LowBoy

lookingforalowboy

Junior Member
Hello,

I'm new to your forum and joined hoping that i could get some advise on how to make (or buy) a LowBoy like this:
lowboy.jpg

Or how to modify a modern hi-hat stand.
I've been searching for years, seen them but not for sale.
I want to use it for a One Man Band act i'm developing.
Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

thanks,
JJ
 
It seems like the key to getting a nice and low sock cymbals set up is to pick up the cheapest high hat stand that has the shortest legs possible with the top of the leg collar as low as possible.

You'll have to drill out the rivets that hold the outside tube to the collar at the bottom. Then you need to cut down the outside tube and also cut down the inner tube. Of course the top of the top cymbal rod will need to be shortened too, but you might want to wait until you have it all back together so you can figure out exactly how long you want the rod to be above the top high hat cymbal.

If you don't have the tools to reinstall new rivets to the outside tube to the leg collar, then you can get the right size bolt and nut and secure it that way.

That's about it.
 
BTW, if you don't have to have it that low, you could just buy a junior high hat stand for a kid's kit and it will probably go pretty low and you could still cut of the top cymbal rod if it's in the way.

Or if you want to splurge, buy a remote high hat cable set up and clamp it as low as you can near the floor.
 
Depending on how much money you want to spend .... I'd start with a flat based hi-hat .... just for a little more stability than the one you pictured. DW and Gibraltar both make very nice flat base "modern" stands ... and, then there's real "vintage" stuff ... an old Japanese hi hat stand from a stencil kit, would make a cheap donor.​
From there, just add a hack saw and a little "elbow grease" and bam, you could probably whip one out in 1/2 hour, or less.​
 

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With the Flat Base stand in Harry's pic, you could just use the bottom section, cut at any height you wanted, and use a bottom cymbal cup from any make heavy duty stand that fits a 3/4" tube. Those parts are easily available (from Gibraltar even).

You wouldn't even need the top pull rod.

Looks like a pretty simple job actually. You'll want a Tube Cutter to cut the bottom tube cleanly. Don't use a hacksaw.

A Flat Base will make it more solid than the actual lowboy.
It's not "authentic". but it wouldn't fail on you, or cost you an arm and a leg like a "real" one in playable condition probably would.

Good luck!!
 
thank you very much for the tips on how to build a LowBoy, i will get right on that with an old hi-hat stand i have and come back and tell you how it's going...
JJ
 
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