Light weight hardware

cjohnsondrum

Junior Member
Hey guys -

I'm suffering from some back pain issues (herniated disc...yuck) and it's time to invest in some lightweight hardware. I'm looking for experience with specific hardware, to see what works best. I was looking at Axis stuff because I know it's very light, but it's also expensive. I was also checking out yamaha's single braced stuff.

If anyone could throw in some info that'd be cool. Thanks!

And oh yes, this is my first post. 8>)
 
Sonor 200 Series is really nice stuff and fairly light weight too IMO.
The stands are double braced but the braces are not very bulky. I would not go single braced if you can avoid it. JMO.

Call Dales Drum Shop. I think they have Sonor 200 Series hardware packs for only $230 (and seperately they will be pretty cheap too) with shipping and it only takes a week to ship 3000 miles to CA. Theyre pretty awsome.

The 400 Series stands will raise up higher but are a little heavier.
 
I am gigging drummer (sometimes 3-4 gigs in week) and live on 4.floor, so i decided to use small drums and lightweight hardware in funk/rock/house/pop and jazz projects.
I wanted lightweight and functional hardware pack that is possible lightest to carry and also stable on stage while playing, so i combined lightest Taiwan no name stands with yamaha and gibraltar parts, also bongo stands(part with legs) with cymbal stands(upper parts).
Hi hat stand that is stable and lightweight is Canopus Lightweight model(2,7kg) that i want also to order.Now i am playing on Gibraltar vintage style lightweight hi hat stand that is sturdy but it is more than 3,2kg.(my whole bag with hardware :2cymbal stands, hi hat stand, pedal and 2 snare stands is under 14kg )
you have here great options to go lightweight:
http://www.maxwelldrums.com/ultralight-hardware-case-with-stands-c-299.html

Good luck!
 
I was also checking out yamaha's single braced stuff.

If anyone could throw in some info that'd be cool.

I've pretty much replaced all my stands (DW, Pearl, Tama) with Yamaha hardware. 600 and 700 series, single braced ... unless you're using your hardware as "double-duty" automotive jack stands, the Yamaha stuff will hold up any cymbal, used in a normal fashion. Yeah, back in the 80's, we did some pretty "abnormal" stuff ... China cymbals 6' off the floor, etc., so double-braced, boom stands with counter-weights ...​
 
I have eliminated almost all of the stands from my gig kits.
I have gone to a double tom stand that holds two cymbals.
I also use a bass drum mounted ride cymbal stand.
I use a thin hi-hat stand also.

I love every bit of it!
I get called for gigs a lot because of my compact kits.
I can fit almost anywhere!
 

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Sonor 200 Series is really nice stuff and fairly light weight too IMO.
The stands are double braced but the braces are not very bulky. I would not go single braced if you can avoid it. JMO.

Call Dales Drum Shop. I think they have Sonor 200 Series hardware packs for only $230 (and seperately they will be pretty cheap too) with shipping and it only takes a week to ship 3000 miles to CA. Theyre pretty awsome.

The 400 Series stands will raise up higher but are a little heavier.

I wasn't too keen on the 200-series of hardware from Sonor. The cymbal stands only have two sections, and with my luck, where I like the cymbal is lower than where the two sections meet! Best bet is to make sure you have three sections on the cymbal stands. I used Ludwig flat-based cymbal stands for a while now and in addition to giving you a vintage vibe, are really light and strong so long as you don't want your cymbals super high and angled. DW and Gibraltar also make lightweight 'jazz' stands.
 
I'm still using medium to heavy stands, but I usually have someone to help set-up and tear down. Before I bought my DW 9000 stands, I was debating on buying some of their lighter weight stands, I believe they were the 6000 series with the semi flat bases. These are even much lighter than their 5000 stands. Maybe in a year or two when my body starts falling apart, I might make the switch. Yamaha also has some lighter weight single braced stands that are very strong.

Dennis
 
If you plan on using them to hold more than just one cymbal on top, go for Yamaha 600 series. They are as stable as double-braced "heavy duty" hardware. If you need to just mount a single cymbal on a stand without tom mounts or other cymbals booming off of it, the Ludwig flat-based stands are EXTREMELY light and portable. Check out my kit's thread (link in my signature) to see my hardware set up...
 
I am using the DW 7700 cymbal boom stand and it is pretty solid. I have a small set up so I can get away with lighter hardware. However, I will keep my beefy DW 9101 throne; I don't want any malfunctions when I am sitting on it!

GJS

p.s. Good luck with your back and I hope you are better than ever very soon.
 
