David. I had a similar instance with 2 Hercules GS414 stands, either the grip was sticky, or it cracked. You can post now and register later. I called him. If you followed what I did and it didnt work, then Hercules changed the design of the stand, or the screw inside the packaging was different than the one identified on the packaging. Until they improve the design ir offer the replacement part, they will lose customers through social media and word-of-mouth or just dont care as most companies trying to maintain corporate profit via overseas labor. So Ive email Hercules with pictures of the stands.

I mean helpful towards other posters here. The exact same thing happened to mine. Musings on Random Issues in Tech, Music, and Anything In Between, After years of use, the grip on my Hercules guitar stand broke. Im also thinking about thumbscrewsif I can find someone who sells them. Youll then be able to move the sticky, broken handle and you can separate the telescoping parts. I have designed on CAD a solution to both the sticky problem and the plastic wall around the Roll pin Failure, I thought that was pretty cool. In the process, the stupid thing fell apart as your pictures show. Ive read elsewhere that they have changed the material for these clamps now to avoid the sticky problem which I can only assume also degraded the plastic below to allow it to break. He was really pleased with it.(?). Final determination and resolution of replacement and or repair action is held by KHS America and its authorized representative. I just did it. Hi Roy, I had the same problem, mine is the model that holds three guitars, and I had it collapse with three on it. Awaiting reply to message left on phone. Sticky EZ grip fell apart Same thing here was this Hercules designed obsolescence (or self-destruct)? Think I will employ the screw method and leave them up all the time which they were anyway. After the gig is over, and you are breaking down, pull the jack out of the hole and the tube will slide down so you can fold it up and be on your way. Your email address will not be published. Im just speaking from my experiences . I worked at L&M selling these damned things for two years. I have used them exclusively for at least 10 years. By Purely anecdotally speaking, Ive been using their stands since 2001 and have never experienced any nitro marking, discolouring or other ill effects by way of their gear. That being said, I did get a warranty replacement. I will call Hercules and see if they will honor the life time warranty. This was a three guitar stand holding three basses for a performance.

Retailers or a distributor in your region. I have had four of the Hercules three-guitar stands for years and found that two of the trigger handles have turned sticky and the handle snapped off one of them. Hoping to get a free replacement from Hercules. I have just discovered the tackiness on 2 out of 3 of my Hercules stands. Juliet, TN 37122 It looks ugly but its functional again. If the adjustment clamp on a single guitar stand slips, the guitar is still resting on the two front padded legs of the stand. Ill try them myself. Crazy to think that this has happened to a number of people and Hercules are not owning up to a clear product defect. Their customer service is next to none. Never a problem with the nitro. hey Doug that link you posted doens't work. I wont be buying Hercules again. Thanks for the suggestion. Wow this stand clearly had reliability issues , Came here after googling for solving this very problem. A friend gave me a pair of the GS414s that had failed in that exact way. Im frustrated and disappointed. But I digress. Just sort of irritating. pivot locking handle breaks and gets sticky ,its simple mine broke out where the spring pin pivots i put it back in and put two two nylon zip ties right where the spring pin goes and it works fine and will probably last forever ,it pivots just fine and locks in perfectly ,as far as the stickiness goes used alcohol on it the make it not sticky any more. I'll try to fix the link. One improvement if you read this Hercules Gibson style banjos rest on the back two tuning pegs in the rest so I gotta put it in backwards. Thank you. I went to the Hercules website and submitted the contact us form. He offered an exchange but only has another version in stock. I was going to throw these two out. Copy Images and Movies from Google Glass Using The Terminal, Hercules guitar stand question - MyLesPaul.com, Partition a Single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Drive into 2 Partitions for Sentry Mode and Audio on Model 3, Model 3 Brakes Squeal When Reversing and Turning in Humid Weather, Ford SYNC with MyFord Touch Radio Wont Turn Off in a 2014 Ford Fiesta SE, The Lofree Mechanical Keyboard An Awkward Layout, How I Installed the 2003 Konica Minolta DiMAGE Scan Dual IV 35mm Film Scanner in Windows 10, Fix Your Hercules Guitar Stand for About $1. I like Hercules stands. We have two of the stands and in both cases they received minimalno, almost nonexistent use of the adjustment grip, yet in both cases that plastic grip degraded, getting sticky and weakened to the point of snapping on its own when we were not even attempting to adjust it. That would be awesome, Same problem all above in my hercules, why they dont make a replacement part with better quality, anyway the hercules has a very nice design that problaby most of us will buy back but l guess lm going to write them with a very strong disagreement also because my guitar fell and got scratch , You are a genius. Copyright 2021 Gibson Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. Check out the Hercules USA website for more information. I used a 1/4 x 20 x 1/2 hex bolt. All HERCULES Stands purchased through authorized dealers in the United States are guaranteed free of defects in workmanship and materials. My 5 year old Hercules stand just broke at the handle as well, called the 800 number and he sent me an email and said for me to send him a picture and he would send me a new stand. Your link has been automatically embedded. i can't remember if i found the thread you linked or just emailed them but they were great about it. Most of the associates in Home Despots will tell you that their job would be great if it wasnt for the customers. Same attitude at many of the Guitar Centers around the country (Except Nashville, TN!) (thats what Im going to do, thanks for the tip). My sticky grip is gone and I had the screw in my garage. I watched as my Breedlove acoustic hit the (luckily carpeted) floor and toppled over (luckily again, against a plant). http://herculesstands.com/us/. Same experience with the Hercules stand (I have 2) . My only complaint is, on the latter, the guitar hangs at a slight angle. I also recall some where on their website, mentioning they had reformulated the materials to make them safer for nitro finishes. Thank you for this posting. This is a really good idea, and it makes the stand adjustable. A number of braces popped on my SJ last year and L&M fixed it NO CHARGE.

