Guitar stands almost seem like an afterthought most of the time, but Hercules is determined to change that with its new Upgraded AGS Guitar Stands. No longer content to accept that all you need is the cheapest possible tripod/cradle to keep your axe safe while it’s not in use, Hercules has produced a well-crafted, solid guitar stand that’s worth every penny of its price point.
Mechanically, the AGS system has been tweaked from previous models to allow for a wider range of instruments. Also included are the NINA (Narrow Instrument Neck Adjustment), which can be slipped on to make the arms thicker, so you can put a violin or ukulele or you can leave them off to accommodate your more standard guitars, basses, and cellos. The Instant Height Adjustment Clutch is a particularly cool feature as it makes raising and lowering your stand a one-step, one-handed affair instead of the “raise and screw” that you have to do with a standard stand. The AGS system, itself, is well-engineered and sturdy. There is no cradle for the bottom of your instrument, instead relying on foam padding on two legs of the tripod, so this stand will accommodate any model of guitar or bass including the infamous Flying V.
Once you put your instrument in its clutches, the grip locks down and closes shut. I gave this particular feature a stress test in the rehearsal studio by “bumping into it” and otherwise trying to knock it over but the AGS stand stood firm. While I don’t recommend trying this at home, we even got a little carried away, tossing a bass into the stand from across the room in an attempt to knock this thing off balance, but it merely caught the guitar and stayed put without so much as a leg coming off the ground.
