New Music Gear Monday: Fender Amperstand Guitar Cradle
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always hated guitar stands. True, they’re a necessary evil, but they always take up too much space because of their irregular shape and often don’t secure an instrument that well. Whether it be at a gig or in the studio, you need a place to rest your guitar when it’s not being played, and the good people at Fender have been listening to their customer’s pleas. They’ve come up with something that’s simple yet efficient with the new Amperstand guitar cradle.
Ampterstand is a USA-made molded piece of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) rubber that’s designed to fit against a combo amp. It has micro-suction material to keep it held securely to the amp so that it, and your guitar, doesn’t move, which is always the big fear for a player.
Fender says that it’s able to grip any surface, even the Tolex material on their amps, and since it’s a non-adhesive design, it won’t leave any residue behind.
The Ashtray
On the top of the accessory there’s also an “ashtray” large enough to hold your picks, keys, capo, and anything else that you’d normally throw on top of the amp. It can even serve as a cupholder. Plus it has two grooves where you can secure your cable instead of throwing it over the amp or on the floor.
This is the sort of accessory that every guitar player will have and use, then wonder how they got along without it before.
That said, there is a caveat. According to Fender, “sweat and other environmental contaminants can produce chemical reactions between the finish and stand components that can be neither predicted nor tested.” The company has tried it with it’s own finishes with no problems however.
Amperstand is only $19.95, but I’ve seen it as low as $14.95 if you look around online a bit. Whatever you pay, it’s a small amount for a crucial yet somewhat overlooked guitar accessory.
