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I don't play classical but I've experimented lately with using a pile of books as a footstool. I like the way this posture situates my archtop. Also, it keeps me sitting up straighter, which is good for my singing. (Believe me, my singing needs all the help it can get.) I thought I should get a real footstool and wondered if anyone had any suggestions (-such as "Brand X is crap" or "Brand Y is great but crushingly expensive" or "Brand Z is readily available, cheap, but sturdy.") Thanks!
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02-28-2011 02:56 PM
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i dont use it on archtops, but there is a nerdy pouch that sits on your lap that is way more comfy than any stool ive ever used for classical. cant remember the name though...
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I use the same kind of folding metal footrest I've used since the mid-1970's. I have never paid attention to whether anything better has come along.
Originally Posted by markerhodes
K&M Guitar Footrest and more Folk & Classical Instrument Pickups & Parts at GuitarCenter.com.
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I visited the Guitar Center website and looked at footstools. Several got bad reviews for being flimsy. I wonder whether user error was involved...
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I've been playing classical off and on for about 40 years, and have adapted the use of a footstool to most of my sit down playing. For most of that time, I used the typical metal folding stool, but about 10-15 years ago I discovered something new at a tag sale, a shoeshine kit, similar to this:
Amazon.com: Black Hardwood Shoe Care Valet: Clothing
I now have three of them, they are just the right height for me, and there is room inside for strings, tuners, lots of little things. I don't think I've ever paid more than $5 for one, often with a full complement of polish and brushes. The only drawback I can see is that they are not adjustable, though you could customize it pretty easily by removing or changing the supports on the bottom of the box. Much sturdier than the folding ones.
Brad
Oh, yeah, and if the music thing doesn't work out, you can always convert it back to a shoe shine kit and take to the streets, might be more successful than busking.
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What a cool idea, Brad! I haven't come across one but I'll keep my eyes peeled. Certainly aces in the sturdy department. And as you said, you could keep a lot of stuff inside one. Now I can't stop singing that old Tom T Hall song, "Shoeshine Man."
(I'm a shoeshine man / Number one in the land / Shoeshine man / Make 'em shine while you stand; / Leave me a tip if you can / I'm a shoeshine man. / I can sing I can dance / I can play the harmonica too...)
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brad4d8 - Awesome idea! You deserve a genius award!
This one also seems promising to me, maybe. Looks stable. I kind of like that you can use the wide side. I think my foot might enjoy some room to move.
http://www.amazon.com/Active-Forever.../ref=pd_cp_e_1
Last edited by Flat; 03-01-2011 at 06:00 AM.
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I prefer the use of a Dynarette Guitar Cushion or its equivalent to a footstool.
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Check out the Martijn van Iterson videos on YouTube. I think he's the only jazz guy I've seen play with a stool, but it looks like a good one!
Bill
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there is another device that classical players use (to save their backs from footstool usage) called "neck up". it has a plastic suction cup for the bottom rim of your guitar, which i am not crazy about (don't want to harm the nitro finish)
for archtops the conventional thing to do is "play strapped".
that said, i use a classical footstool. it looks nerdy but i cant stand playing strapped or playing standing up. never could.
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When playing rhythm, I cross my left thigh over the right one and rest the guitar on the left thigh at an 45-60 degrees angle (much like Freddie Green). That becomes tiresome after some time, and then I like to swap to a position with my left foot on a foot stool. I have bought the cheapest I could find. The same stool is sold under a number of brand names in various shops, but they likely all come from the same factory in China. It seems a bit flimsy, but so far it works without problems in its third year. I wouldn't pay too much attention to design etc. It's not rocket science - anything that raises the foot off the floor at a suitable heigth will work (for that matter that could be a cardboard box).
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Just borrow a trumpet player's case. He isn't using it anyway.
~DB
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I'm long waisted (-six feet tall but my legs are short) and with my foot on a stool, the guitar is secure in a way a strap (alone) won't make it. (I do wear a strap though, have for so long that I don't remember not wearing one.) Because my torso is long, I need the guitar low to be at the proper angle to my elbows, and placing it between my legs is the most comfortable position I've found so far. Originally Posted by fumblefingers
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I just bought this one about a month ago. Much nicer that a stack of books because it is easier to move out of the way. $10 and free shipping.
Ultimate Support JS-FT100B Guitar Footstool 16789 B&H Photo
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Dleuen, I think I'll get something like this (-unless I chance upon a shoeshine box in the local Goodwill or at a yard sale). The stack of books is cumbersome--they shift--and they are of course flat on top which tires the foot more than an angled rest.
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That's the one I have. Not that brand name, but otherwise identical. I have seen them sold under a number of brand names, both in US and Europe, so I guess they all come from the same factory in China and are labelled to the customers specs. BTW, the same seems to be the case with microphone stands. Originally Posted by dleuen
As for the shoe shine box mentioned earlier - it would be a funny idea, but I think it would be too tall for me.Last edited by oldane; 03-02-2011 at 04:22 PM.
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I agree with the comments about the Dynarette cushion. It is more comfortable than a foot stool as it does not promote pressure points. I play an archtop with the cushion and guitar resting on my left knee and with the neck at a fairly high angle. This prevents me from slouching and is comfortable for a long time.
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