Lifetime warranty. They told me to keep the old one as they'd just throw it out. Your previous content has been restored. Like you he never uses the adjustment feature so the screw fix will work fine. I just went "DUH!!?" I had a new, exact replacement stand shipped to my house, at NO charge in 3 days!

Same problem. Im now a Hercules fan! Dropped one of the guitars straight down on my tile floor and chipped it Thanks for the idea to fix the stand! I like the general design, but they really need to rethink the locking system for this part of it. Do you have the Hercules contact info? I have the same problem as Frustrated Herc User. Its just being held in the hole by the weight of the top tubing. Other users in the USA have indicated Hercules has replaced their stands even though they are out of warranty. I have also experienced the exploding grip. I used a 1/4 x 20 tap to open the hole enough to accept the short bolt. That plastic lock died and exploded. I have stopped using mine and contacted the company through their website. This warranty does not cover damage, deterioration or malfunction caused by accident, negligence, misuse, or abuse. with all respect, this not true at least not with the one I've had for a few years. It want buying the new stand that worried me so much though reading some of these reports you need to key your eye on them but wasting 90% of the stand for a small component. The short end fits into the sliding tube adjustment holes. I had wrapped it with duct tape years ago. Im definitely not buying another Hercules product ever again. I documented the broken adjustment clamp with a couple of photos, emailed them along with a description to the KHS company who manufactures the stands, and they put a replacement in the mail within two days. 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. My Hercules 3 guitar stand also broke. My particular model doesnt have a screw to hold the fixture in place, but uses a rivet. I wrote Hercules and was surprised by their lack of response. You dont say specifically, but I guess you remove the handle. Must be a fault. 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. I have four GS414B Hercules guitar stands. This was a few years ago, when I first bought the one I've had. Thanks for this from yet another grateful reader. I had the same problem with the Hercules two guitar model. Fortunately, my Taylor acoustic survived the experience. after three years of use my hercules stand grip is very sticky and now it is getting broken in small parts so I want to know if you can send me the complete set to repair my stand. (A linkwith a pictureto a forum post on the matter by other owners is here.). Ive had the gummy handle for a couple years now, but today was the day. I have 4 hercules stands that I bought used, two have the sticky height adjuster and nob that secures the legs. If your Hercules stand feels smooth and hard, then you have one that was manufactured after the issue was addressed by the company. I will have to drill one out when I have time, but it does highlight that this supposedly rugged design is actually not reliable at all. Grip just rotted away. Going to a Home Despot and trying find a special screw has its own set of challenging circumstances here in Southern California. After a couple of years of the handle of my double stand going gooey it just disintegrated tonight but luckily with nothing on it. Ive written to Hercules to see if they will honour the warranty. (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. Mine just broke at the handle as well. I just want to salvage my original. Thanks for the post. I did and in less than a week I had three new replacement Hercules stands delivered to my home. I returned my sticky-grip stand to Long & McQuade and received a new one in box. Then you can shorten the stand rather easily for transport. That has the advantage of being adjustable. I guess I could carve a finger out of wood, plastic or plexi. To contact Hercules Stands, call So I went to the garage and found a zip tie.

KHS Americas final liability extends only to the repair or replacement of said stand and shall not exceed the replacement value of the stand. More than a decade on these hangers with no issues. I found the plastic cover easy enough to remove, though, with no tools required. I havent contacted Hercules yet but Im going to. Happened to me as well. How did you remove the old busted handle? Just took photos, IDs etc to Hercules online per their request and hope they will honor a return???? Was about to throw both out with the original tags on them. Given everything else is really robust Im willing to give Hercules some credit and say it probably isnt deliberate. Not wanting to drill it out, I just inserted a bolt into the adjustment hole I wanted to use, and secured it with some velcro ribbon. Many thanks for this.

