Bent-Lam GUITAR STAND

Sling your six-string safely and in style

- Derek Richmond

Buying a guitar leads to owning a plethora of other gear: strings, picks, (a second guitar,) straps, amps, (more guitars,) and of course those ubiquitous collapsible metal stands. They're great for the road, but at home where I want to keep my nicer six-string close at hand, I thought its stand should-well, stand up-to the guitar. And that meant a quality wooden structure that would safely support the instrument without overshadowing its elegant form and wooden beauty.

Picking up on the sensuous curves and subtle angles of my Martin D-35, I designed this stand with both curved and straight elements joined with binding screws and shiny metal spacers (see Buyers Guide, p. 60). These spacers make me think of a guitar's tuning pegs, while the upright is reminiscent of the instrument's neck. I went with bent lamination to make the curved pieces, sawing thin strips of wood to bend for the shallow curve of the spine and purchasing veneer for the tighter curves of the base and supports. I chose to make my stand from maple because its simple grain doesn't detract from the spruce and rosewood components of the guitar; but any hardwood will do as long as you can get veneer strips at least 30" long.

Layers and layers of laminations

The U-shaped guitar supports and base are laminated from veneer strips shaped around forms. The spine consists of three %s"-thick hardwood laminations, also glued up on a form. The veneer is great for tight bends while the thicker hardwood strips makes the thin spine plenty sturdy. The upright is shaped from solid hardwood and attached to the base with a mortise and tenon joint, while binding screws and metal spacers connect the rest of the parts.

Bending more than strings