Our newest chair is here! We've carried a couple different stools for several years - a lightweight, very adjustable one for maximumum portability, and the ultimate heavy-duty model with backrest from K&M. Now, we add the mid-level option - built a bit tougher for regular gigs, but more portable than the "ultimate" option.
This chair has fixed, rather than infinitely variable, height options - but there are 12 options from just over a foot high (!) to 33½", so you're going to find a height that suits your needs.
It's also very comfortable - with a well-padded seat, which is very cleanly wrapped in a durable, thick-gauge textured vinyl. Plus, it features a special adjustable "shock absorber" construction. With four special rubber mounts, the seat provides a bit more "give" for those long rehearsals or pit orchestra gigs, when you start getting a little restless. No one likes when those tingles start going down your legs when you've been sitting too long, and the chair's movement may help reduce the pins and needles in your restless legs during a long show, by allowing you to reposition more effectively.
Check out the animated graphic to the left, showing how the seat can have a little "shimmy" to help prevent a sore keister!
It very easily folds very compactly -- the seat simply removes from the frame, and a special hook on the underside secures it to the frame flat for carrying. Simple, effective! And at 16 pounds it's not a backbreaker, making it the ideal chair for playing in local theater pit orchestras, college ensembles, and more.
The Specs:
- Dimensions: (W)16.5" x (D)23" x (H)36.5"
- Height Range: from 12.5" to 33.5", in 2" increments
- Weight: 16 lbs
- Frame: Powdercoated steel
- Frame Color: Black
- Seat: Textured Black Vinyl, padded
- Footrest: Tilt-up, platform style
Like the lightweight chair, the low-profile frame is made of powder-coated steel, so it doesn't "stand out" on stage - but has a classy, understated look. It also has a small footprint - which makes it less likely someone will trip over the legs trying to scuttle by on a crowded stage!
Just a tip: If you've never used a stool or played seated, you may find that you adopt a position with your bass at a lower angle as shown in the photo to the left. Depending on several factors, including the floor, the tip on your endpin, etc., the bass may have a tendency to try to slide away from you. Constantly fighting that slide may cause you to tense up your left hand, particularly - and that's not good!
I mentioned before about the adjustable shock absorbers on this chair. There are four dense rubber standoffs under the seat which attach it to the frame. They provide a little "spring" to the chair, and make it a bit more comfy for those long sessions. They also allow a bit of "tilt" if you want it. How much tilt is adjustable, by which mounting points you use. Alternate options for mounting allow you to make the chair a little less "tilt-y" than stock, which is what I did with my own chair.

We mention this just so you are aware of the possibility, and to show you a related product — the Xeros Upright Bass Endpin Anchor. Now you know what it's for! It has a "cup" that holds the endpin in place, and its adjustable strap has a loop which goes around the chair's foot. It holds the bass securely so you can concentrate on playing, rather than foiling a bass escape attempt! Of course, a looped piece of rope or other material can do the same thing, though it's not as elegant. You can even take off your belt if it's an emergency... as long as it doesn't create another one! ;-)
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