drathbun Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 (edited) To anyone here who owns and is using Hercules guitar stands with the hand grip to adjust height, check your stand out carefully to see if the grip feels tacky or sticky. If it does, stop using it. I was reading through a thread on the Acoustic Guitar Forum: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=510455 where users are saying that this tacky grip is a symptom of imminent failure! Read the thread to see how a user had his stand fail with his guitar in it where it flopped to the floor on its face! I have stopped using mine and contacted the company through their website. Other users in the USA have indicated Hercules has replaced their stands even though they are out of warranty. I bought mine 10 years ago and have raved about their quality. I have a small Herc stand and about 8 Herc wall hangers. You can see in the photo where I scratched it with my fingernail. Edited July 18, 2018 by drathbun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LP Trad Pro II Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 To anyone here who owns and is using Hercules guitar stands with the hand grip to adjust height, check your stand out carefully to see if the grip feels tacky or sticky. If it does, stop using it. I was reading through a thread on the Acoustic Guitar Forum: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php… where users are saying that this tacky grip is a symptom of imminent failure! Read the thread to see how a user had his stand fail with his guitar in it where it flopped to the floor on its face! I have stopped using mine and contacted the company through their website. Other users in the USA have indicated Hercules has replaced their stands even though they are out of warranty. I bought mine 10 years ago and have raved about their quality. I have a small Herc stand and about 8 Herc wall hangers. You can see in the photo where I scratched it with my fingernail. Looks like dust or cat or dog hair attacked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 hey Doug that link you posted doens't work. (401, not found) I have two herc stands, one I've had for maybe 5 years, the other I just bought a few weeks ago. neither one feel tacky or sticky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted July 18, 2018 Author Share Posted July 18, 2018 (edited) hey Doug that link you posted doens't work. (401, not found) I have two herc stands, one I've had for maybe 5 years, the other I just bought a few weeks ago. neither one feel tacky or sticky. I'll try to fix the link. If your grip doesn't feel tacky or sticky you are good to go and don't worry. Hercules is aware of this issue and has long since changed their processes to fix the problem. The grips now feel like solid, smooth plastic. Apparently, this was an issue with their materials 2006-2008 where they coated the rubber with an "environmental coating" that caused the rubber/plastic to disintegrate over time. Here is the text of the OP from the Acoustic Guitar thread: "I have long used and loved Hercules guitar stands, believing them to be the best all-round stand/hangers for my instruments and one of the best thought out products on the market. I have used them exclusively for at least 10 years. WELL, This afternoon I was sitting in my kitchen and I suddenly heard a tremendous crash from upstairs. When I found what the noise was, I was astonished. The adjustment clamp on my double Hercules stand had disintegrated, allowing a Martin guitar to drop straight down to the hardwood floor, bounce on the end pin and fall flat in the floor. My leather strap was on the instrument, so that must have cushioned it enough that it wasn’t a dead drop on the endpin and did not crack the end of the guitar, but it still hit with enough force to scare me half to death, and then fall on the face of the guitar on the hardwood floor. You can only imagine the racket when a wooden instrument lands face down on a hardwood floor. The face of the guitar is scratched, not terribly, but scratched none the less. As I looked at the Hercules stand before I threw it away, I realized - this is a design problem. If the adjustment clamp on a single guitar stand slips, the guitar is still resting on the two front padded legs of the stand. I tried it. It merely slips slowly down the legs to rest on the floor. The two (and perhaps the three) guitar stand holds the instrument straight vertically. When it slips - the instrument or instruments crash straight down and then pop out of the headstock holder because there is no longer any weight on it and it releases. Scary stuff ...Word to the wise ... My stand is in the trash." EDIT: The link is fixed in the OP Edited July 18, 2018 by drathbun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted July 18, 2018 Author Share Posted July 18, 2018 Looks like dust or cat or dog hair attacked it. As I said in the OP, I scratched the surface of the grip with my fingernail to show how sticky/tacky it is. If your Hercules stand feels smooth and hard, then you have one that was manufactured after the issue was addressed by the company. Some posters at AGF are saying that they have contacted Hercules and had replacement stands shipped to them immediately. However, it seems our friends in the UK are SOL as their distributor is saying "tough titty". