Tama HH 805 Velo Glide Hi-Hat Stand Reviews 
2 / 5 based on 1 reviewsI have played all styles of music on drumset and percussion for over ten years.
I acquired this unit as a replacement for an old broken-down stand. It can be purchased online for around 130 US dollars.
I love the portablility of this stand. The "Spare the Rod" system allows the rod to be protected while enabling the stand to be broken down into two managaeable pieces. I also like the solid construction and two-leg design.
All these features look nice on paper, but in reality the Velo Glide model falls short of my expectations. Even with the spring tension set at the lowest level, the pedal feels very "sticky" and unresponsive. A little WD-40 will help this out, but unfortunately not by much. Also, the top piece of the cymbal seat (which is made of very light inferior spongy plastic) broke, and had to be re-affixed with super glue.
Lastly, be aware that since this is a two leg stand, it has a tendency to wobble a lot when placed on thickly carpeted areas, even with the use of a drum rug.
Tama always does a great job of incorporating thoughful features into their gear that make it easy to use in everyday gigging and playing environments. Since it's a two-leg stand, you have the option of tilting the cymbals toward you or positioning them flat as with a standard three-leg model. The height of the footboard and the spring tension are both fully adjustable, and the rubber feet contain retractable spikes so the stand doesn't "creep" on smooth surfaces. Perhaps the most clever feature is Tama's "Spare the Rod" system. By inserting the hi-hat rod throught the top tube section of the unit and securing it with the clutch, the entire length of the rod is encased by the tube, which protects it from being bent, as it is very vulnerable to damage when the stand is transported in its fully assembled form (for a more detailed explanation of this with pictures, go to www.tama.com/splash and click on "hardware").
This is a well-built stand with some good features, but there are a few design flaws which need to be adressed by Tama's engineers. If you really want an Iron Cobra stand to complement your pedal, I would suggest spending an extra $25 or so and buying their HH 905 "Lever Glide" model, which has much smoother pedal action and, in my opinion, a better design.
Alex V rated this unit
on
2007-04-04.
