I had been looking for a foldable trombone stand that actually works for some time. For a few years I put up with this model from K&M, but it isn´t very stable, and it doesn´t take long before the legs get loose (and they can´t be tightened…).
Hercules TraveLite DS420B Trombone Stand
A few months ago I bought this foldable trombone stand that fits inside the trombone bell from Hercules from an online music store. Here is my review of the Hercules TraveLite Trombone Stand.
Design:
I must admit that the look of my trombone stand isn´t an issue that keeps me awake at night, but this one looks quite nice. And discreet. And black. But most important, it is really stable, not far from its non-foldable competitors. The folding function is well thought through as well, with the one-piece design, and the legs folding up along the stand to make it fit the bell of the instrument.
Cons:
The only problem I have had is that it can get stuck in the bell (!) on my King 2B during transport! Maybe cleaning my bell would help… I have heard from other users that some parts can rust, but I haven´t experienced that yet. And you can´t get it in off-white. Or pink.
Price:
Well, it´s quite cheap, so no hurdles here.
Summary:
Hercules TraveLite trombone stands won’t help you pick up ladies at the gig. It won’t make you look cool, and it won’t make you sound better. (Trombone stands rarely do.) This is simply a good, working product at a decent price, and I can recommend it without a doubt. My only concern is if the mechanics will last for the number of years I plan to use it, but no sign of malfunctions yet. It works fine for both small and large horns, but I haven´t tried it with bass trombone.
2013 Update:
The stand is no longer working! The folding mechanism is broken, so by now, it is only a non-folding trombone stand for home use. This is not good enough, Hercules! I would love to hear the manufacturer address this issue, and I will post any updates I might get hold of. Still the best folding trombone stand…for a year or two!
2016 Update:
Again, my beloved stand has failed. This time a small plastic clip, resulting in a useless stand. So, their stand design might be nice, but reliability is not their strongest side…
2021 Update:
No longer… I stopped using this stand a few years ago. I now use this one – it’s cheap, stabile, and reliable. Wrapped in a towel it fits in my case next to the bell without scratching it, and there is room for a practice mute in the bell instead of a stand.
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9 Comments
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I have this trombone stand since about two years, and my experience is good.
To the Pros I could add that it came with a cloth bag, which keeps all parts of the stand nicely isolated from the bell when the stand is put into the horn.
It is probably also good to mention the weight: It’s about 1.3 kg, which I found rather heavy in the beginning. Now I got used to it.
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Hi Kai
I suppose using the cloth bag would help on my issues with the stand getting stuck in the bell…
About the weight: the compamy claims it´s 1,2kg, but I agree with you that it feels more like 1,3
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Hi
It works fine with a Bass Trombone
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I used this with my Getzen Custom bass trombone. It had too much weight for the horn. It started to bend the stand and now the legs are loose. It still supports my tenor horn and I’ve tried to tip it over. A good quality stand in my opinion!
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* Correction, the horn had too much weight for the stand.
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Bruce, the stand is far from perfect, mine is getting rusty and hard to unfold, but it is still the best stand I´ve tried that goes into the gig bag! Room for improvements…
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I agree this is an excellent stand except………the longevity is very poor. The weakness is not the plastic clip, but the vertical mechanism. It fails after 1 to 2 years of use 3 times a week. I have had 3 including one replaced by the supplier and all have failed in the same way. Beware it could dump your expensive instrument on the floor! Sort it out Hercules!
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This stand SUCKS! I only used it ONCE for my Conn 79H (525 bore) trigger trombone. The plastic locking lever broke and now the stand is useless. DO NOT BUY THIS STAND until Hercules improves the locking mechanism. Also, the vertical support rod tends to waver, which is scary. In addition, the stand is extremely HEAVY! The trombone and stand inside a gig bag is probably heavier than the trombone in its hard case. Not much to recomend!
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🙂 I see your point Lia! To moderate a little bit I could add: Do buy this stand if you are prepared to carry the extra weight AND are prepared to get a new one rather frequently. Lia, do you have a better option that is as stable in use?
