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trickg
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Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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 Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 8:57 pm Post subject: Hamilton KB500 - Awesome Durability |
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About a week ago I ended up accidentally shattering the black cap on the end of the tube of my Hamilton trumpet stand. I'm not completely sure how it happened - I had it at a big band gig, and I think I accidentally dropped it when I was packing up for the night. I've had a black sock over that for a good long while, so when I noticed it and pulled the sock off, it was in pieces.
Here's the thing though - this stand is so old that the cap, made from black rubber, had actually hardened to the point where it shattered.
My sister got that stand when she was in the 8th grade and I was in 5th, during the 1981/82 school year. I'm pretty sure she got it as a Christmas present, so we're talking Christmas of 1981, 41 years ago.
When my sister graduated high school she stopped playing trumpet altogether, so the stand came to me along with her Bach Strad, Arban's book music, mutes, etc.
This stand has been with me through countless rehearsals and gigs since 1986 when it became mine - it's been tossed in duffels and banged around with other gear, and it just keeps trucking along. A couple of years ago before I replaced the sock that I put on it in HS, I remarked to a kid in my National Guard band unit that the sock had been on that stand since before they were born. 
I replaced the end cap with a 5/8" non-marking soft chair leg tip made from rubber, slapped the sock back on it, and it's good as new - I imagine it will continue to work for another couple of decades.
Anyway, I just wanted to share that. How often do we continuously use anything for that length of time?
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jimspeedjae
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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I've probably been through a few stands in that time.
But most of us on here have socks that old. |
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stuartissimo
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 12:49 am Post subject: |
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Not all of us. I'd really like to learn where to get socks that last that long...most of mine only stay good for about a decade.
As for the stand, I really like that you just repaired it and keep using it, instead of buying a new one.
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huntman10
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 4:35 am Post subject: |
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I have one with duct tape on the tip. And a couple that sit in my studio from the early 70's.
Come to think of it, half my equipment is that old.
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huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
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trickg
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Joined: 02 Jan 2002
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Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:33 am Post subject: |
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| huntman10 wrote: | I have one with duct tape on the tip. And a couple that sit in my studio from the early 70's.
Come to think of it, half my equipment is that old. |
It doesn't have to be duct tape - these will work. Duct tape is cheaper, but these are pretty durable - I use these for the tip of my drum major mace too, but I use a different size for that. The Hamilton stand uses a 5/8ths size.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00466X40C?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
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Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
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"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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mafields627
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:47 am Post subject: |
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Still have mine from the mid-90s that has the white rubber disc on it. It gets daily use in my band room and is a tank. Way sturdier than the Herculese stands in my middle school band room.
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No representation is made that the quality of this post is greater than the quality of that of any other poster. Oh, and get a teacher! |
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homebilly
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:54 am Post subject: |
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those old Hammies are the best stands ever made
i have 4 of them from the 70s
i bought the newer Chinese made Hammies a few years back and they are no where near as well made
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ron meza (deadbeat jazz musician) & (TH 5 post ghost neighborhood watch ringleader)
waiting for Fed-Ex to deliver a $50 trumpet to my door. shipping was prepaid by seller of course!
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Last edited by homebilly on Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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trickg
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Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:54 am Post subject: |
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| mafields627 wrote: | | Still have mine from the mid-90s that has the white rubber disc on it. It gets daily use in my band room and is a tank. Way sturdier than the Herculese stands in my middle school band room. |
Yep. The funny thing about mine is that I never even pretended to be careful with it all these years, and it's held up in spite of the abuse. I figure that even if the rivets holding the legs together give way, that's an easy enough repair using other conventional hardware, although to be fair, I can get a 1-1 replacement for $20-$30, depending on the source.
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Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler
"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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homebilly
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:55 am Post subject: |
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and i have had sox on them the whole time
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ron meza (deadbeat jazz musician) & (TH 5 post ghost neighborhood watch ringleader)
waiting for Fed-Ex to deliver a $50 trumpet to my door. shipping was prepaid by seller of course!
http://ronmeza.com
http://highdefinitionbigband.com |
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trickg
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:04 am Post subject: |
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| homebilly wrote: | | and i have had sox on them the whole time |
I did it because I looked up to the band director I had at the time (sophomore year of HS) had one on his.
