If the past couple of decades have taught us anything, it’s that we never knew we needed certain items until they suddenly existed.
Take for instance the iPod, then the iPhone, then TikTok advertising! Ok, maybe we could do without the latter. But it just goes to show how you don’t realise you’ve been missing something your entire life, until it becomes so much a part of your life. And with that, just about every guitarist, or bassist (we’re not about to forget you guys) has been fairly content with their current guitar stand for several years now… because they were yet to discover exactly what they’ve always needed! Gravity Stands brings you the Guitar Glow Stand!
At this point, we’re going to segue to an almost darkened studio, low lit and moody. Your attention is drawn across the room, where focus falls on the guitar in the corner. It’s the star of the show, it’s a museum piece, it’s illuminated. Then the light bulb moment hits. Why have we not had illuminating guitar stands before? And how is the absolute fastest way we can get these into our studios, on our stages and into our lives?
Well, that was the “shut up and take my money” moment that went through my head when I was first shown the new Guitar Glow Stand from Gravity Stands. Whilst functional, as any good guitar stand should be, these are just so cool, I wish they had been about years ago. How did we ever live with just room lighting on our guitars? Exactly!
Guitar Glow Stand
So, enough daydreaming and pandering, let’s have a closer look at just what Gravity Stands delivered with these new products. Two styles of guitar stands are on offer: one A-Frame model; and one a Neckhug hanging model. The latter of the two offers an adjustable height so bass guitars can be used with both options. What sets them apart from every other guitar or bass stand you’ve ever own, is the LED illumination and instrument spotlight. In both models the round base and the upright supports are lit with ambient LED lighting that can be adjusted to a brightness and colour of your choosing. The result is a backlit effect, complimented by a subtle glowing from beneath that really makes your favourite instrument look like it on show, even when it’s not being played. The colour and brightness settings can be saved so when the stand is powered up again it’s just the way you want it to look, and your guitar is allowed to shine.
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But, if that wasn’t enough, both models of Guitar Glow Stand have an adjustable spotlight in the base. Again, you can adjust the colour and brightness of this small spotlight, but you can also adjust the angle of the light as it’s mounted in a rolling barrel in the base of the stand. So, you can choose which section of the instrument you want to highlight. I can see a lot of guitarists with heavily flames or quilted archtops who are going to love this feature. It makes your guitar look a million bucks, just about. If you’re more a fan of figured maple fretboards, just rotate the light to shine up the neck and there you go, happiness. Just like that.
A few features to take note of that differ in the two models. The Neckhug option offers a soft closing mechanism on the collar of the instrument’s neck as it is seated in, so it hangs securely and safely. As mentioned previously, the very top section of the stand can be adjusted up and down to different heights, to adjust for longer instruments, this adjustment occurs from the top of the LED light section, so you’re not at risk of damaging the lights in the process. The A-Frame model offers removable foam inserts in the base, so you can find the most appropriate fit for the style of guitar, to ensure it sits snugly. The low profile of the A-Frame doesn’t allow for as much light to me seen beneath the instrument, but rather creates more of a recessed lighting glow which is going to appeal to some users over the fully lit upright of the Neckhug model. Both have a good weight distribution in the round base, so they offer a stable support for your prized instrument, without the tripping hazard that some other tripod style bases suffer from.
With power supply included all you need to do is plug it in, set your guitar, or bass, into the stand, adjust the colour and spotlight and enjoy looking at your instrument as much as you do playing it. It must be made aware though, that like most guitar stands, Glow Stands aren’t recommended for prolonged use with guitars or basses that have a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. It’s just common sense really, and if you have a guitar that has an unstable finish to it, you’d be well used to protecting the finish on other guitar stands anyway.
In short, I never even thought I’d need a glowing guitar stand with a spotlight built into the base. That was, until I saw these new releases from Gravity Stands. I think it goes without saying that your guitar on stage is going to look amazing with its own lighting, but I’m more keen for the studio use. After all, no recording studio, be it a home studio or professional studio, should ever have bright direct light. It goes against the creative process. Mood lighting for the room is essential, and now it can be a focal point on your instrument too.
For local Gravity and Gravity stands enquiries, visit Link Audio.