If anyone's looking for Yamaha 600 series "single" braced stands you should know they are discontinued. I managed to find 3 straight ones, some shops still have them. The 600 double braced are still kinda light (and still Yamaha quality and strength).
The 700 series is nice but they're all boom stands, which adds weight...
 
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Welcome to the forum!

Ludwig, Gibraltar, DW and Pearl all have nice, light, sturdy stands.

Pearl's can convert from Flat or tripod which is kinda neat.

I use DW's 6000 flat base stands in a couple of hard rock situations. They hold up just fine under heavy playing. I use a 20, a 21 and a 24" ride cymbal.

I have what is now the 3500 two leg hat stand (15" hats). It's pretty light and doesn't sway.

I need 2 legs, but if I didn't I'd use the 7000 hat stand. It's lighter and is very smooth and sturdy.

I also use the flat base snare stand for my tom and it moves less than it did on a RIMS, and the FB DW snare stand doesn't choke the drum at all. I also have a 7000 snare stand and it's really nice too.

If you aren't playing in large venues where you are playing HARD, I'd say you could use any of the above brands flat base cymbal stands and be perfectly fine--and have a whole lot lighter hardware load!

Good luck with your back!!
 
I have eliminated almost all of the stands from my gig kits.
I have gone to a double tom stand that holds two cymbals.
I also use a bass drum mounted ride cymbal stand.
I use a thin hi-hat stand also.

I love every bit of it!
I get called for gigs a lot because of my compact kits.
I can fit almost anywhere!

Really good work. I am a big advocate of using fewer, heavier stands and piling more on them. I've often had two toms and three cymbals on one stand.

Lighter stands is only part of it. If you are using one stand per cymbal, even lightweight stands will start adding up quickly. I would look at using fewer stands - even if they are heavier - and putting more on them.

There is time, money and space/weight. You can get save on any one or two of these by spending more on the other one or two.
 
Really good work. I am a big advocate of using fewer, heavier stands and piling more on them. I've often had two toms and three cymbals on one stand.

Lighter stands is only part of it. If you are using one stand per cymbal, even lightweight stands will start adding up quickly. I would look at using fewer stands - even if they are heavier - and putting more on them.

There is time, money and space/weight. You can get save on any one or two of these by spending more on the other one or two.
Most of us working drummers play small clubs.
There simply is no need to fill the entire stage with a drum kit.
The drums sound just as good and the audience doesn't know the difference.
I actually get many compliments on my kits at gigs.
I started doing this a few years ago and I have never looked back!
My hardware bag used to weigh over 100 LBS, Now it weighs about 40 LBS!
I have to carry in and out and I am 53 years old.
This makes it so much easier for me and the band.
Choosing cymbals was the most important thing. I found cymbals that are versatile.
I crash my ride and I ride my crash. Thank you Agop!
I discovered this when I began to study Jazz. I learned that a well made complex cymbal could produce many sounds.
It all clicked in my head and I applied it to the Rock music that I play at clubs.
I wish that I had done this 20 years ago!
 
Although YAMAHA 700 series hardware is probably the bestest single braced hardware on the market in terms of design, functionality and durability, IMO its not really in the 'lightweight' category, but its performance to weight ratio is the best on the market.


I wasn't too keen on the 200-series of hardware from Sonor. The cymbal stands only have two sections, and with my luck, where I like the cymbal is lower than where the two sections meet! Best bet is to make sure you have three sections on the cymbal stands.


Dual tube, three tier, single stage, three stage etc.

Here I'm on the other side, I 'can't stand' 3 section stands, gimmie two any day. 3 means another section to mess with on stage. If I encounter 3 stage stands I just default the middle section to the bottom.

As an example, if you've got SONOR 200 series and they don't go low enough for you, you can 'easily' chop the bottom section, the only down side is you can't get it back if some day you decide you want to go back to picking fruit again. Your every day garden variety hack saw will melt right through thin stand tubbing.

MAPEX had nice 'single braced' two section cymbal stand for about a minute.
SONOR 1000 (if you can find it) is well made, lightweight single braced, two sectioned stuff with wide-base ability.


One 'major' thing to keep in mind with cheap$r and or 'lightweight' stands is- the down tubes are probably going to be thinner walled steel, meaning you have to be careful when using multi-clamp style attachments... clamps can very easily dent the thinner tubes and once this happens, they not only look unsightly, they don't slide in and out of the nylon collars smoothly anymore.

So its kinda catch 22 when going lightweight, its lighter, but weaker to attachments which are a great space and weight saving alternative.
 
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