High End Hat Stands....Godsend or Gimmick?

Pocket-full-of-gold

Platinum Member
I'm currently scouting the drum shops for a new hat stand. I've put my foot to numerous models and have been absolutely astounded at the engineering that goes into the higher end models.....lever glides, interchangeable cams, adjustable footboards, chain length adjustments, powershifters, tilting facilities (the stand, not the hats).....man, the options are seemingly endless and much of it has honestly left me scratching my head.

Now, before I get jumped on to use the search function....this is not another thread asking you "what should I buy?" I'm perfectly capable of deciding that one for myself. But the infinite options available these days does pose the question........how neccessary are half these options for a humble hi hat stand?

I get the fact that interchangeable cams, powershifters, chain/strap/direct drive et al on a kick pedal do indeed allow one to completely tailor a pedal to their own distinct feel, but are the same options on a hat stand as viable? The beater on a kick pedal moves a greater distance and requires more striking power, the most separation I've ever seen between a top and bottom hat is a couple of inches. I have mine set to about an inch.

Given that, do we really need different cams or rolling glides or the ability to lengthen/shorten the chain in order to connect a top and bottom hat by no more than a couple of inches?

Are we just suckers for the marketing gimmickery or the need to have "the best" gear? Or have these many changes actually made your playing life a hell of a lot easier?

Interested in your thoughts and experiences. Please feel free to include what hat stand you use, why you chose it, what 'bells and whistles' it has, why they initially appealed to you and if you've actually found many of these options useful.

Cheers.
 
I know what you mean... I have an eliminator HH stand, and I never even bothered trying different cams or any other settings really except for tension...

I play with my bass pedal (also an elim) settings endlessly though...

I'm still a n00b tho... maybe those settings will be useful down the line?
 
I have a Tama Cobra lever glide and I love it. It really doesn't play that much better than my cheapo hat stands!
I say gimmick!
 
One of my favorite hat stands is my old Ludwig Modular. It's at least 18 years old and feels great. solid as a rock, and has great quiet action.

I don't use it much because I NEED a hat stand with 2 legs because I use a left side floor tom and it's perfect placement is of course, in the spot a leg is on a 3 leg stand.
I really like the light weight 2 leg DW stand I have though (think it's the 3000 or 3500 model now). It's simple and feels nice under my foot and that's all that counts--and it doesn't make noise.
No bells and whistles, but they feel great.

The DW 7000 hat stand feels great and is quiet too.

I have a Gibraltar Liquid Drive stand, and I liked it a lot, for quite a while, but when I went to the lighter stand, and got used to the action of a "plain" stand again, I kind of didn't care for the feel of the Gibraltar anymore.
 
Not sure if I would have use for different cams on a HH stand. I use heavy hats (Z Customs) and noticed a HUGE difference on how easy and controllabel they are on my 9500TB. It feels effortless. The tilt function is nice to have cause you never know how flat or not a surface you will be presented with playing venues. The two rail spikes are good to have to eliminate creep or killing vampires. Any more features I wouldn't have much use for so I say, Gimmick.
 
Ive owned a cheap mapex, & pdp. A decent yamaha.
The first really good hat stand I got was the Axis Longboard hat stand. Its great, 6 quick set & forget tension adjustments, the tilt feature is useful, removable legs, very light wieght yet sturdy, and the extra length on the board makes foot splashes much easier.
Do you need things like that in a stand? If yes, get a high end one. If you will not use things like this, the don't worry about getting an expensive one.
 
I tend to agree many features border on gimmick.

I used the same low end Pearl hi-hat stand for years and years, even after upgrading everything else to top of the line. Although I use a mid-line DW these days, I still own that basic Pearl hi-hat stand, and it still works.
 
I've been using a DW 5000 HH stand for 15 years and it still works great. I haven't been able to adjust the spring tension, though. I always assumed it had that capability, but recently I was thinking it felt a little weak and tried to tension it up but I couldn't figure out how! So I raised the footboard a notch on the chain and that's probably all I'll get from it.

All the rest of that stuff? Gimmicks.
 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts all.

