Music Stands Buyer's Guide
Such a simple, but essential accessory.
Nearly every musician will purchase one or more music stands. If you get one that's not sturdy, or hard to operate... you'll regret it. Below are my recommendations and comments, geared specifically for guitarists.
What to Look For
Music stands should hold your music or book where you put it. If the stand shifts, as some lightweight portable stands do, your book can close and the music can fall to the floor. So look for a stand that is sturdy and steady. So far I haven't seen one that is also lightweight. A sturdy stand is likely to weigh 5 to 10 pounds.
Chances are you won't adjust the height of your stand very often, but when you need to, it should be convenient. So, look for a stand that has an easy-to-use, fast-action height adjustment.
Nearly all stands have a wide three-legged base. But make certain that the legs are wide-enough so that an accidental bump against a stand loaded with two or three books won't knock it over.
An added bonus for the guitarist is a second shelf where you can place your pencil or pen, extra picks, or other odds and ends that you need within arm's reach when you practice.
Recommendations
If you can only afford one, get the
Hamilton Double-Shelf Stand with Trigger-Lock.
It's sturdy, has a built-in second shelf for your stuff, and is extremely easy to adjust up and down with it's easy-to-squeeze trigger lock.
For those of you who just need something simple and portable, consider picking up a
Tabletop Stand.
It's inexpensive and will hold your music up as you play in front of your coffee table.
Recommended Accessories
If your stand doesn't come with a built-in second shelf, you should find one. Search the Internet for "music stand shelf." Manhasset makes one that is available for about $5. It slips right over the bottom shelf of your stand to give you enough space for those pencils, highlighters, picks... whatever.
You can't play if you can't see the music, so pick up a light for your stand. Lamps
come in a variety of styles. Most clip securely to the top of the stand and provide plenty of light. Most are less than $20.
Handy accessories include pick-holders, pencil holder, cup holder and many more.
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