Bass player gives invention thump
New amp stand set to hit marketplace
Last Modified: Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 12:26 a.m.
Reginald Means was tired of fumbling with his amplifier every time he played bass guitar.
He was always bending down and trying to position the device just right so he could actually hear himself play. Means, a machine tool technology instructor at Daniel Morgan Technology Center, knew there was a better way to monitor his sound and make adjustments.
Within a day, he created plans for the UNI-STAND, a lightweight and portable amp stand. He worked for several years perfecting the device and has applied for a patent. Now, he hopes other musicians will be interested in his idea.
The UNI-STAND is available through Hamilton Stands and sells for about $25 at Boulevard Music, 340 Village Creek Drive, Boiling Springs.
"I got tired of bending over and needed something to hold my amplifier in place," Means said. "Since I am a machine tool technology instructor, I wanted the product to look good. It would have been embarrassing for me to stick a brick under the amplifier."
The music stand has four positions to accommodate different sizes of amplifiers, and it pivots to adjust to angles. When it is easier for musicians to hear their sound, they can make changes to improve the quality.
"I have been playing guitar for about 20 years and kept thinking about what I could do to make it easier using my amplifier," Means said. "The UNI-STAND is simple mechanics but can make a big difference when you are playing. When your sound is not right, it aggravates you as a musician."
Means went through several steps before applying for a patent and marketing his product. He wanted to make sure the device was sturdy, so he left it set up in his house for about a week. He said his children jumped and played nearby to make sure the amp stand remained in place, and the UNI-STAND passed the test.
Several more months went by before he considered applying for a patent. He said it is expensive to hire an attorney, but he was able to find one with reasonable fees. The next step was hiring a marketing company to present the music device to companies to manufacture and sell.
William Carpenter, president of Hamilton Stands based in Lebanon, Ohio, liked the idea and now is licensed to make and sell the UNI-STAND. Hamilton Stands, founded in 1883, produces a wide range of products and accessories for music instruments.
"No one else has done anything like it," Carpenter said. "Tilting the amplifier back so the player and audience can hear better is simple, but Reginald came up with a novel approach to solve a problem in a creative way."
The UNI-STAND debuted in January at the National Association Of Music Merchants conference in California. Several months later, it was available for local markets.
"It has been popular," said Trevor Isetts, Boulevard Music co-owner. "When we show the UNI-STAND to a customer and how versatile it is, they immediately buy it."
Stan Davis was one of the first customers to purchase the amp stand. He was looking for something to provide a better quality sound and said the UNI-STAND is perfect.
"I actually had my amp up on a table and was looking for something I could use," he said. "Reggie's amp stand has a small footprint and doesn't take up a lot of space, and you can still have that rich quality sound."
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