I have 2 Hercules GS414B Stands where the plastic handles look like they exploded and the rubber has gone gummy and sticky. This thread reminded me I have one of those sticky stands. I think the cause is the made in China plastic grip reacting over time with the lubricant.

As for the sticky; Turns out the plastic is sprayed with a feel good coating that, in time, breaks down and becomes disgustingly sticky. I have the same problem with one of my Hercules stands. I did a little more of a Redneck fix, my other hobby is working on cars, so I used a hose clamp. I can loosen it and adjust the height anywhere I need, though like you, I never really need to change it. Ive emailed Hercules UK, but wont be holding my breath. The handle retains its original functionality and it cost less than $1.00. Well, I had grabbed a different bass to jam with and while I was messing with my pedal board I noticed some plastic on the ground, looked up and saw the grip on the stand had a spring sticking out of it. I just unwrapped it and it literally fell apart in my hand. Is this what others have experienced by using this fix or did I mess something up? If you are in Canada, speak to your retailer. I cant find it in the website. IF YOU PURCHASED YOUR STAND OUTSIDE OF THE USA. Darn you Hercules! And Yes, they dont sell parts. Im now referring to this stand as Samson w/ a crew cut: just plain weak! Just fixed 3 of my hercules stands. Called Herc on the recommnedations above, sent them a foto, and got a new stand within a week. Im going to have to try this. Im sure Ill have to re-tape it in the future. 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! Somewhere between 5 an 10 degrees - not enough to cause a problem with functionality or safety. Thanks for sharing your experience. The sticky issue is a worry, but have just checked mine and none are affected. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Emailed the company and had no response.

Thank you very much for the info posted here. I thought someone had broken my stand but the thing was all sticky. This appears to be built in obsolescence which is typical of most Chinese factories that have us manufacturer cutting costs. Required fields are marked *. I found it on the floor. And, yes, the pun was intentional. Now thats great customer service! The issue here is a failure of a grip/clutch mechanism due to faulty materials. All that being said, nitro guitar owners (all Gibsons) should beware of those cheap stands with the orange tubing. Excellent thread (a-ha-ha-ha), but seriously I used a screw in the same manner, actually I added two because I use the stand for a bass and it needs to be extended quite a bit. Same problem. Moved my S-6 and the stand collapsed. The Hercules Full Lifetime Warranty is valid for products purchased from authorized dealers in the USA only. I sent the info to them and a day later I received and email with the order number of the new stand that they were sending me. Screw this stand! The SKUis887480028287 and the screw may be found here. 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. Did a e-search and found so many owners have experienced the same issue. Hercules is owned by KHS America. (To adjust the height, I will need to unscrew, re-position, and re-screw the stands neck.) However, it seems our friends in the UK are SOL as their distributor is saying "tough titty". Local seller I got it from had never heard of this issue and couldnt find warranty details. I have that stand and need to check mine. Bottom line, thumbs crews or zip-ties is probably the easiest resolution. I went to fix it today and discovered the sticky mess and decided to Google it. Thanks for the awesome fix Roy! I tried it. July 18, 2018 in Gibson Acoustic. An even cheaper fix is to stick a pencil into one of the holes. Handle had gone sticky for many years (thanks for the alcohol tip). Im good at tearing stuff up removing the stuff, but I guess in this case it doesnt matter. I have several Hercules stands where the fingers on the yolk that hold your guitar broke off. Here in Canada, Long & McQuade is an excellent distributor and retailer. 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 found half of the button and the spring behind my stand the other day too. I've got a wall hanger and a floor stand tripod. It merely slips slowly down the legs to rest on the floor. Works fine. I called customer service and sent pictures to their email. First the adjustment handle got sticky and then it broke. You cannot paste images directly.

I just called Hercules today: They said they are well aware of the problem. 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. Did actually try a screw but it was unreliable. Material failed, sticky, and broke into pieces when I picked it up. Exact same problem here. Has anyone come up with a replacement for the foam tubing where the headstock rests? Inserting and removing the wrench is quick and easy. Im sorry to hear others did not have such a great experience contacting the company, and Im happy that some had my same experience getting a new stand under warranty. I had the same problem with both of my Hercules stands at the same time. I have since gotten another Hercules stand with this sticky residue issue. Thanks for the post. It wont be shiny when you finish, but it wont be sticky either! Learn how your comment data is processed. I like the black zip-ties suggestion and will try that too. I bought a 3 guitar stand ($99 ouch but cry once right?) Im so very glad it worked. Their customer service is fantastic! The neck grippers failed on mine, then it got sticky. I bought mine at L&M. https://youtu.be/N4hfoKncnNw As I said in the OP, I scratched the surface of the grip with my fingernail to show how sticky/tacky it is. You can see in the photo where I scratched it with my fingernail. All HERCULES Stands purchased through authorized dealers in the United States are guaranteed free of defects in workmanship and materials. Feel free to share pictures. I can live with the legnth better than the sticky adjuster. I note that KHS have been helpful.

