Saxophone stands are essential accessories for saxophonists, providing a safe and convenient place to rest the instrument when not in use. It’s just not practical to disassemble and put it back in its’ case when you’re going to resume playing in a few moments. Saxophones are fairly expensive and can be quite heavy so a good robust stand is essential. Look for a solid tripod or weighted base to make sure your sax doesn’t topple over. Before you buy your stand it’s worth thinking about if you want a single instrument stand, or one that will also hold multiple saxophones or your saxophone and another instrument. Also bear in mind that if you are travelling a lot with you instrument the portability and foldability of the stand is important.
Alto and Tenor Stands
The Hercules DS-530BB is our pick for Alto and Tenor stands. The robust construction and stability given by the tripod base are hard to beat. The stand itself weighs just under 1kg and has a load capacity of 10 kg, which should be more than enough given that the average alto weighs just over 2kg and tenors about 3 kg. It has a folding yoke, an adjustable backrest, and locking pins that lock the stand in place. To fold the stand after use, you just press the pin and hold it in. It comes with a bag which makes carrying it around with you easy. are secure and stable for use with Tenor or Alto Saxophones. A storage bag included.
K&M 14300 Alto/ Tenor Sax stand is a decent offering, and a little bit cheaper than the Hercules DS-530BB. The tripod base is sturdy, and the support arms have a protective plastic coating. The height of the lower support arm can also be adjusted as there are several locking positions, and the upper support arm is flexible and can be adjusted to different bell sizes. K&M also produce a couple of peg holders which can be used with this stand and you can also get a bag, but it is not included.
Baritone Saxophone Stands
The Baritone Sax Hercules DS535B stand has a folding yoke with locking pins to secure the upper yoke in the correct position. The backrest has a lever to adjust the height and the swivel legs also have locking pins which lock the stand in place There is a peg hole if your stand needs to hold another instrument. The pegs are sold separately and will hold instruments like soprano saxophones, trumpets clarinet and flute, but the peg won’t hold an alto or tenor sax. If you need a bari stand that also holds an alto or tenor sax, take a look at the DS536B which comes with a detachable fitting.
Of the K&M offerings the 14410 is our choice as it has an extra-sturdy tripod base with cross braces giving the legs extra load capacity and a two-piece folding design. The support bracket has several locking positions. As you would expect, the height is adjustable, and as with their alto/tenor sax stand the support arms are covered with special non-marring (i.e. non-damaging) plastic to protect instrument. One caveat; this stand has limited suitability for baritone saxophones with a low Bb, due to the shape of the bell flare.
Soprano Sax Stands
The solid tripod legs on Hercules DS531BB provide good stability and there is a height adjustment lever (this stand will also hold a flugel horn). The velvet covered peg is detachable and the stand comes with a carrying bag.
Rather than a tripod base, the K&M 15290 stand has 5 legs which provides really good stability for the instrument. The detachable metal leg base screws into the peg so that the entire unit can be stored in the bell of the instrument for easy transport. The black plastic peg is covered with a felt ring to protect the instrument.
If you have a curved soprano sax then the K&M 14315 is worth a look.
Multi Sax stands
The Hercules DS537B will hold 2 alto/tenor saxophones has a one-piece folding design with the locking pins providing a secure solid stand. To fold the stand, you just press the pin and fold. This is a robust stand which has a total weight capacity of 19.95 kg.
For a combined alto/tenor stand which will hold a soprano sax, the Hercules DS-533BB and has all the features you expect from this manufacturer.
And the DS538B will hold a staggering 2 alto/tenor saxophones, 1 soprano saxophone and 2 clarinets or flutes.
For the full range of Hercules and Konig & Meyer stands, click on the buttons below.