The New Bass Sax Stand Has Arrived
This story picks up where Part 1 left off. The new bass saxophone stand that Andreas Kaling designed has arrived from Germany.
Note: All photos, unless otherwise noted, are by M. Margison.
Photo by: H. Kahlke
My dog Buddy acted as a secondary Customs inspector and wanted to inspect the package prior to opening.
This was one very well taped up box.
Nothing moved during transit. There was not a peanut out of place!
Andreas filled the extra space very well—unfortunately not with a “directions for assembly” sheet. This combined with my lack of spatial ability made assembling the stand way more challenging for me than it would for the average person.
“Did someone say peanuts?” Yes, he did actually eat one before we could get it away from him.
Buddy is 14 years old and is suffering from a form of doggy senility. He also has the beginnings of renal failure. Oh, and BTW, those are not tumors on his side; they are fat pockets.
You’re already beginning to see my spatial retardation. I’m trying to figure out where this will go. I can’t picture it in my head.
Oops, I suddenly find myself reading the packing material. Too bad it’s the sports section. I really don’t care for sports, no matter what language it’s in. 
Wow! Talk about lots of bubble wrap. This is really well packaged.
Now I finally find box that contains the main part of the stand.
Ah yes, now the spatial retardation is really becoming obvious. Yes Helen, the thin pole has to slide into the larger one.
Yeah, but where is this supposed to go? I don’t get it.
I decided to start from the bottom up.
It’s coming together now.
At this point I’m guesstimating where the best position for the lower support brace would be.
Project complete! Yeh Helen! Well done.
The cymbal stand alone is nearly as heavy as my bass. I’m guessing it to weigh nearly 15 lbs, but I’d have to put it on a scale to say for sure. (BTW, the bass is 18 lbs according to one of Buescher’s ads of the day.)
Since these last 2 photos were taken I have made some adjustments to the height of the lower support brace and to the positioning of the feet of the cymbal stand. Both of these changes have made the stand more stable, and both are visible in the photos that will be presented in the third, and final part, in this Series about Andreas’ bass stand.
While the idea for the stand came from Andreas, he worked together with a metal designer who helped turn his ideas into reality. Ferdy Rose is the builder of the stand, and the man who helped improve on Andreas’ original ideas.
Very sturdy lookin’ and good documenting of the experience. Inspector Buddy, it has a ring to it, doesn’t it? I often wished that my big bass came with a longer peg, but not enought to actually change it. In the SaxRax I follow professor Jay Easton’s example and just tilt the instrument to me when I’m seated. But sometimes I want to stand. Still thinking about that.
This stand not only looks sturdy, it is sturdy.
I too had thought of adding a peg to my bass, but with with this new stand, I don’t thinking that will be necessary anymore.
For me, the saxophone is an extension of my body. If I’m not comfortable playing the instrument because of poor body mechanics, then I’m not going to be performing at my best. Hand positions are compromised; breathing might be too as one tries to position oneself to accommodate the instrument.
In short, the best option is to be able to position the instrument to accommodate player, rather than have the player accommodate the instrument. This new stand allows a player to do just that: position the instrument for the best playing position for themselves…Whatever that might be.
Cool!
What are the parts made of that contact the instrument? Looks like maybe metal with some kind of plastic coating?
Hi Bret.
Yes the horseshoes are made of steel, like the rest of the stand. They are coated with a type of heavy-duty type of foam to protect the horn from scratching and denting.