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Any recommendations for a good tuba stand. Bought what I thought was a good tuba stand that keeps giving out (legs drop, main stand drops, etc).

I need one that can be adjusted since I find myself playing on all different sized chairs and outdoors as well as indoors. I prefer a simple one that just has a saddle, not the ones that hold the whole thing upright. I have a big horn (Mack 210).

I use a Hercules playing stand with mine.

It does slip a little if you don't cinch down the post real tight.

If it happens again I will simply rest the center post on the floor then cinch it down.

I made one just using some old drum equipment I had laying around (a snare stand, the fitting from under the seat of an old crappy drum throne, and a block of wood that is covered with some vinyl. It didnt cost me anything and works just fine. If that interests you and you are handy I can help you out, just pm me.

I've had good results with this from Wessex:


https://wessex-tubas.com/collections/ac ... and-sdt-30

height adjustment is super easy... only issue I've had is, since I do a bunch of outdoor playing in the summer, the rubber pad on the bottom came unglued...some epoxy glue and about 5 minutes and it was fixed. The "seat" part has an indentation in the center beneath the covering to cradle the bottom of the horn.

I'm using the Baltimore Brass stand and I like it a lot. It has never slipped; unlike the K&M I previously owned. I also tried the Wessex and found the stand did not raise high enough for me (I'm 6''2").

Having been through several other tuba stands, I highly recommend the new Wessex. It is strong enough that I can literally sit on it if necessary.

Baltimore Brass stand...Done with the rest. Only trust the best.

Its the only that has never let me (or my tuba) down.

I use it almost daily with my Nirschl York and keep an extra one in the car for gigs.

I use a K&M 14950 that works very well. No problem with slippage.

I see some really good ideas here that could solve my problem(s).

The K&M stand is what is failing me now. I do bottom out the legs so they can't slip more and really crank on the clamps. I do the same to the height adjustment. Having the pin to lock would be great but I don't usually raise it up high enough to engage it. I thought about drilling my own holes but I do have to make adjustments for different chairs I end up using, (afraid to make lots of holes and weakening the pipe).

I use the stand when playing since I am a big person, wrestling a big horn. The screw adjust of the Wessex looks good. Just hope the base is stable. Going to look up the Balt brass.

I thought about building my own since these weren't/aren't cheap but going to seriously consider these suggestions first.

Thanks all. If anyone else has ideas please keep posting. I'm going to check back for a while.

Under $100., the Baltimore Brass stand works just fine every day and David's lifetime guarantee is not to be beaten.
The only one [?] I have not tried in real life [except for the elephant room at TUSAB] is the Wessex. There, I found it too easy to tip over, with that very tiny base. I wonder about transporting it and the weight?
The DEG was a joke, much too flimsy. K&M was a strong unit, but those legs were nothing but a trip hazard and the weight was significant. Hercules was just poorly designed. I have used BB stand for over 12 years and am happy.

The Baltimore Brass stand has a clever design for the legs; fast to set up and solid. I use this stand on my Eb and it's fine. The center post uses a set screw, not a clamp, and it will slip on heavier tubas. I've seen this happen not just on my stand but another used by a bandmate.

If your tuba is larger than 4/4 I wouldn't recommend it.

The DEG has a plastic locking collar that will eventually fail. But it is absolutely solid right up until the point of failure. DEG customer service (St. Louis Music) was very helpful: they quickly sent two extra collars at no cost, so I'm ready the next time it fails. Lately I've been torquing the locking collar not so tight, and the center post still holds, so maybe I damaged the first collar by tightening too much.

Hup

I use a drum stool. I have a Mirafone 186 Recording Bell tuba. It is adjustable and has a bolt that holds the height. It will hold up to 250lbs and folds up.

See: https://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-L247TH-Li ... rum+throne

Another vote for the BBC stand. I've used one for about 10 years with big tubas and no problems.

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I’ve looked into all these ideas. I really like the Wessex design with the screw type lift and the flat bottom but I am a little worried as to how narrow that bottom is and its instability. I also agree that some of these legs do create trip hazards especially when you have a stand nearby. I am wondering whether I could build a better one out of these ideas. I’ve also looked into the drum thrones but worry the legs will be trip hazard

Once again thanks for the ideas and advice. If anyone is interested, I’ll let you know what I decide. Thank you

When I had to play a behemoth Besson 993, I just used an inverted 5 gallon bucket disguised with some dark fabric.
The bucket is cheap, very stable, and doesn't weigh much after you use up the driveway sealer or joint compound.

petepuma wrote:I really like the Wessex design with the screw type lift and the flat bottom but I am a little worried as to how narrow that bottom is and its instability.

I only had a very short interaction with the Wessex stand but your worries are very reasonable. This stand is definitely better to think of as a way to transfer the weight off your lap. But all the balance is still up to you. Which I believe, after some time spent with it, you'll be able to get used to. But maybe not to the "sitting back in your chair with one hand on the tuba" point.

I had similar concerns about the stability of the Wessex with the seemingly too small base but decided to give it a try. I found that the small base is, for me anyway, an advantage. (i.e. No real possibility of tripping on the legs for me or anyone else) Using it standing alone on a level surface like a stage floor I haven't found any tendency to tip and it so happens that planting my feet in front of me is a comfortable position. This position puts my feet in a position to actually place them on the base which increases stability. As suggested by Kirley, I would not sit back on my chair with onl one hand holding for extended rests or tacet movements, I place the horn on the floor beside me. I play a bunch of 3 or 4 hour gigs and have found it to be a very good stand.
Pete

Another +1 for the BBC. It has worked well for me.

Just tried to order a BBC stand from Baltimore Brass. They are out of stock and have been waiting for parts for several months. So in the meantime I tried the upside down 5 gallon bucket suggestion. It was a little low, so I added a yoga block and it works just fine for at home use.