I've tried bunch of them. In fact I still got multiple brands sitting in the closet. My favorite one is "KSV 2" from Jasper. With the extra auxiliary holders, it's very flexible.
http://www.jaspers-alu.de/index.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCR56K4hE8A
Your favorite 2-tier/double tier (or more) Keyboard Stand
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 300 posts since 5 Jun, 2017 from Los Angeles
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- KVRAF
- 3080 posts since 17 Apr, 2005 from S.E. TN
I don't have a favorite commercial stand. Have an old 5 tier + a couple of accessory shelves, modular Ultimate Support A Frame tubular aluminum stand that was well-engineered but bad for visibility on stage. It was sturdy enough to hold the keyboards and other equipment but too shaky for my taste. It would never be at risk of falling down but would shake when playing the keys.
Have an old 3 tier Ultimate Support Apex stand that doesn't shake too bad but because the support is in the middle, it would be possible for a klutz to ignorantly lean on one end of a long 88 keyboard and exert enough leverage to make the keyboard fall off sideways. It was fast easy to transport and set-up, but my biggest gripe was knee space because of that central column, and severely restricted footpedal space. Every spot on the floor most-desirable to locate pedals, has a metal foot in the way. Any pedal location without a metal foot in the way, was a real inconvenient place to put a pedal.
I eventually built a plywood base about the same footprint of the Apex legs. It had a triangle cutout in the middle for the central column and cutouts fitting the three legs. Ribbed rubber carpet runner stuff was glued over the entire top surface of the plywood except the triangular column cutout-- IOW, the ribbed rubber covered the plywood and also covered the cutouts for the Apex stand legs, so it was solid grippy rubber surface surrounding the Apex. I would poke the collapsed bottom of the Apex into the central hole of the plywood, then extend the legs, and set up the stand so I had nice flat grippy rubber floor area for pedals. No square metal feet in the way. The metal feet were hidden inside the plywood cutouts, covered with ribbed grippy rubber surface. But I'd still feel crowded in the knees by that sloped central column.
Maybe there are X stands that do not interfere with pedal placement. X stands I had were not friendly to pedals unless I put the pedals where I didn't want them. Swapping from one pedal to the next, the foot bangs into an X support while traveling between pedals.
The ugly but sturdy/utilitarian A Frame stand was the only one that didn't somehow interfere with pedal placement, but was ugly and shaky.
Some paleolithic keyboards had built-in rugged non-wobbly stands, with tops flat enough to stack right on-top of the bottom keyboard. For instance Rhodes Stage 73 or Rhodes Suitcase, Wurlie Model 200 piano, RMI Electra Piano (which had very strong well-designed built-in folding steel legs). Tote it in, attach or fold out the legs, stack a keyboard on the "flat top". Heck I'd stack several keyboards on a piano thataway. No stand required.
Hammonds and electric grands were also great for stacking without a stand. When I had the Helpinstill piano, it was just a big road case on wheels with a fold-out keyboard. Didn't even have to attach legs. Just roll it in, fold out the keyboard, put string machine atop helpinstill and put synthesizer atop string machine, etc.
For a long time on house gigs I just used a big plywood box as keyboard stand. Steadier more solid feeling than a fold-up stand. For several years had a Roland-Rhodes flat-top digital piano sitting on the plywood box, with a couple of synthesizers sitting on the Roland-Rhodes flat top, using pieces of 2X4 wood as chocks behind the piano to make sure the upper keyboards don't topple backwards. It was non wobbly solid as a rock. Plenty of foot space for pedals. Nothing to bump the knees against.
There are some rather nice-looking expensive fold-out chromed steel piano stands with nothing in the middle to interfere with knees and pedals. Never used one of those.
This winter was building a "generic retro" folding wood keyboard stand for spot gigs. I still need to build a roadworthy pedal board and a road case for the 88.
http://errnum.com/html/gig_rig_master.html
Have an old 3 tier Ultimate Support Apex stand that doesn't shake too bad but because the support is in the middle, it would be possible for a klutz to ignorantly lean on one end of a long 88 keyboard and exert enough leverage to make the keyboard fall off sideways. It was fast easy to transport and set-up, but my biggest gripe was knee space because of that central column, and severely restricted footpedal space. Every spot on the floor most-desirable to locate pedals, has a metal foot in the way. Any pedal location without a metal foot in the way, was a real inconvenient place to put a pedal.
I eventually built a plywood base about the same footprint of the Apex legs. It had a triangle cutout in the middle for the central column and cutouts fitting the three legs. Ribbed rubber carpet runner stuff was glued over the entire top surface of the plywood except the triangular column cutout-- IOW, the ribbed rubber covered the plywood and also covered the cutouts for the Apex stand legs, so it was solid grippy rubber surface surrounding the Apex. I would poke the collapsed bottom of the Apex into the central hole of the plywood, then extend the legs, and set up the stand so I had nice flat grippy rubber floor area for pedals. No square metal feet in the way. The metal feet were hidden inside the plywood cutouts, covered with ribbed grippy rubber surface. But I'd still feel crowded in the knees by that sloped central column.
