Cymbal Stand Buyer’s Guide
The cymbal stand is the most abundant piece of hardware in any drummer’s setup. With so many different types of cymbals stands most beginning drummers have a hard time determining which type is best for them. This buyer’s guide will help you choose the appropriate stands for your needs.
Cymbal Stand Type
There are three main types of cymbal stand including straight, boom, and hi-hat. Most drummers require at least one of each stand type in addition to other specialty stands as needed.
Hi-Hat Stand
This stand is used to mount a pair of hi-hat cymbals. It has a pedal which opens and closes the two cymbals as well as adjusting the tension holding the hi-hats together.
Straight Cymbal Stand
This stand is used for mounting ride, crash, China, and splash cymbals. Straight cymbal stands have an adjustable set of legs and a height-adjustable center pole. The cymbal is mounted on top of the main pole with a tilter for adjusting the cymbals angle.
Boom Cymbal Stand
Boom stands are similar to straight stands with the exception of the boom arm extending from the center pole. This boom arm offers almost unlimited options for cymbal placement with most drummers having several of these stands in their setup.
It’s important to note that most boom arms can be folded into the stand so it can double as a straight stand.
Cable Hi-Hat Stand
These stands have a cable attaching the pedal to the top of the stand. Cable hi-hat stands are useful for drummers who don’t want their hi-hat cymbals placed directly above the pedal.
Cymbal Extension Arm
This is a metal arm typically screwed into the mounting bolt of a cymbal stand. This arm allows for a cymbal to be mounted above another cymbal while providing some space between the two.
Most drummers use this to mount a smaller cymbal on top of a larger cymbal. I will sometimes mount a splash cymbal on top of my ride cymbal using this device.
Closed Hi-Hat Boom Arm
This hi-hat stand doesn’t have a pedal and therefore can’t be opened or closed with the foot pedal. This stand is most often used to mount a secondary hi-hat on the side of the kit opposite of the primary hi-hat. It’s commonly sold as an attachment which can be added to an existing cymbal stand.
Parts
Legs
Cymbal stands have between two and four metal legs but most have three. These legs keep the stand upright and prevent it from moving around while you play.
Center Pole
All cymbal stands have a metal center pole that’s usually height-adjustable. Some stands have a series of interlocking metal poles for additional adjustment options.
Tilter
This is the mechanism at the top of the stand allowing the angle of the cymbal to be adjusted.
Boom Arm
The boom arm is exclusive to boom stands. This is an adjustable arm that extends out for more options in cymbal placement.
Mounting Bolt
This is a metal bolt that goes through the hole in the center of the cymbal, keeping it in place. There are two different sizes of mounting bolts, 6mm and 8mm so it’s important to know what size mounting bolt you have in order to purchase the correct corresponding sleeves and washers.
Cymbal Sleeve
This is a rubber or plastic sleeve which wraps around the mounting bolt, preventing the cymbal from getting scratched by the metal bolt. It’s important to buy sleeves which correspond with the size of the mounting bolt.
Washer
This is a metal washer keeping the cymbal in place on the mounting bolt.
Top Wingnut
This wingnut is screwed on to the very top of the mounting bolt and keeps the cymbal attached to the mounting bolt.
Felt
These are round pieces of felt situated under and above the cymbal to prevent the cymbals from being scratched by either the washer or wingnut.
Rubber Feet
A cymbal stand often has rubber feet at the end of the legs preventing it from sliding around while you play.
Tension Rod
This is a thin metal pole exclusive to hi-hat stands. It’s located inside of the center pole and attached to the footboard by a chain or strap. This rod will move up and down, controlling the tension holding the two hi-hat cymbals together.
Footboard
This is a flat piece of metal exclusive to hi-hat stands. When the foot applies pressure to the footboard, the hi-hat cymbals are pulled together.
Cymbal Seat
The part of the hi-hat stand supporting the bottom hi-hat cymbal. It often houses a bolt which adjusts the bottom hi-hat cymbals angle.
Hi-Hat Pedal Mechanism
Chain Driven
A chain driven pedal has a metal chain connecting the footboard to a metal pole which opens and closes the two hi-hat cymbals. Just as with bass drum pedals, chain driven hi-hat pedals are popular because of their strength and ease of use.
