Guitar stands that are functional and portable are usually things that don’t go together. Tubular stands offer support, but don’t collapse well enough for storage, between the gig and the practice space. They also usually come apart, meaning parts are bound to get lost over time. Portable guitar stands maybe small, but don’t offer enough support. Well, D&A has come up with a new concept of a portable yet stable guitar stand.
The Gigstand & Icestand are pretty much identical, however the gig stand comes in a Black ABS plastic, while the Icestand comes in a clear plastic version. It’s purely an aesthetic choice, which is nice. They are both offered up in electric and acoustic versions.
These arrived at our offices, in a folded up manner, and looked more like a wing of a small drone or UAV. The design is something like if Iron Man or Batman had designed a guitar stand; with two quick and easy motions, it unfurled into a guitar stand. In the open configuration, There’s protection for the instrument as it rests in the stand; a rubber tread that offers up grip, and yet won’t damage or mar an instrument’s finish (yes, it’s safe for nitro) at all of the contact points. To keep the stand from slipping and sliding on a smooth surface, there’s also a rubber strip on the base to keep the stand from skittering off on a smooth floor surface.
Since the entire base is sitting on the floor, there’s no balance or tipping points, so getting knocked over like a traditional stand is out of the picture, and since it’s not really super wide, most guitars bodies will go past the edges. Which means if someone walks by it, and tries not to bump into the guitar, there’s no extended legs that go past the instrument, or anything that might get nudged with a stray foot and cause a topple.
The fact that it collapses into such a small form is a welcome design feature. It can easily fit in a backpack, pedalboard case/bag, the accessory compartment of an instrument’s gig bag, or even the tried and true musician’s friend, the milk crate, without taking up a lot of room. Since there’s no parts to separate or get lost (we’re sure there’s a dimension where lost socks, and parts of the chrome tubular guitar stands end up), it’s a win-win with the design and function.
It’s an easy option for the player who takes two guitars to a gig; a pair of these won’t take up space in transit, and won’t be a hazard on stage. Recommended.
PROS:
Great design, sturdy, finish friendly
CONS:
None
STREET PRICE:
$24.99