Maybe there are X stands that do not interfere with pedal placement. X stands I had were not friendly to pedals unless I put the pedals where I didn't want them. Swapping from one pedal to the next, the foot bangs into an X support while traveling between pedals.
The ugly but sturdy/utilitarian A Frame stand was the only one that didn't somehow interfere with pedal placement, but was ugly and shaky.
Some paleolithic keyboards had built-in rugged non-wobbly stands, with tops flat enough to stack right on-top of the bottom keyboard. For instance Rhodes Stage 73 or Rhodes Suitcase, Wurlie Model 200 piano, RMI Electra Piano (which had very strong well-designed built-in folding steel legs). Tote it in, attach or fold out the legs, stack a keyboard on the "flat top". Heck I'd stack several keyboards on a piano thataway. No stand required.
Hammonds and electric grands were also great for stacking without a stand. When I had the Helpinstill piano, it was just a big road case on wheels with a fold-out keyboard. Didn't even have to attach legs. Just roll it in, fold out the keyboard, put string machine atop helpinstill and put synthesizer atop string machine, etc.
For a long time on house gigs I just used a big plywood box as keyboard stand. Steadier more solid feeling than a fold-up stand. For several years had a Roland-Rhodes flat-top digital piano sitting on the plywood box, with a couple of synthesizers sitting on the Roland-Rhodes flat top, using pieces of 2X4 wood as chocks behind the piano to make sure the upper keyboards don't topple backwards. It was non wobbly solid as a rock. Plenty of foot space for pedals. Nothing to bump the knees against.
There are some rather nice-looking expensive fold-out chromed steel piano stands with nothing in the middle to interfere with knees and pedals. Never used one of those.
This winter was building a "generic retro" folding wood keyboard stand for spot gigs. I still need to build a roadworthy pedal board and a road case for the 88.
http://errnum.com/html/gig_rig_master.html
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 300 posts since 5 Jun, 2017 from Los Angeles
That's hell of a stand you built!!! It'd be totally perfect if you don't have to carry it around of couse. You brought up all the issues that I had with other stands. I actually do own one of those ultimate support stands as well. Aside from being shaky and all that, that backbone support is right in the middle where you have some of midi/audio I/O connections on some keyboards as well. The Spider Pro seemed to be more stable, but again if you added the laptop holder, you have no visibility anymore.
Jasper KSV-2 solved all those problems for me. I haven't looked around for new designs for the past 3 years or so, so not sure if anybody came up with better ideas.
Jasper KSV-2 solved all those problems for me. I haven't looked around for new designs for the past 3 years or so, so not sure if anybody came up with better ideas.
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- KVRAF
- 3080 posts since 17 Apr, 2005 from S.E. TN
Yeah sometimes one gets an idea and can't stop thinking about it until following thru. Often there's no way to know a good idea without trying and finding out.In The Mix wrote:That's hell of a stand you built!!! It'd be totally perfect if you don't have to carry it around of course.
The stand is "fairly portable" but after I tote it to some spot gigs maybe will change my mind. Have not weighed the stand but is almost certainly more than 50 pounds but less than 100 pounds. My bones notice when things weigh 100+ pounds.
So it isn't any heavier than my keyboard amp and folds flat only a few inches thick. I don't drive the old van enough to keep gas from gelling in the tank so one major requirement was a stand small enough to fit in a Jeep Wrangler along with two keyboards and an amp. Jeep Wranglers are not very big inside.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 300 posts since 5 Jun, 2017 from Los Angeles
In that case, since you've gone this far, you might as well come up with some kind of glass/plastic/other alternatives? cover for the front part to keep the dust out. Classy vintage looking keyboard stand it is! lol
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- KVRAF
- 3080 posts since 17 Apr, 2005 from S.E. TN
Thanks Mix
That Jasper stand looks real nice. Agreed that it is hard to find a stand one likes.
The stand is just intended for occasional local work, toting my own gear. A piece of 2 inch wide nylon tow strap can be attached to the wood stand for transport, attached at two points of the stand to use as a shoulder strap. Protected from dings by wrapping the folded-up stand in a shipping blanket. Elastic bungee cords hold the shipping blanket in-place. So if I needed to keep dust out of the setup on-location, probably just throw the shipping blanket over it.
That Jasper stand looks real nice. Agreed that it is hard to find a stand one likes.
The stand is just intended for occasional local work, toting my own gear. A piece of 2 inch wide nylon tow strap can be attached to the wood stand for transport, attached at two points of the stand to use as a shoulder strap. Protected from dings by wrapping the folded-up stand in a shipping blanket. Elastic bungee cords hold the shipping blanket in-place. So if I needed to keep dust out of the setup on-location, probably just throw the shipping blanket over it.
