davenwest's profile

Good product, depends on previous history, lifetime warranty does not apply to used units

A major plus about this product: it offers AC outlets on the front and the rear. So, if it's mounted in a portable rack cabinet, e.g. for use on stage, musicians can plug their gear into the rear-mounted outlets without having to reach into the rack. The inside outlets can power rack-mounted gear. The outlets are rated 20 amps, and so is the circuit breaker. Wonderful! I have purchased four used units total, and three of them had damaged outlets - looks like someone plugged in a device that was turned on, causing arc-damage to the outlet. I have a call in to Tripp Lite to ask about replacement outlets. If you buy new, they come with a lifetime warranty. But that warranty is not transferable to a new owner. The standard connector on the power cord is a twist-lock. I love these, but most venues won't have them, so I replaced with an ordinary 15A plug...since that's most likely what I'll be plugging into. It'll be a weak link, but I like the notion that the 20A outlets and 12ga wiring is more sturdy than a purely 15A outlet strip.

Almost perfect product for only 50

Starting with what could be better: 1) The plastic in the support arms is clearly marginal. This could be made of forged aluminum and be almost as light, and much sturdier. 2) With a microphone mount on the top, you risk damaging the threads when deploying it the way they recommend (upside down, top on the floor) 3) The proper use of the "fourth foot" in the front and the optional angle device in the back are not well explained. Those are merely suggestions to the manufacturer. The rest is all good: 1) Although at 29 pounds, it's heavier than my previous very heavy Z-stand, the fact that it is carried as a single unit with about one dimension far outweighs the 30% weight penalty. 2) Wow, is this thing FAST to set up! You have to adjust keyboard heights the first time you use it, but then clamp them in place. After that, it's easy. Turn it upside down. Hold upright with one hand. With the other hand, pull one leg out while pressing on the release, then repeat for the other two legs. Give each leg a sharp rap on the end to click them in place. Turn it right side up, pop open the top, extract the two or four arms (depending on one or two keyboards) and snap them in place. Done. Very seriously, less than one minute. 3) FAR easier to carry than even the smallest Z-stand I've ever had, and even more so compared with X-stands. It sits on top of the bag for my 88-key piano across the back seat of the car, and is no longer than the piano. 4) Although you have to take a little care in positioning the three legs, once there, it's less wobbly than any X-stand I've had, and comparable to all but the best Z-stands. Carrying bag is nice to have to avoid scratching it, and since it is between you and the audience, looks do count. Mine is black, and I like that color because it does not draw attention away from the performers on the stage.

Excellent instrument protection for the very low price!

As low-cost fabric gig bags go, this one has some truly great features. First off, the fabric on the two sides is tough and reasonably well-padded. Then, the front pockets have VERY rugged zippers and hold a LOT of stuff. Spare strings (in my case, five of them), picks, tuners, cables, DI boxes, a big soft leather bass strap...all fit with ease. It is supplied with fittings for a shoulder strap for the bag, but doesn't include a strap. That's hardly a complaint - so much else IS included. There's an added 10mm pad at the bottom to protect the instrument. It's attached only on one side. Again, more expensive bags do the same thing, I'm not sure why. Every gig bag I've ever had, IMO, begged for me to improve it. I sewed the other side of this pad on, and added another 10mm of medium-density foam via silicon adhesive. My kids could drop this bag on the floor and not hurt the instrument inside. It doesn't include a shoulder strap, even though it has fittings for one. The added 10mm bottom pad, to protect the bottom of the bass guitar, is attached on one side only, and you'll need to sew the other side in place, or as I did, use adhesive to keep it from flopping over to the side and not protecting the instrument.