Seems at this early stage that most of the "bells and whistles" I was referring to are pretty much not used, by the few repsondants that own these types of stands.

From most accounts I've read (in other threads and internet reviews) it seems that the option of 2 legs for better pedal placement, is by far the main sell point. From what I can gather, a lot are just using the stands straight out of the box, with factory settings. Internet research has also hinted that a lot of the time, these stands are bought purely to have the footboard match the kick pedals (at least according to some of the Pearl Forum members, who's reviews I stumbled across).

Any other owners of hat stands such as the Pearl Elim, DW9500, Tama Lever Glide and the like, that actually DO make use of different cams, light or heavy feel, long or short chain, or any of the other Gucci features?

I'm finding it all very interesting, how much some will pay for features that pretty much remain unused.
 
As long as the stand is sturdy and has an adjustable tension control, it works for me. The last stand I bought a couple of months ago was a Pearl 900 series and it does what it has to.

Dennis
 
My latest hihat stand was $35.00 -new. One of those cheappy OSP from eBay. Works great.

The only thing is that I have it set up at home. I am not gigging right now. If you are out playing every week, this is the test. How they play isn't the only issue. How do they last on the road.

Even when you are extra careful, gigging is tough on equipment. Better equipment usually does stand up to the road with higher success.

With that in mind, I don't think I am going to get a better stand unless I need too, even after I start gigging again..
 
I leave my high end stand at home along with my high end kit.
I buy cheap used Hat stands for gigging. I buy the stands that come with beginner kits from drummers that upgraded. I also buy cheap used drum kits for gigging. I have never had a stand fail. I do check them for loose screws, worn parts, and such from time to time.
If a stand starts to get crappy, I buy another used one for about $30.
Also the cheap ones are light in weight. A big plus for gigging.

Why risk damage or loss of expensive hardware at gigs? As long as the stand shines and raises and lowers the hats, No one knows that it is a cheap stand.
 
Last edited:
i dunno about the ultra high end hat stands but the difference between that cheap crappy one i had and the iron cobra one i have now is outstanding. the old one i didn't think was that bad when i first got it, upgraded the whole set up with new higher end stuff. played the cobra for a while, at first i didn't notice much difference in them, a week ago i set up the cheap crap kit at my house to practice with and after using the iron cobra for the last 4 months then going back to the crappy one i can really see the differences now. i've seen some of the 'ultra adjust' ones and remotes and fancy this and that but i still see a lot of it as gimmicky...

my conclusion, yes there is a difference between low end and high end hats but it can quickly cross that line to gimmicky and useless features just to one up the competition. BUT as soon as they come out with a hat stand with built in beer tap i'll be the first in line....
 
Ok all......I'm gonna bump this once, and once only...then I'll let it die a slow and withering death.

I've heard from plenty who don't use these stands and have no need for the many options that they provide. I've also heard from one or two, who perhaps do own....but don't make use of the features.

There HAS to be more of you out there that own them. I've read post after post here where "The Best" HH stand (or pedal or other peice of hardware) has been discussed at length. Many responses about what cats are playing....often highlighting how good these top end peices of kit are. Where are you guys? What are your thoughts? Anyone gonna come to the party and shed any light?

What about the trusted authorities on "all things gear related"....Les? Konaboy? Harry? Anyone? Really keen to hear your thoughts.
 
I own a Mapex Hi hat stand, and it was about 89.00, I think. I wanted to get the Tama iron Cobra one to match my pedals, but after testing out the Mapex and the Tama, the Mapex felt better. Just more "solid", and it was cheaper, too. It has three legs, but has the ability to turn them, so you can get it right next to your slave pedal, if using a double. My old hi-hat stand was cheap, and I can definitely feel the difference. I think the biggest difference is from the real cheap stands to the "middle class". Once you get there, the difference from "middle class" to "upper class" is marginal. One point, however, that wasn;t made here, is that if you get a stand with the gimmicky features, maybe you'd START using them. I never had a need for a tilting stand, but I also never played one. Maybe if I did, I'd become reliant on it. So, to answer your question" I don't know. :)
 
Back
Top