Flat Base Hardware Opinions

[gish]

I’m looking to pick up a pack of flat base hardware to lighten my load for gigging and rehearsals. Some initial observations-

Tama- love their gear, but looks like they don’t yet have a flat base boom stand. I’d like a boom for ride cymbal placement. Also, looks like in order to pack the snare stand you need tilt the basket; angle would need to be reset at each setup.

Gibraltar- In addition to wingnuts, drum key bolts at the cymbal tilter and leg tripod. Seems inconvenient. The ultra adjust flat snare stand caught my eye, would use that for my tom.

DW- Overpriced.

Pearl- Doesn’t seem to be much info. Priced much higher than Tama and Gibraltar.

Looking for 1 boom, 1 straight, 2 snare stands (one for my 12’ tom) and hi hat stand. Any user info would be helpful.

 

[Jasta 11]

If you only want to lighten the load, Yamaha 700 series is the best option. ive seen drummers with flat base stiff and the stands (hit hat, snare and possibly 1 cymbal) stand fight each other for space. You cant easily position them like tripod style stands where they can interlock legs easily. People love them though.

 

[fl.tom]

If you’re absolutely firm on “flat-base” stands (there are other lightweight options if tripod-bases are a consideration), take a look at Ludwig’s Atlas flat-base line. Their cymbal stands are one of the few that offer a boom.

 

[blinky]

I have a set of Gibraltar stands, they are OK, and they make a boom stand. I don't know anything about the ultra adjust snare stand, it's probably good, the cheaper snare stand is a bit finnicky to adjust. If you have two cymbal stands then flatbase ar fine but when you have more they are a pain to set up.

 

[Morrisman]

I have a couple of the Pearl straight stands. They’re lighter than regular stands, but heavier than the Tama and the DW Ultra. They have a fairly narrow spread, which means on soft carpet they stands can rock from side to side a bit. They flex a little too. Never unstable or likely to topple, just a bit of rocking. The cymbal tilter is smooth, not geared, and grips well without being too large.
You may not need a boom for the ride cymbal, because the stand can sit right up against the bass drum, but Pearl makes a boom version.

 

[Winston_Wolf]

I've used Yamaha 600 series for my lightweight hardware and for me it is plenty light enough without having the positioning and stability problems of flat-base hardware. The price is right, too.

 

[offdwall]

If you're looking for light weight but not flat base, the Yamaha Crosstown series can't be beat.

 

[Bo Eder]

+1 on the Yamaha stuff above. Super light! But the problem is they don’t offer a boom stand yet.

I have the Pearl stuff and other than the hi-hat, you can turn them into tripod stands if you want.

But everything but the Yamaha aluminum stuff doesn’t save you that much weight. A lot of it is still as heavy as at least Yamaha 600 stuff.

 

[SnickSound]

If you only want to lighten the load, Yamaha 700 series is the best option. ive seen drummers with flat base stiff and the stands (hit hat, snare and possibly 1 cymbal) stand fight each other for space. You cant easily position them like tripod style stands where they can interlock legs easily. People love them though.

Ludwig's flat base stands have a nice little trick where you can rotate the rubber ends to have some base go over the others. Easier to keep stands close.

 

[gish]

Thanks for the responses. I have a full complement of Tama Roadpro stands, along with a a full set of Yamaha 700 stands. Was looking for something a bit lighter for certain gigs, and I admit I love the looks of the flat base stuff. I typically gig a 4 piece with hats, 2 cymbals, and my rack tom mounted in a snare basket. Confident I wouldn’t have placement issues since my kit is fairly stripped down. The crosstown stuff may be light, but it’s pricey and doesn’t have the vintage look I prefer.

 

[offdwall]

Thanks for the responses. I have a full complement of Tama Roadpro stands, along with a a full set of Yamaha 700 stands. Was looking for something a bit lighter for certain gigs, and I admit I love the looks of the flat base stuff. I typically gig a 4 piece with hats, 2 cymbals, and my rack tom mounted in a snare basket. Confident I wouldn’t have placement issues since my kit is fairly stripped down. The crosstown stuff may be light, but it’s pricey and doesn’t have the vintage look I prefer.

I admit, looks are subjective but to me the Crosstown stuff is unique enough that I feel it blends nicely with my 1983 Yamaha RC’s. If you’ve already got a Yamaha boom, you can use just the base of the Crosstown on that one and still save a ton of weight. But I DO get the look of the flat base stuff, it just doesn’t have any other positives for me.

