the rubber 'fogged' the finished a bit.  Ahhhh!!!!  $15 stand forces me to refinish the back of a $5,500 guitar?  Crap, I wish I had never seen those cheap pieces of ____!  It did not do this to my Fender stick, however, just the Les Paul (A stand with taste?).  So I figure it was just the chemicals used in making the rubber for the stand was not compatible with the chemicals used in the finish of the guitar.  Expensive lesson to learn.
 
My favorite stands are no longer made, nor does anyone make stands like them.  I am with John on the replacement of the bulk of mine, in I bought and am happy with the Hercules single instrument stands, and especially the ones that do not have the folding neck gizmo, but a bent pipe elbow, instead.  The folding ones seem less stable.  The different stands can be seen in this post.  My old Les Paul bass is in one like I had my Les Paul guitar in, but I put a T-Shirt between it and all the rubber/foam parts that could harm it.  I have since thrown all the bad ones away, so they will harm no more guitar finishes.  There is a shot where you can see the folding and non-folding 'head' models side-by-side.  You cannot tell how flimsy the folding one is just by looking at it.  Only by close inspection after shelling out yer money, does that aspect present itself.  The neck holding device works much better than I thought it would, and I really like that aspect of these.  However, I do still like the old stands best - the ones on the Tobias and Gibson EB-2DC.
 
http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/99963.html?1306116259
 
eBay auction with same brand that fogged my Les Paul's finish, though the rubber top piece is slightly different on these new ones.  Same rubber formula used?  I hope not.  Best not to take a chance and just buy the better stands.
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Guitar-Bass-Acoustic-Electric-Stand-Folding-A-Frame-Style-/170742144560?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item27c1065e30
 
Would a moderator please delete my previous post.  My browser would not let me edit it or get rid of it.  Thank you.

[artswork99]

I too have been happy with the Hercules GS414B single stand.

[dfung60]

The problem with the tubing interaction can be serious and it's not necessarily reflective of the price of the stand.  A good Gibson like Nigel's Les Paul is finished in nitrocellulose lacquer which is softened by contact with vinyl.  It'll kill your early 50's-early 60's Fenders too (don't even think about it).  
 
If the tubing is pure rubber, then that should be OK for your nitro finish, but it will dry up and crumble away over time AND sometimes there's a bad interaction between the latex and the wood of some guitars where maple will turn brown under the finish.  This seems to happen even with poly varnish guitars.  Grrr...
 
One of the common places where you see both these problems are on the headstock where a padded hook may have been in contact with a guitar for an extended period in a store.  Les Pauls and Gretches have melted spots in the finish there.  And maple Fenders can get dark brown marks.
 
The fix here (as Nigel notes) is to wrap the pads with a couple layers of cloth, even though that doesn't look that great.  And don't keep your instrument in the stand all the time.  You really can't win though - I had an ancient Telecaster that had a dulled rectangle on the back that was the same bad interaction with a new case.
 
The newer finishes are more inert and don't have this sort of problem - Alembics should be good, and I don't remember seeing Musicman or PRS guitars with marks like these either.  
 
For what it's worth, I like the Hamilton stand too for oddly shaped instruments.  The bad thing about this stand is that it doesn't fold up much, so it's a big, clumsy size to take with you.
 
David Fung

[jazzyvee]

Obviously Father Christmas heard I wanted a guitar stand and bought me a Hercules GS412BN stand.
However I put my Europa 5 bass on it today and gave it a gently tap on the front to simulate someone accidentally knocking against it on stage and it rocked backwards then fell over forwards. I then tried tapping it on the back and fell forward with very little effort. Fortunately both times I was there to catch it before if fell over completely, but it does not seem very stable with that short stubby leg at the rear of the stand.  I think it's going back to the store for a refund. For the moment at least I will stick with the case and continue looking.  
 
I haven't seen the hamilton style stand in any music shop in my area but will try further afield and see what I can check out.  
Thanks for your advice and suggestions.  
 
 
 
Jazzyvee