When folded, more compact than traditional guitar stands.
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Results at a Glance
Portability
Folds up, but not compact enough to fit inside a guitar case.
Ease of Use
Pretty easy to deploy, but it isn’t a 1-step procedure.
Price
Higher price, but the sturdy quality is worth it.
Build Quality
Sturdy, all-metal. High-quality foam pads won’t react with finish.
Safety
Guitar sits securely and is very difficult to knock over.
What I Liked
What I Didn’t Like
For over a year now I’ve been using the Hercules GS402BB Mini Guitar stand in my home studio. I bought this guitar stand with my own moolah, and figured this would be a good opportunity to write an in-depth review of it for those of you who might be considering one.
Abi and I sold our house and crammed ourselves into a 2-bedroom apartment, so space is now at a premium. Now, my music space is also Abi’s full-time work office during the week (she’s a full-time teleworker). So yeah, when it comes to my guitar stuff and music, I had to drastically downsize… well… everything.
The Hercules GS402BB Mini Guitar Stand
The GS402BB is what you’d call a “yolkless” or “A-frame” style guitar stand. This means there isn’t an actual vertical bar that cradles the back of the neck in a u-shaped yolk, like other typical guitar stands. Those traditional stands often have 2 parts to them: the base (usually 3 legs), and the vertical bar/yolk.
In contrast, this style stand is a single unit that is lightweight, compact, and meant to be generally more portable.
Quick Specs
- Height: 12.2 in. (310 mm)
- Weight: 1.9 lbs. (0.9 kg)
- Base Radius: 9 in. (230 mm)
- Load Capacity: 33 lbs. (15 kg)
Unboxing and Setup
Just holding the box in your hands, you can feel that this isn’t going to be some kind of cheap aluminum stand. It’s not heavy, but it’s got a heft to it that tells you this is something a little more unique and substantial. What you gain in quality you sacrifice in weight, which is why I docked a star for portability.
So, let’s open ‘er up and see what we’ve got…
Front of the box
Detailed side-view of the box
The included carrying case.
The stand, fully folded up.
Unfolding the backrest.
Unfolding the legs of the base.
All done! Just add guitar.
Usage and First Impressions
Checking for Output Jack Obstruction
One of the FIRST red flags I look for in a guitar stand is if it interferes with the cable–especially with my guitars that have what’s called a “Jem-style” side output jack (which you’ll see below). Any guitar stand that requires me to unplug my guitar will immediately go in the trash.
I’m thrilled to report that Hercules has placed the holding brackets on the Hercules GS402BB so that, for me anyway, I have absolutely no issues and can leave my instruments plugged-in when I place them on the stand.
Check it out:
Standard jack placement? No problem!
Jem-style jack placement? No problem!
Bass with Jem-style jack placement? No problem!
Guitar and Bass Fit
The next thing I judge is essentially how the stand generally holds a guitar and, in this case, my bass as well.
I only own standard, Strat-style guitars. My 5-string bass has a bit of a unique shape but nothing too crazy. I don’t own any pointy or otherwise exotically shaped guitars.
I think it’s pretty obvious, however, that guitars like a Gibson Explorer or Ibanez Xiphos are not going to work with this stand or any similar ground-based stand, for that matter. If you’ve got a pointy guitar, I recommend you check out my in-depth review of the Hercules GS414B guitar stand. That’s one’s perfect for non-standard guitar shapes.
How the stand holds, front view
How the stand holds, back view
Holds my 8-string guitar nicely
Even holds my Dingwall NG3
Size Comparison
Before we wrap-up and get into the detailed ratings and my overall verdict, let’s take a quick look at how this stand compares to another popular compact, A-frame style guitar stand, the Quiklok Folding A-Frame Electric Guitar Stand (QL-631).
The Hercules stand isn’t as tall as the Quiklok, but seems to take up roughly the same amount of floor space as the Quiklok.
Size comparison, front
Size comparison, side
Video Demo
Since I lack the time and equipment (and motivation) to make videos, I always like to find one that someone else has done and include them in my written reviews. So, you not only get a concise video demo, but you get someone else’s opinion as well.
Ratings, In-Depth
Portability 
This stand folds up nicely and is what I’d consider a “compact” guitar stand. Folded, it should fit nicely into a small backpack or anything larger. However, it’s not compact enough to fit inside the compartment of an electric guitar case. That’s the only reason I removed a star here.
Ease of Use
Placing your guitar on the stand and taking it off is as easy as it gets. Where I removed 1.5 stars is with regards to setup of the stand. Folding and unfolding isn’t complicated, but it’s definitely not a 1-step deal either. There are 5 pieces that’ll need to be pivoted whenever you fold and unfold this stand, and they can be stiff at first. With my arthritis, I struggle with this one and am glad I leave it deployed 99% of the time.
Price
1 star = High price
5 stars = Low price
In its class, this stand’s price is a little higher than the competition. However, I’d like to point out that you really do get what you pay for here. This is a sturdy, high-quality stand that can take some abuse, so I think the value is there.
Build Quality
This is a high-quality, sturdy stand that is built to last. Before you even take it out of the box, you can tell you’re holding something substantial. The frame is made of a thicker metal than other, cheaper guitar stands.
Safety
This is one of the more secure guitar stands I’ve used–especially when compared to the cheap yolk-style stands that are notorious for falling forward if bumped from behind. The only reason I docked 1 star here is because, let’s face it, this is a small stand and with enough effort your guitar can be knocked over. However, with this stand it takes a good amount of deliberate force to knock your guitar over.
Recap: What I Liked
- Folded, this stand is more compact than more traditional, yolk-style guitar stands.
- It’s made of thicker metal and is sturdy and stable. All foam and rubber parts are equally impressive.
- It takes up very little floor space.
- It doesn’t conflict with output jacks–I don’t have to unplug my guitars before placing them on the stand.
Recap: What I Didn’t Like
- Not compact enough to stow inside an electric guitar case.
The Final Verdict
If you’ve got a traditionally shaped (Strat-style) guitar or bass and you’re looking for a compact guitar stand, get this one. I can’t recommend it enough.
I’ve owned more guitar stands over the years than I can count, and the vast majority of them have sucked and/or been downright dangerous for my guitars. The Hercules GS402BB Mini Electric Guitar Stand has, so far, been my favorite of them all.
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