TromboneChat

Looking for a stable stand and recently got a Hercules DS520B stand. This stand is able to securely hold the horn in a crowded stage where it may be bumped into. The unique nature of this stand is it holds the horn by the braces on the hand slide rather than by the bell. It also lays with weight of the horn back against two of the legs making it less likely to want to tip. What I really like is the stability of this stand. I use the Neotech hand brace with all of my Bb / F horns and the stands holds them without any problem. The portion of the stand that holds the slide is also adjustable for width which is nice because I have wide and narrow slide horns. The trade-off for the stability is it is a little more difficult to transport, you just have to carry it by itself. Of course, I have been carrying my Hercules in-bell stand lately as the moisture in the bell after playing causes that stand to rust so it's not an insurmountable problem.

I find myself using a trombone stand on rehearsals and gigs less & less; There's never enough room to use them comfortably, and non-trombone players have an affinity for bumping into them; It's like magnetism. Recently, a cohort had his 2-week-old Shires Bass rendered useless at a rehearsal by a hit-and-run clarinetist (we think; mighta been a floot player), who bashed the slide up against the rim of the bell, denting the slide.

So I just leave them at home, unless I know I will have sufficient room, and will have lengthy periods of no playing. One less item to carry around. In a concert band or big band, you always have the horn on your face anyway. In an orchestra, I would pbly still bring one.

Doesn't that stand end up taking more room, since the horn sits at an angle, instead of vertically? Seems to increase the chances of someone bumping into it.

Yes, the stand / horn takes up more space than the typical stand. I agree with you about the dangers of a trombone on a stand in the wild--they are a magnet for any nearby klutz. I only use them if I have a safe place with sufficient room.