Within one week, they shipped me 2 new stands, no charge. The plastic has become very fragile on both grips & triggers so I may have to opt for the m6 bolt method if Hercules dont play ball. Hercules came thru for me with this *sticky* issueand very quickly. I had this same issue.

The Hercules stand is a pretty good idea until it doesnt work. Wow Roy you hit a home run with this. 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). It may also be that the plastic just breaks down over time. I read the warranty on their site and took it back to guitar center and they gave me a new one. Well I live in hope that Australian distributer Electric factory honour the warranty here. It was at that point I noticed the gummy rubber grip and snapped hinge :/. Hercules needs to deal with this. Theres also a philips head tap screw that will need to come off to completely remove the old handle. They only have dealers contact info. Im interested to see what response I get. Took it down the dump & one of the guys working there was a picker. I tried to contact them many times - they ignored me. The M5 screw is a bit to skinny to grab the hole and an M6 is too fat. Cheers. Thankfully the Tele was unharmed. Good on Hercules and guitar center. 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. Good info! The grip was sticky, and the adjustment handle had fallen off. Thanks again. Clear editor.

Its a great design with one glaring flaw apparently. My son, having much better vision than I have, looked at it and said its broken beyond repair unless we tape it up. I had some black duct tape handy and did just that. Simple and effective. Same thing I did for my nephewnow he's got a sturdy stand and the dump has one less piece of trash. My son works there. 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. If you have an old guitar cable lying around; cut the standard jack plug off the cable. Ill fill out a form and theyll send me a new stand. I just need to figure out how to send on the STL file for 3-D printing from here. Mine fell apart yesterday. It's an issue with the particular plastic that they used. That sticky mess os my exact problem. https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php. I promptly added one to the replacement as well (fool me once.). Count me among the disappointed but satisfieddisappointed in the failure (design, material, etc) and stickiness, and satisfied with the customer service. Scary stuff Word to the wise My stand is in the trash.". For warranty information or claims from other countries, please contact the distributor in your country using the distributor locator. 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. It all has to do with the particular distributor in that country. Phone: (800)446-6010 Im a handy guy like this too but why are we congratulating one another on our fixes when clearly this is a design flaw on the part of the manufacturer. Now Ill go apologize to my son. Home Depot carries the screw for $1.05.

I am an instructor, programmer, and composer based in New York City. 2 thumbs up and i've continued to buy their products. I live alone, have no pets and my place is not haunted, so I am putting it down to bad stand design. I have several Hercules wall hangers no problem there. If my guitars go crashing to the floor I would bring the pieces to Hercules, if I knew where the customer service office was located. I dont want to throw away the old ones as the only thing wrong with them is the handles. I assume there is something in the rubber which is chemical reacting over the time (maybe with sunlight) and than is aggressive to the plastic. Use a plastic covered jack if you can. Thanks for the fix. Stay tuned. I wonder if Im missing something here but I employed your fix using the exact screw mentioned in your article but the screw was too small to actually grip thread. The part at home depot is 3 screws perfect!! I think I'll contact Hercules. Suggest you put this information at the top in your post so people find it since this page is coming up high in the google search results for this issue. If your grip doesn't feel tacky or sticky you are good to go and don't worry. I showed him your post and his reaction was I thought so! Hes in his shop now making his repair. Im not sure where to turn, but am thinking maybe the Consumer Product Safety Commission or Federal Trade Commission? It had just snapped off itself. I count myself lucky, the floor was concrete. You can go to any Ace Hardware and get an American Standard 5/16th bolt for a lot less and the corresponding wing nut for the same price, maybe less. They were courtious, professional, and fast. Then last night one broke while I was moving it. Same issue but also the retaining knob to collapse the legs all sticky same as the broken hand clamp for the height. The local retailer took it back and replaced it out of stock with a new (and I assume improved) version. Ive used Hercules stands forever. I've got a sticky one, and a not sticky one. The bass was sitting on the stand when I grabbed the bass the neck of the stand collapsed down into the lower part of the stand. Needless to state, I declined. I noticed mine is coming apart when packing up after a gig yesterday. Thanks for the fix! I bet Hercules is cursing you though! I will fix the stand using one of these methods, but I own three Hercules stands that I invested in to keep my guitars safe. So my status graphite, sandberg and paisley P were saved from a serious incident. Hercules is aware of the problem (2006-2008) and has fixed the manufacturing errors and is replacing any stands exhibiting this symptom.