 

[8Mile]

I have the Yamaha Crosstown set and the only disadvantage I find is limitations with cymbal placement owing to the lack of a boom stand. It's not a huge issue for me, it's just a little more fiddling to get them exactly where I like them. I guess, to your point, the flat-base stands might also be enough to make this a non-issue for you.

The weight-reduction is so significant that I am happy to put up with this.

 

[VandelayNJ]

Pearl's stands give you the option of flat-based or tripod (except, possibly, the hihat - still trying to figure that one out). I have the cymbal stand and it's very easy to switch from flat to tripod which is great since I agree with many others that the flat-based stands fight too much for space.

I've just recently switched out all my double-braced stands for single-braced and I found that the single braced stuff is plenty light even if not all flat-based. I have a Yamaha stand (not the aluminum ones above) that's about as light as any I've picked up.

 

[BradGunnerSGT]

The DW ultralight series is really fantastic and they aren't expensive at all. They do have boom style stands if you really need one.

 

[offdwall]

Light, Flat, BOOM!

JK on the flat but it still is a very light boom stand like this.

 

[Mustion]

I have a set of the Tama flat base stands and they do the job well. I do agree that having to fold up the snare stand is a bit annoying, but I think this would be the case for any other manufacturer's stand in order to fit it into the small bag that comes with this particular set. As for a boom, I don't know how far in you position your ride but you can position a flat base stand closer to the kick drum than a regular tripod.

Anyway, I don't know if I would trust a boom on a flat base stand, same as when people ask about hanging a tom from one. It's still an antiquated design and not always applicable to modern setups, so sometimes compromises are necessary. Or you could still use your Yamaha boom stand for the ride--it will stick out like a sore thumb but overall your hardware bag will still be much lighter!

 

[Drifter in the Dark]

Gibraltar- In addition to wingnuts, drum key bolts at the cymbal tilter and leg tripod. Seems inconvenient. The ultra adjust flat snare stand caught my eye, would use that for my tom.

I've used the Gibraltar flat-base stands (1 boom, 1 straight) for a few years now, and I love them! They can support larger 20 and 22-inch ride cymbals with ease. I've never had an issue with one tipping over, even with the boom arm extended 3 or 4 inches. As far as the drum-key bolts for the legs and cymbal tilter...I never use them, and have never had any issues with slippage. They shouldn't get in your way. I would also highly recommend the Ultra-Adjust snare stand for your 12 inch tom! I use one for my 12x8, and it's perfect! The flat base enables you to position the stand close to the bass drum, which is a plus on small stages where space is limited. The Ultra-Adjust mechanism itself is rock-solid, but fair warning: it's a bit stiff when it's brand-new. Once it gets broken-in after a few gigs, it'll move easier.

 

[Drifter in the Dark]

Thanks for the responses. I have a full complement of Tama Roadpro stands, along with a a full set of Yamaha 700 stands. Was looking for something a bit lighter for certain gigs, and I admit I love the looks of the flat base stuff. I typically gig a 4 piece with hats, 2 cymbals, and my rack tom mounted in a snare basket. Confident I wouldn’t have placement issues since my kit is fairly stripped down. The crosstown stuff may be light, but it’s pricey and doesn’t have the vintage look I prefer.

As far as vintage looks are concerned, I think the Tama Classic series stands take the cake. They are very much inspired by the old Ludwig stands, right down to the shape of the wing nuts, the Speed King/Spur-Lok style footboards on the pedals, and the oversized rubber claws on the snare drum stand. I also think that, in terms of design features and value for the money, they're the best choice out of all the retro-style hardware available. (P.S. I also have a set of Yamaha 700 series hardware and I love it to death! It's the most durable single-braced hardware I've ever used.)

 

[larryace]

Other than the look of flat based stuff, which is OK I guess, I never saw the attraction of flat based stands. IMO, the hardware is a functional part of the kit ONLY and they aren't really noticed, so I'd rather have the functionality of the tripod bases for positioning purposes. I've never had anyone comment to me about a piece of hardware, ever. The Yamaha crosstown stuff...I can't get on board with the looks. I notice them. I don't want to notice my stands.

 

[Mustion]

Other than the look of flat based stuff, which is OK I guess, I never saw the attraction of flat based stands.

I used to think that the obsession with flat base stands was simply nostalgia, but I have to say it's nice being able to carry all of my hardware in one hand.