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Some posters at AGF are saying that they have contacted Hercules and had replacement stands shipped to them immediately. However, it seems our friends in the UK are SOL as their distributor is saying "tough titty". Aint that the way it seems to go always? (I'm in the states, Central Massachusetts) anyway from what you're saying I guess the one I got back when was made after the fix was done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Also, the Hercules stands are not safe for our nitro-finish guitars since the plasticized grip parts are bound to rub off on the guitar over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchabalk Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 I had this problem with 3 or 4 stands a few years back. i can't remember if i found the thread you linked or just emailed them but they were great about it. I spoke to someone on the phone, i might have sent them a picture of my stands, they shipped out replacements for all of them the next day and recommended that i disassemble the old ones before disposing of them and keep the guitar hanger part as i might be able to use it elsewhere. 2 thumbs up and i've continued to buy their products. I've also used these stands for ~10 years for a variety of guitars, including new and old gibsons and i've never had any finish problems. I am based in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted July 18, 2018 Author Share Posted July 18, 2018 Also, the Hercules stands are not safe for our nitro-finish guitars since the plasticized grip parts are bound to rub off on the guitar over time. I don't agree with this. I've had my nitro guitars in Hercules hangers and stands for over 10 years with no issues at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted July 18, 2018 Author Share Posted July 18, 2018 Senior's moment here. Someone on my FB just mentioned they returned their GS412B to Long & McQuade (Canada) where they purchased it. I just went "DUH!!?" I bought mine at L&M. I worked at L&M selling these damned things for two years. My son works there. I called him. He said to bring it in and they'll give me a new one, no questions asked. DUH! Sheesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 I've got a sticky one, and a not sticky one. The sticky one has Gorilla (the best) duct tape on the sticky parts. They're both pretty old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Sorry to see our EU friends are not getting the same level of customer service that some of us are on this side of the pond. Hercules came thru for me with this *sticky* issue...and very quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Sorry to see our EU friends are not getting the same level of customer service that some of us are on this side of the pond. Hercules came thru for me with this *sticky* issue...and very quickly Yes! It all has to do with the particular distributor in that country. I can't say I'd be happy if I were in the UK. Here in Canada, Long & McQuade is an excellent distributor and retailer. Their customer service is next to none. They are the Canadian distributors for Gibson as well and take care of all warranty service. Even though I purchased my 2012 SJ200 Golden Age used, I received a full year of L&M warranty. A number of braces popped on my SJ last year and L&M fixed it NO CHARGE. It took hours of time for Jim Mozell to repair my guitar but he did an expert job and it cost me nothing. I renew the L&M warranty every year for $45. Now that's service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Also, the Hercules stands are not safe for our nitro-finish guitars since the plasticized grip parts are bound to rub off on the guitar over time. with all respect, this not true... at least not with the one I've had for a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el capitan Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 The neck grippers failed on mine, then it got sticky. Took it down the dump & one of the guys working there was a picker. He was really pleased with it.(?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 I’ve used Hercules stands forever. Get an average of seven years out of each guitar stand and four out of each mic stand, based on 200 gigs per year. Absolutely stellar kit and I’ve never had one mark any nitro. The sticky issue is a worry, but have just checked mine and none are affected. Great to hear that Hercules are pulling through on customer service! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) Well, I gotta give you guys that: You got a lot more faith in their products than the manufacturer himself when it comes down to whether or not those guitars stands are safe for nitrocellulose lacquer finishes (hint: they say they ain't so sure). Edited July 19, 2018 by Leonard McCoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Well, I gotta give you guys that: You got a lot more faith in their products than the manufacturer himself when it comes down to whether or not those guitars stands are safe for nitrocellulose lacquer finishes (hint: they say they ain't so sure). Purely anecdotally speaking, I’ve been using their stands since 2001 and have never experienced any nitro marking, discolouring or other ill effects by way of their gear. I’m sure they (wisely) cover their backsides by offering a disclaimer, but personally speaking I’ve only had great service from Hercules products and would recommend (and have recommended) them unreservedly to anyone. YMMV, of course. I’m just speaking from my experiences 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Well, I gotta give you guys that: You got a lot more faith in their products than the manufacturer himself when it comes down to whether or not those guitars stands are safe for nitrocellulose lacquer finishes (hint: they say they ain't so sure). I do definitely recall a yellow piece of paper when my new one came that said "Some guitar finishes may react to materials used..etc" iirc, it went on to advise that customers should check things out regularly and stop using if any issues surface and contact their customer service. I also recall some where on their website, mentioning they had