The current one isn't anything special - it's a black medium weight dress sock that I apparently lost the mate to, so I pulled it over, tightened it up a bit, locked in in place with a zip tie, and then trimmed off the excess.
The original was a gray one - my band director's was gray, so it had to be like his.  I think I tied that one with a piece of cord. The zip tie on the current one works better. I replaced the original because after a couple of decades it had gotten threadbare.
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Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
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"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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OldSchoolEuph
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:48 am Post subject: Re: Hamilton KB500 - Awesome Durability |
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| trickg wrote: | | How often do we continuously use anything for that length of time? |
Well my go-to euphonium is still the same one that has been my main horn since December 1975 - somehow that Yamaha case is still hanging in there too - although with the styro showing through in a few spots and only 2.5 of the original 4 latches.....
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trickg
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Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:11 pm Post subject: Re: Hamilton KB500 - Awesome Durability |
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| OldSchoolEuph wrote: | | trickg wrote: | | How often do we continuously use anything for that length of time? |
Well my go-to euphonium is still the same one that has been my main horn since December 1975 - somehow that Yamaha case is still hanging in there too - although with the styro showing through in a few spots and only 2.5 of the original 4 latches..... |
So I guess you could say it's......
an old-school euphonium?
Ba dum, crash! 
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Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler
"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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nieuwguyski
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for the link.
I have four old-school "white disk" Hamilton trumpet stands and one white-disk trombone stand. All have had black socks on them for decades, and all the rubber caps are petrified. New caps will be on my way soon.
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cbtj51
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 6:17 am Post subject: |
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trickg,
I have a very well used Hamilton that has been run through the abuse mill since the very early 70s. A Crown Royal bag from that same period served as a sock for many decades and it was, for many years stored and transported to and from rock and roll gigs in an accessories (cords, mic stands assorted percussion equipment, etc.) almost coffin-like case. As you noted, the rubber tip hardened and eventually shattered a few years ago. I am replacing the tip as you have indicated as soon as my Amazon delivery gets here, then it will be back in service again, at least in my studio. Thanks for posting!
Life is Short, find the Joy in it!
Mike
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trickg
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Joined: 02 Jan 2002
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Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:46 am Post subject: |
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| cbtj51 wrote: | trickg,
I have a very well used Hamilton that has been run through the abuse mill since the very early 70s. A Crown Royal bag from that same period served as a sock for many decades and it was, for many years stored and transported to and from rock and roll gigs in an accessories (cords, mic stands assorted percussion equipment, etc.) almost coffin-like case. As you noted, the rubber tip hardened and eventually shattered a few years ago. I am replacing the tip as you have indicated as soon as my Amazon delivery gets here, then it will be back in service again, at least in my studio. Thanks for posting!
Life is Short, find the Joy in it!
Mike |
That particular rubber tip ended up going on pretty tight on mine - I finished the job by tapping it on with a rawhide mallet.
IMO that's a pretty nice rubber cap. They've been great for my drum major maces - I use the 1/2" size for that. Those wear out a bit quicker, but when I'm DM'ing the mace also gets walked as part of flourish when I'm leading street parades, so the tip comes into direct contact with blacktop, cement and that sort of thing. I can't imagine that this rubber tip will ever wear out on this stand.
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Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler
"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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DH
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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The two I have are so old that they came with gray rubber cups with a metal disc underneath. Got these from my uncle (Sam) in 1970 or so
That part been replaced with the black ones many years ago. I have those cover with chamois and never used a sock... |
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GizB
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 7:33 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, these things are tanks, and I love 'em - the Classic version, that is. If you're in a stand-up stage band, the t'bone stands are perfect. I cut up old Blitz silver polishing cloths to cover the cap. The Hamiltons are reasonably priced, particularly compared to K&Ms and Hercules's. The Hercules stands just don't seem sturdy enough, and the pegs wobble in their holes.
Hickey's has parts for the Hamilton Classic stands:
https://www.hickeys.com/music/brass/trumpet/accessories/trumpet_stands.php |
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