Before taking a look at types of cymbals stands, let's review several factors to consider when guaging the quality of a stand:

• Consider the tubing wall thickness. Thicker walls are less likely to dent, but add more heft. Heavy stands are more desireable since they hold up better when mounting several items on them, such as 2 cymbals + 1 tom + blocks. However, if you're only mounting one item that is somewhat light, like a 16" cymbal or tamborine, a heavy stand with thick walls may not be necesary.

• Tubing diameter, or how big around the tubing is, tends to indicate thicker wall, but not always. Heavy duty stand will typically have larger tubing diameter.

• Look at the number of joints. These occur where two tubes (or poles) meet. More joints allow for greater height adjustment.

• Bracing is found on the legs of the stand. Most double-braced stands are strong by design and added material. Cheap single-braced stands should be avoided; however, more costly single-braced stands should be fine since they use better materials (thicker metals) and better designs for added stability.

• The tilt adjustment found at the top of the stand has opposing teeth that are tightened together with a bolt and wing nut on most cymbal stands. If you can find one that has smooth action, allowing micro-adjustments, GET IT, these are very nice and certainly worth the extra money.
  
  

The three basic types of drum stands used for cymbals are:

1. Straight- has a short rod at the end to mount and tilt the cymbal. The rod is about 4"-5" long.

2. Boom- has a the 4"-5" short rod plus a longer rod that ranges from 12" to 18" in length. The longer rod can be adjusted for length, rotation, and height.

3. Convertible- is a hybird of a straight and a boom stand. It works just like a boom but has the ability to slide the longer rod into the tubing of the stand for a more compact straight stand.

Cheap drum sets usually come with either one straight or one boom cymbal stand. Student level to semi-professional sets will offer both a straight and a boom stand. Just remember that cymbals stands are one of the easiest items to add to your kit for expansion.

Hi Hat Stands

Hi hat stands play a vital role in creating your sound. WHY? Because you need absolute control over the hi hat cymbals.

When it comes to choosing, refer to the features discussed for cymbal stands. The big difference is that you have a pedal, chain, and rod assembly to consider. The moving parts add a new dimension to the stand.

Here's How A Hi Hat Stand Works: A foot pedal is connected to a rod that travels up through the tubing. The rod is under spring compression to pull the pedal "up" when you lift your foot. The top hi hat cymbal is fixed to the rod and moves up and down when pressing and releasing the pedal. This cymbal the closes against a bottom one that is does not move.

Standard hi hat stands will have a pedal that connects to the rod by means of a chain (as shown below on the left) or a solid link (shown below on the right).

Since the parts move and sustain a lot of pressure, you DON'T want a light weight hi hat stand. If you buy a drum set that comes with a flemsy one, Replace It. You'll be glad you did!

Snare Stand

When looking for a snare stand, you're main concern is that it is easy to adjust and has features that are similar to your other drum stands (that you know will hold up under normal playing). If meets these criteria and is a fair price- BUY IT. There is no need to spend a wad on a snare stand. Here's what I mean..

For the two snare stands shown at the right, the left one is a Pacific 900 series by DW Drum (list price around $125), and the one on the right is Pearl Drums' S70W model (list price around $80).

The Pacific snare stand (on the left) is heavier and more adjustable. BUT, both stands hold a snare securely and can be adjusted to a comfortable playing position. Why spend more?

In closing, a good rule to remember when shopping for drum stands is that price is usually a reflection of how heavy-duty the stand will be and how much it can adjust. Put your money on the hi hat stand and look for quality and reasonable prices on the others!

With that said, let's head back to the Drum Set Hardware page for juicy info on other areas of the kit.

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