reformulated the materials to make them safer for nitro finishes. This was a few years ago, when I first bought the one I've had. They must be err on the side of caution still. I had my SG Classic on one of my herc stands for about 3 weeks last month, I had restrung it and decided, I was needed to play it more so I just left it in my home office next to the amp I keep in there.. I did check a few times a week and... Nothing... I have one I use for my J200 too and even though that deosn't sit there for extended times, because I case it when I'm not playing it, there is no visible sign of finish damage on the head stock where it rests on the stand or the back legs either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 My nitro Gibson and Martin are on Hercules wall hangers all year round with no marking or discolouration. More than a decade on these hangers with no issues. The issue here is a failure of a grip/clutch mechanism due to faulty materials. Hercules is aware of the problem (2006-2008) and has fixed the manufacturing errors and is replacing any stands exhibiting this symptom. So it sounds like they are doing everything possible. I'm taking mine back to L&M tomorrow for replacement and L&M will deal with Hercules for me. All that being said, nitro guitar owners (all Gibsons) should beware of those cheap stands with the orange tubing. They WILL melt your nitro finish no question! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I've got a wall hanger and a floor stand tripod. My only complaint is, on the latter, the guitar hangs at a slight angle. The lower bout only touches one of the back supports, because the piece that has the yoke on it is off by a slight angle. Somewhere between 5 an 10 degrees - not enough to cause a problem with functionality or safety. Just sort of irritating. Never a problem with the nitro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfish Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I have 4 hercules stands that I bought used, two have the sticky height adjuster and nob that secures the legs. I was going to throw these two out. But I'm going to cut off the height adjuster and see if I can bolt or weld it together, pretty sure I can. I like Hercules stands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 This was posted by Martinman55 over on the UMGF. Good info! WARRANTY (USA ONLY) HERCULES STANDS FULL LIFETIME WARRANTY POLICY All HERCULES Stands purchased through authorized dealers in the United States are guaranteed free of defects in workmanship and materials. KHS America’s obligation under this Warranty is limited to the repair or replacement of any defective part or parts of said products or replacement of the stand. Screws, springs, pads, foam, and other parts subject to normal wear have no warranty coverage. This warranty does not cover damage, deterioration or malfunction caused by accident, negligence, misuse, or abuse. Final determination and resolution of replacement and or repair action is held by KHS America and its authorized representative. KHS America reserves the right to final determination of any and all warranty obligations. KHS America is not responsible for any losses incurred while the stand is involved in the warranty process. KHS America’s final liability extends only to the repair or replacement of said stand and shall not exceed the replacement value of the stand. IF YOU PURCHASED YOUR STAND OUTSIDE OF THE USA The Hercules Full Lifetime Warranty is valid for products purchased from authorized dealers in the USA only. For warranty information or claims from other countries, please contact the distributor in your country using the distributor locator. IF YOU PURCHASED YOUR STAND IN THE USA To obtain warranty service for US purchases, please contact your local HERCULES dealer. If a local dealer is not available contact the KHS America customer relations team directly using the information provided below. A return authorization may be required for all warranty services to be addressed specifically by KHS America, Inc. Please email, mail or fax the following: 1) Full Name 2) Street Address, City, State, Zip-code 3) Email address 4) Phone Number 5) HERCULES Stand model number 6) Photocopy of Purchase Receipt (must be from an authorized US dealer) 7) A photo of the stand specifically showing the malfunctioning or damaged area 8) Please include a description of the issue KHS America, Inc. 12020 Volunteer Blvd. Mt. Juliet, TN 37122 Attn: Customer Service -Warranty Repair Phone: 800-446-6010 Fax: 615-773-9975 Email: service.usa@khsmusic.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 I just thought I'd do an update on the Herc stand failure. I returned my sticky-grip stand to Long & McQuade and received a new one in box. They told me to keep the old one as they'd just throw it out. So I'm going to take the grip apart, drill in a couple of places and put a bolt/nut on it and give it to my son for his bass. The new one has a grip that is smooth, hard plastic, unlike the slightly rubbery feel of the old one. If you are in the US, call Hercules at the number above. If you are in Canada, speak to your retailer. I bought mine in 2008 and it was replaced very easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I just thought I'd do an update on the Herc stand failure. I returned my sticky-grip stand to Long & McQuade and received a new one in box. They told me to keep the old one as they'd just throw it out. So I'm going to take the grip apart, drill in a couple of places and put a bolt/nut on it and give it to my son for his bass. Same thing I did for my nephew...now he's got a sturdy stand and the dump has one less piece of trash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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