Comparing euphonium stands

[lzajmom]

Hey guys!

So I asked Santa for a euphonium stand for Christmas this year, but he had some follow-up questions. I guess some elves build in the toy shop and others go out and shop in stores and online, and Santa assigned my case to the shopper elves.

I want a stand to hold my Dolce at home when I'm not practicing. It will sit on a carpeted floor. I have a 4yo and 2yo who don't go into that very room often, but I do let them live here , and "euphomumums" are shiny and attractive. I'm easily frustrated when things don't just work when they should, so if it takes too much fiddling to get the instrument in and out, I probably just wouldn't use it.

I read Dave's helpful review of the Hercules stand, but I was hoping for some more brand comparison.

Based on reviews that the Nomad isn't as stable as one might like, I think we rule out the Nomad.

The K&M is well-liked on this board, but it's the priciest. Does it fold up for easy storage?

The Hercules is a little cheaper, and I really like that it folds up. But are 3 legs sturdy enough for a carpeted floor and kids?

Has anyone used the Wessex stand? It appears to be like the K&M and it does fold up. It's cheap enough that I could also get the 6qt sauce pan I've been wanting. (What's on your wish list??) Is it really sturdy, though? Will the clippy thingies that hold the instrument in place hold up over time? I haven't found any reviews of it anywhere.

I don't have a way to physically try any of these, so I'm limited to online reviews and the collective experience of this insightful forum. I don't want to save $50 and risk damaging a $1500 instrument, but I don't want to spend more money for no reason, either.

Thanks everyone!

[davewerden]

The Hercules is a little cheaper, and I really like that it folds up. But are 3 legs sturdy enough for a carpeted floor and kids?

I'd say "yes" without hesitating. The stand is almost all metal, including the legs. Sturdiness is not a problem, and they have a wide enough stance radius to be stable.

The risk I'd be concerned about with any of these is a walking (or leaning to walk) kiddo. If they see the shiny object and lose their balance as they get close enough to grab it, I'm not sure which stand I would choose! With any of them, it would be ideal (I think) if you arranged it so that the horn touched a wall behind it. That way an accidental bump into the whole affair would not be likely to tip it.

[tbonesullivan]

The Hercules is a good stand, and also can hold a sizeable tuba without issue. Very stable and well made. However, definitely NOT easily portable.

[LouieD]

To piggy back on this thread, would you recommend having a cover or something for when the euph is sitting on the stand so that it does not collect too much dust? I currently just keep my euph in my kronkite gig bag in the closet so that it is covered.

[davewerden]

To piggy back on this thread, would you recommend having a cover or something for when the euph is sitting on the stand so that it does not collect too much dust? I currently just keep my euph in my kronkite gig bag in the closet so that it is covered.

I cover my bell with a large cloth to keep bugs out! (It's in my basement.) Otherwise I don't cover it, because I think it allows the horn to dry out a bit after playing.

[John Morgan]

I vote for and highly recommend the K&M stand. Have had one for years, and I now also have a larger version of the K&M stand for my Eb tuba. They are sturdy as heck and hold the horn solidly. They also fold up nicely. A little pricey, but once bought, they last forever. One thing I do with this stand regarding the "arms" that hold the horn. which are made of a rubber like material: I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some sticky backed felt paper (fuzzy on one side, sticky on the other). I then cut out little strips and stick them on the rubber arms to protect the horn further. Otherwise, the rubbery stuff tends to sometimes rub off on the horn a little. Not a big deal, but I don't like anything on my horn that shouldn't be there.

I keep a good sized cloth over the bell on my horn like Dave, and I keep my horn out most of the time. I like to air it out and have it dry, plus I like it ready to play when the mood strikes me, which is often.

[ghmerrill]

I want a stand to hold my Dolce at home when I'm not practicing.

Good idea.

It will sit on a carpeted floor.

Why? Seriously. While it can be nice to have a floor stand while you're playing, if you want a stand for safety but ease of access for long periods of the day while you're not playing, the floor is not the best place for it.

I have a 4yo and 2yo who don't go into that very room often, but I do let them live here .

Been there; done that; have the scars. Three kids, large dog, cats, horses (well, at least those weren't in the house). Two boys, one girl. Having boys is like raising bear cubs. My son is going through that now.

If you want to keep your horn uncased, relatively easy to hand, and safe, HANG IT ON THE WALL. This is also inexpensive. You can probably get a long enough bracket at Lowes or Home Depot or Harbor Freight or Amazon (e.g., the heavy-duty ones for large lawn tools, hanging baskets, etc), and maybe modify it a bit, and screw it to a stud or a horizontal backing plate on the wall. This is how I keep my oval euph. Your euph is only a bit more challenging because of the wider bell, but you CAN find or make something (my euph bracket is a simple one I made out of wood) that will work well and completely remove the instrument from the combat zone. And it's not expensive either.

Take a look here for some ideas: https://simonettitubacollection.com/

Something to think about.

[Dubby]

I would second hanging it on the wall. Easy access and less likely to be knocked over. However, I also have the Wessex stand. It’s great.

I’ve had it for about 4 years? And haven’t had any issues with it. It’s small enough that I bring it to rehearsals too and use it as a rest stand during breaks. Plenty stable with four legs, I wouldn’t have any issues on the carpet. Plus, it’s cheap.

[dsurkin]

The Hercules is a good stand, and also can hold a sizeable tuba without issue. Very stable and well made. However, definitely NOT easily portable.

I also recommend the Hercules stand. It's very stable, no incidents of rubber sticking to the horn or crumbling, and good access to the horn for oiling the valves.

I have two dogs (see my avatar) and I feel confident that they can't hurt the horn. Regarding keeping the horn out of its case to air it out, I agree - and I keep my trombone on an H & M stand next to the euphonium.

[ghmerrill]

I have two dogs (see my avatar) and I feel confident that they can't hurt the horn.

Which illustrates that the euphonium stand requirements are somewhat dependent on the size of the dogs.

[dsurkin]

Which illustrates that the euphonium stand requirements are somewhat dependent on the size of the dogs.

LOL!
One medium, one small, two big personalities.

[ghmerrill]

It's all relative ... The dogs we had tended to be in the 75+ lb range. So I think of medium as maybe in the 50-70 lb range and small as in the 15-30 lb range. Anything below that is XS or XXS. We had a 90 lb yellow lab and 120 lb German Shepherd (neither of them overweight -- just big) -- big enough to knock over a full size BBb tuba if they weren't paying attention. So instruments never got left unprotected on any floor they could get to.

[tonewheeler]

I have two K&M stands, one at home and one in my car for practices. It is a very sturdy and well made stand and has no problem holding my heavy Miraphone 5050.

[ghmerrill]

Also ... keep in mind that protection against dents, bent valve stems, and other mechanical damage is one thing. A floor stand may adequately protect against that. But a floor stand won't protect against finish damage or non-catastrophic gouging and scratching.

[Kirley]

I know I'm late to the party but I came up with a solution for my 321 along the lines that Gary mentioned earlier.




This is a $14 bike hanger from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086KKQVSS/

You can see more here:
https://imgur.com/gallery/7XWmS2m

I'm definitely in the get it up off the floor camp.