Strap
A strap driven hi-hat pedal works in the same manner as a chain driven pedal except a leather or plastic strap takes the place of a chain.
Features
A cymbal stands features will determine the ease in which the cymbal can be placed a comfortable playing location. Certain features will also add stability to the stand.
Adjustable Legs
The width of the spread of the legs should be able to be adjusted with a turn of a wingnut. Some legs can also rotate to move out of the way for greater ease of placement.
Rubber Feet
The legs should have rubber feet at the end of them to prevent the stand from sliding.
Double vs. Single Braced Legs
In most situations double braced legs are sturdier than single braced. This is also dependent on the thickness of the metal used to make the legs as thicker gauge metal is more stable but also heavier.
Adjustable Hi-Hat Pedal
Some hi-hat stands have adjustable pedals for more or less tension. Often the angle of the pedal is also adjustable.
Hi-Hat Footboard Tread
As with bass drum pedals, some hi-hat pedals have a smooth surface for easy sliding and others have textured surface grips for enhanced control.
Gearless/Toothless Tilter
Gearless or “Toothless” tilters allow the cymbal to be adjusted to any angle and are often more reliable than tilters with gears or teeth. Some tilters even have a ball and socket joint allowing for additional tilting options. These tilters sometimes strip if they aren’t properly adjusted so it’s important to unscrew the wingnut each time the tilter angle is .
Collapsible Boom Arm
Some boom stands can essentially change into a straight stand by collapsing the boom arm into the center pole.
Adjustable Center Pole
The center pole should be height adjustable with a simple turn of a wingnut.
Memory Locks
These are metal washers preventing a cymbal from falling if a wingnut fails.
Insulated Metal Tubes
Some cymbal stands have insulated tubes to prevent metal-on-metal noise.
Performance
The only cymbal stand actually affecting your technical ability to play is the hi-hat stand. To choose the right hi-hat stand for your needs, see if you prefer a chain or a strap driven pedal. You can determine this by trying both options and then deciding which one feels more responsive to your foot movements.
Start by playing some simple hi-hat closures with whatever foot you use to play your hi-hat pedal; right-handed players often use their left foot so they can play the bass drum pedal with the right foot.
Next, play eighth notes with a stick on the top cymbal and slowly open and close the hi-hat with your foot. While playing, observe the responsiveness of the hi-hat pedal with your foot movements.
There should be a bolt or screw allowing you to change the angle of the bottom cymbal, so you’ll also want to determine how easy and effective it is to change the angle. You can refer to my list of “Best Hi-Hat Stands” for more information and recommendations for specific stand models and brands.
A boom or straight cymbal stand’s performance is based on the number of angle adjustment options it offers. Gearless tilters are very important because they don’t limit cymbal placement. Boom stands usually allow more options for placement and can also double as a straight stand. Since performance also relies on limiting stand noise, thick rubber feet and insulated tubes are the best options in studio recording situations.
Most companies have several different lines of hardware with varying degrees of quality with each model number. Usually one line will cater to professional drummers with these stands perform the best in recording situations.
Reliability
Most manufacturers offer several different lines of hardware with their reliability largely based on the thickness and quality of the metal used to make a stand.
Manufacturers will usually offer a product line geared towards beginners where the equipment is lightweight but also not as reliable. Following are one or two mid-level lines which are lightweight but sturdier than beginner-level options. These mid-level offerings are heavy enough to take a beating but are light enough to carry around with ease. Finally most companies offer a heavy-duty line with thick gauge metal tubes and double braced legs.
The boom stands usually have counter weights to balance heavy cymbals at extreme angles. They are generally the most expensive stands available.
Price/Value
There are some values to be found in off-brand cymbal stands for practicing, but these stands are often too loud to use in the studio. Also, while cheaper off-brand cymbal stands usually hold up well in the practice room, they usually break down during extended gigging.
Most manufacturers offer several lines of hardware varying in quality and price. Refer to my Best Cymbal Stand list for more information on specific brands and models.
Heavy-duty stands with multiple features are usually more expensive than lightweight stands. However, I recommend splurging on the best hi-hat stand available because it has the most moving parts. The best straight and boom cymbal stands are often not necessarily the most expensive ones, so refer to my Best Cymbal Stand list for help finding values.