Review: Manhasset Stand-Outs and Floor Protectors

While the Manhasset M48 music stand is the “gold standard” for usefulness and durability, there are two things you can add to one that takes it from being a good tool to a nearly-perfect musical companion.

Stand-Outs™

Manhasset makes Stand-Outs™ for those times when a regular stand just isn’t wide enough to hold your music. Stand-Outs slide over the top lip of the desk and the front lip of the tray and can be left on the stand at all times, ready to slide out whenever necessary. You can easily spread four full pages of music across them, eliminating nasty page turns or preparing for quick segues between pieces. Available individually but usually bought in twos, you’ll wonder how you managed without them…and at under $20 a pair, they’re cheap-yet-priceless additions to your rehearsal and performance toolkit.

Floor Protectors

Manhasset also makes Floor Protectors for their M48 music stands. These pliable plastic sleeves slide over the steel feet of a stand and protect floors (and cars, when loading/unloading!) from being scratched or dinged by said feet. Priced at just over $5 for a set of three, they’re well worth it in terms of protecting your floors, doorways, and car.

The Bottom Line

Neither of these products is as exciting as a new axe, but we think they’re well worth the little they cost us…and they get used every day. As I’ve mentioned previously, we own three Manhasset stands, and we’ve carted them to many places over the years…not to mention the countless times we’ve moved them from room to room in our house. After trying to balance too much music too many times, we broke down and bought a single set of Stand-Outs to try them out. They proved to be indispensable, so we bought two more sets. We did the same thing with the Floor Protectors, initially trying a set to determine if it helped all that much, then ordering two more sets. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bumped a doorway (or a car fender or door frame – ouch!) with the foot of a stand and appreciated those Floor Protectors’ presence!

If you’d like to see about Stand-Outs and/or Floor Protectors for your Manhasset stand, we do carry them in the PTM Store…and if you decide to buy them, we’d appreciate it if you’d think of us first. If you buy them elsewhere, that’s okay, too; either way, you’re bound to get years of good use out of them both.

All the best,
Mark

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Review: BiNaK instrument oils and slide grease

A frequent topic of conversation for anyone who plays a brass instrument is oil. No, not the kind that could actually pay for our playing addiction, but the kind that we squirt, smear, drip, or drop into our axe to keep things moving smoothly. Ever have a valve hang? Having one during a performance can make you feel like you’re in your very own Southwest Airlines “Wanna Get Away?” commercial…and during a performance, there is nowhere to hide.

My quest for a better valve oil began a few years ago when I purchased a new trumpet. I had used Selmer, Holton, Blue Juice, and Al Cass valve oils over the years in different horns, but I had settled on Al Cass Fast as my preference. The new trumpet just didn’t seem to get along with Al, though. After the initial break-in, the routine I adopted looked something like this:

• Oil valves before each rehearsal/performance (especially well before a performance)
• Once a week, remove valves from casings, swab everything, and apply fresh oil
• Once a month, break down the entire horn and bathe it to remove all traces of oil; reapply and reassemble
• Desperately hope for no valve hangs 

These steps represented the outer limits of safety; typically, I’d have to perform them more frequently, and occasionally oil the valves multiple times before/during sessions. It was messy and not entirely effective, and I was thinking my new baby was cursed. Enter BiNaK 495.

I had heard of BiNaK for some time, but I finally decided to give it a try when Nanette Kappus, creator of the BiNaK products, offered a too-good-to-refuse promotion one year at Christmastime. For those who don’t know Nanette, she is a tribologist: a fluid lubrication specialist. She also has a background in music performance and teaching, so she knows the struggles we face with our instruments quite well.

I bought two bottles of BiNaK 495 and a jar of the slide grease. I then followed Nanette’s instructions to clean the valves of old oil and residue and applied the BiNaK 495. The valve hangs disappeared. Entirely. My routine became:

• Once every 4-6 weeks, or whenever a valve starts to feel “slow”, remove the valv es and swab the valves and casings; apply BiNaK and reinsert valves
• Break down the entire horn and bathe it every 2-3 months (whenever it is convenient); reapply and reassemble

I’ve since switched all of my axes to BiNaK, and I’ve yet to have a bad result. Two Bb trumpets, one C, one cornet, and a picc, ranging from A (Amati) to Y (Yamaha) and several letters in between. Whether I play that horn daily or rarely, it’s now a worry-free experience.

The only thing I do that varies from Nanette’s recommendations is that I use more than a drop or two of oil for each valve. Not much more, granted, but I lay a very thin bead down each valve. It’s not much, but it works beautifully and it lasts. In a way, this isn’t great news for Nanette’s repeat business…but it is wonderful for BiNaK users. Over the past few years, I’ve only bought four bottles…and I gave two to fellow brass players to try. I didn’t get them back. 

The slide grease is also very good. Consistency is thinner than petroleum jelly, and like the oil, it works and lasts extremely well. I’ve converted all of my horns to it as well.

There may be better oils available, and if so, I’d love to try them. But until I find something better, BiNaK is what is in all my horns.

What do you use? Please post a comment and let us know. We’d love to hear from you!

Keep playing,

Mark

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Review: Hercules BS100B portable music stand

Regardless of instrument, genre of music, or type of gig, there is one piece of gear we all need at one time or another: a portable music stand. And there may be no piece of equipment that is more universally reviled…for good reason.

Having used a variety of collapsible (ever wonder why they’re called collapsible?) stands, I’ve never been a huge fan. In every instance where it’s even remotely possible, I bring a good old, reliable Manhasset M48 stand. They’re bulky, but they’ll hold anything.

Last summer, my youngest was preparing to go to orchestra camp, and one of the requirements was that each musician bring a folding stand. Since taking one of our Manhassets clearly was not an option, my search for a decent folding stand began again. I found the Hercules BS100B, and for the past year, we’ve put it through some serious trials. Overall, I’m extremely impressed.

Pros

• It’s sturdy. Made of tubular and rolled steel, it’s nothing like the flimsy “bag stands” that I (and very likely you) have fought on numerous occasions.
• It’s adjustable. Both height and tilt can be quickly adjusted, and unlike bag stands, this one holds…even when weighted down by a lot of music.
• It’s portable. It’s the closest thing to a Manhasset in terms of strength, but it folds!
• It holds a lot of music well. Between the extending “arms” on either side and the small music-holding “wire arms” on the stand desk, you can spread your music out and know it will stay in place.

Cons

• It’s not as small as the bag stands. As you can see from the second picture above, it folds down to a “package” of about 26″ in length. Still easily transportable, but it was a bit of a surprise when I initially unpacked it.
• The tension mechanism for height adjustment is a bit quirky. Once it’s set, you’re good…but it took a few tries to get the proper balance of easy-to-adjust and holds-the-stand-anywhere tension.

Summary

As mentioned earlier, I’ve been very impressed with the Hercules BS100B. It’s strong and rugged, yet it folds down to an easily transportable size. I don’t get daily use of a Manhasset stand in our house – the three kids always have those – but I’ve been very happy using the Hercules every day for the past year. And it’s been on several gigs with the kids, my wife, and/or me. Aside from the initial setup of the friction mechanism (mentioned above), I’ve no complaints. And at under $40 shipped to your door, it’s a great stand at a great price.

If you have a Hercules BS100B (or other folding stand) and would like to share your thoughts, please leave us a comment. Comparing notes makes all of us smarter…and that’s a good thing!

Keep playing,

Mark

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