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Packing up after our gig last night, I had a minor mishap with a guitar stand. The rubber/elastic bit which holds the neck in place snapped. The guitar will still sit on the stand but there's now nothing to hold it in place.

My first thought was a really stout elastic band, but I'm not sure if that would be secure. Can you buy these bits, or does anyone else have a suggestion? (Apart from 'Buy a new stand...')

George

Speaking for the society against elastic band discrimination I'm of the opinion that calling an elastic band 'stout' amounts to calling it fat. This of course is completely against the European human rights legislation.

Seriously though, in order to avoid the guitar parting company with the stand then some six inch nails and a liberal application of superglue should do the trick!

Rubber is available at craft and hobby shops and can be cut into whatever shape you want. Not sure it would necessarily be either much cleaper than a new stand, or more secure than a stout rubber band - and cutting stretchy rubber with a Stanley knife ("box cutter") can be both frustrating and hazardous - but it can be done.

http://www.deltarubber.co.uk/cutstrip.htm

Or perhaps a slice cut from a nice thick neoprene mouse-mat (the same stuff works beautifully as a seating cushion under a Fender Jaguar, Precision Bass or Jazzmaster pickup).

JN

How bout these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PACK-5-REPLACEMEN ... 5d25faef87

Hi George,
A cheap and hopefully cheerful solution would be to check out your local car accessory shop for a sturdy rubber ring of suitable stretch size, the latter sufficient to allow for the following modification. Use small cable-ties to create loops at what will effectively then be either 'end' of the ring: one securely anchoring it on one arm of the stand's neck-rest, while the other loop must be just large enough to pull off and put back over the partner arm. The end result will probably prove more fiddly to use than the original strap and certainly won't look as elegant, but it should work and won't cost more than about a quid!

Hi George,

You could also try shaping a piece from an old tyre inner-tube (car or bike). I'm sure I've seen bike inner-tubes for sale in those el-cheapo $2 shops.

bruce

With the exception of Mr Allcock, thank you one and all. I shall pursue the matter and report back.

Mr A., on the other hand, will soon be the subject of salacious but anonymous gossip in the tabloids. I shall say no more.

George

Have you considered knotting two condoms together? May not hold the guitar on account of being a little slippery... but will help to pass the time in your retirement...

Hi George,
Forget all those frivolous suggestions from the non-Georges. Especially David and his wildly optimistic suggestion that us pensioners could afford two condoms !
Drop a note to these genuine blokes who are also into saving the Planet (though I'm not sure which one !)
http://www.it-clips.com/
Alternately, just use cheaper Strats and let em fall out of the stand if they need to.
Regards
George

Indeed, us Georges must stick together!

Doc Martin obviously forgot that as a Scotsman, I would never buy a second one when I could wash and reuse the first.

George (the Scot)