Which is the best trumpet stand?
Finally a question that is really easy to answer…
I consider K&M to be the best trumpet stand on the market today!
- Solid and stable
- They don’t scratch your horn or dent your trumpet bell
- Takes Two seconds to set up and take apart
- Does not tip over
Just what we want and need.
After having scratched my Yamaha and B&S trumpet bells on another stand, of lower quality, I will nowadays only use the K&M , five legged trumpet stands.
Why do we need one?
Sooner or later every trumpet player understands that this is almost a must have item. Personally, I learned my lesson after a few small “accidents” I will mention further down.
Where are you going to have your trumpet when you arrange and put the sheet music in order, on your music stand, on the band practice or on your gig? …
-
- In your lap?
Unfortunately this is what I did for a few years before I realized that the oil from the third valve slide gave me stains of oil on my best gig trousers. Stains that are almost impossible to wash because, well they are oil…not good.
- In your lap?
- On the floor?
Yeah, that’s a better option…until your friend accidentally happen to step on the trumpet so that the leadpipe bends and you are unable to play the gig (been there, done that…it was not cheap)
In addition to the practical reasons for owning one I must admit that I also like the professional look it gives and I don’t mean on the shelf, as in the picture, but rather on band practice and on gigs =)
….so do yourself a favor and invest in a couple of high quality trumpet stands. You will have very good use of them for the rest of your trumpet playing days.
Another good thing about using one is that we train good practice habits. As every trumpeter knows, we are supposed to rest as much as we play, in order to build our lip strength instead of tearing it down…
…and by making a habit of putting down the horn on your stand, after each exercise, you will automatically develop much more productive practice sessions.
- Play for a minute
- Put the horn down for about a minute
- Play three scales
- Put the horn down for a minute
- Play an etude
- Put the horn down and mentally play it through in your head
And so on. Program your brain to do this and it will make you a better trumpet player in the long run. Playing on fresh lips is king!
Why is the 5-leg K&M trumpet stand better than others?
You need a 5 legged trumpet stand because they are SO much more stable than 3 legged stands. My first stand I bought was a 3 legged one and it did not take much at all to get it to tip over.
The K&M with 5 legs is very stable and you would have to kick the trumpet with a decent kick in order for it to tip over and this won’t happen unless no one deliberately kicks your horn…
…and let’s hope no one does that.
- It is the most stable trumpet stand you can find
- It has rubber protection at the tip to prevent the inside of your bell from getting scratched
- It also has very good felt pads to protect your horn
- The detachable metal leg base screws into the peg so that the entire unit fits perfectly inside your trumpet bell during transportation
- Fits perfectly into the bell of your horn when you’re not using it. Very easy and quick to put setup and take down (2-3 seconds)
You need the protection felt pads and rubber tip
Do NOT buy the sharp ones without protection
Don’t make the same misstake I did the first time around and buy a cheaper trumpet stand.
If you take a look at the K&M you can see some gray rubber at the very top of the stand. This is important not only for preventing your trumpet bell from scratches but also from small dents…
…look:
…we are all humans and there is no way on earth we will remember to, carefully and slowly, put the horn down every time on that stressful gig…
…or orchestra rehearsal.
We will put the horn down, literally thousands of times, and if you have a stand with a sharp “tip”, sooner or later you WILL make small dents in your trumpet bell. This is especially true if your bell is a bit thinner, like on my Yamaha 8310Z. Sooner or later it will happen, it is inevitable and that’s why we need the K&M.
I got perhaps 10-15 very small dents in my bell because of this very fact. Not to mention all the small scratches in the lacquer. I’m going to take my horn to a friend who is handy with repairs but I’m the kind of guy who feels a bit uncomfortable asking others to do something for me so of course, I will offer him money for it…
…which I could have saved instead if I went for the K&M to begin with.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What about four legged stands?
A: Much better than three legs but still nowhere near as stable as five. Whatever you do, however, do NOT go for the three legged option because there is always one direction that is not supported on them and it does not take much for it to tip over.
Q: Is the K&M stand better than the Hercules trumpet stand?
A: I think so yes, It is more stable and I’m personally using the K&M. Some of the Hercules stands are also pretty unstable.
Q: Does the stand leave marks on my bell if I leave my trumpet standing on it for many days in a row?
A: No it does not. I prefer to keep my horns in my gig bag but if you wanted to leave them on the stand there is nothing that hinders you. If fact, daytime I always do that. This is to encourage me to practice more if my horn is right there in front of me when I walk by =)
Q: Can I use my cornet with it as well?
A: That works well, so indeed you can. I think that the flugelhorn is too big however and you would have to order a special one for the flugel.
Q: What about my C-Trumpet?
A: Yes the bell of most C-trumpets are not that much smaller. I can even use this stand with my Eb-trumpet. However, I don’t think I could go much smaller than my Eb-trumpet, so it would not work with a piccolo trumpet. If you want that then you need to get a stand specially designed for piccolo.
Q: How much do they cost?
A: This product is priced well compared to similar items and especially considered it’s the best one out there. You can click here to check current pricing on Amazon cause it always fluctuates a bit.
FINAL VERDICT: Is the K&M Trumpet Stand Worth It?
Answer: Yes I think it is!
Bottom line:
Every trumpet player needs a trumpet stand…
It takes two-three seconds to set up…
Other brands may dent and scratch the bell…
And it will save your trumpet from tipping over since it, with its 5 legs, is the most stable one out there….
Final words
There is a good reason why I decided to put this product on the “must have items” list. I honestly think every trumpeter should own a trumpet stand. I have 4 of them because on some gigs I use several trumpets and there is no way I’m having them lie on the floor. As I said…
…been there, done that and the repair costs was not that cheap.
If you order the K&M stand from Amazon you have a 30 day full money back gurantee, sould you for some reason not be happy with the product. However I highly doubt you would be unhappy with it.
I recommend you get one
If you are interested in the same stand that I use (the one I have been writing about here, the K&M 5-legged stand) it should always be pretty affordable, somewhere around 20-35 bucks, I’d guess. You can click here to check current pricing on Amazon.
Thank you for clicking on another “must have trumpet item” and thanks for reading this short “trumpet stand review” about what I consider to be the best trumpet stand we can find.
And don’t forget, the trumpet is a beast that will eat us alive if we take too much time away from it so…
…no matter what fun trumpet accessory we buy, we still have to practice…practice and then… practice some more =)
-Robert Slotte-
P.S. Have you read my article 26 trumpet playing tips to become a better trumpet player? If not head on over there and have a read =)
P.P.S. Perhaps you also might be interested in reading the blog post nervous when performing the trumpet. It is an article full of practical and mental tips on how to deal with your nerves when your are performing, or if you just have anxiety in general.