Help me restore my dad’s old guitar stand

[MitchJ89]

My dad was a guitar teacher back in the day, and he introduced me to all things guitar when I was young. He passed in 2009, and now that I’m in my thirties, it makes me feel good to hold on to his gear and use it regularly. I still have a few things.

Anyway, many years ago I hit a rough patch and sold a large batch of equipment that included my dad’s old guitar stand. Five or so years went by, and I realized I had sold something I actually wanted to keep, so I luckily found the buyer’s email buried in my inbox, and he still had it! He shipped it back to me, and I just received it today. It’s pretty rusted out and needs some love, so I’m doing what I need to do to scrape the rust off and restore it. I think I’m making some good headway.

BUT, the buyer appears to have replaced some of the original brown tubing with newer black vinyl tubing, and I can’t find brown tubing anywhere online. Can anyone help? If you know where I can source some similar color tubing, it would make my week. Sizing info on the side indicates it’s 3/8” ID.

 

[schmee]

Hmmm, not sure where that brown tubing would come from...

 

[THX1123]

I'm thinking the brown tubing maybe used to be surgical tubing? With a different chemical composition and color? Is it hard and smooth and brittle?

Choose the tubing wisely, some of it reacts with older guitar finishes. Some of it outgasses and gets all stiff and discolored over time.

 

[blowtorch]

no disrespect intended, but those things are kinda junky to begin with, and pretty much disposable
buy a decent stand to honor your dad

just my opinion

 

[john_cribbin]

Are you sure it was always brown tubing and not cream which has changed with exposure to UV over the years?

 

[draggindakota]

The brown tubing looks like really aged surgical tubing to me.

 

[TX_Slinger]

no disrespect intended, but those things are kinda junky to begin with, and pretty much disposable
buy a decent stand to honor your dad

just my opinion

This. I owned this type back in the 80's/90's(?), and the lower part usually bends from weight of guitar. Your Dad would probably be honored you chose a better stand for your or his guitars. Get one of those wooden String Swing stand alone type and have his name engraved on it?

 

[Freeman Keller]

Surgical rubber tubing was used on that style of stand and has a nasty habit of reacting with nitrocellulose lacquer. Don't use it.

 

[Blue Bill]

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[Peegoo]

You certainly can install new tubing, but as mentioned above--silicone tubing, vinyl tubing (clear and solid color), and even black rubber (fuel line) or softer Rubatex/neoprene tubing can adversely react with a guitar's finish.

If you know the guitar is finished with catalyzed polyester or catalyzed polyurethane, then it will be safe to use those tubing materials. All other finishes like nitrocellulose lacquer, acrylic lacquer, acrylic enamels, conversion varnish, etc., can be damaged by that stuff.

The best thing I've found for refurbing these kinds of stands is leather handlebar tape, available at bicycle shops. Make sure to get 100% real "top-grain" leather wrap tape. Do not use PU leather (PolyUrethane) or "leatherette" (other U/I plastics).

There is also cloth tape available, but even the 100% cotton stuff can be risky because it often contains an adhesive backing; the solvents in the adhesive can migrate as a gas through the fibers and damage a wood finish.

Another option that I've used that works well is 100% leather tennis racquet grip tape.

 

[ale.istotle]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I think it aligns.

My dad was a guitar teacher back in the day, and he introduced me to all things guitar when I was young. He passed in 2009, and now that I’m in my thirties, it makes me feel good to hold on to his gear and use it regularly. I still have a few things.

Anyway, many years ago I hit a rough patch and sold a large batch of equipment that included my dad’s old guitar stand. Five or so years went by, and I realized I had sold something I actually wanted to keep, so I luckily found the buyer’s email buried in my inbox, and he still had it! He shipped it back to me, and I just received it today. It’s pretty rusted out and needs some love, so I’m doing what I need to do to scrape the rust off and restore it. I think I’m making some good headway.

BUT, the buyer appears to have replaced some of the original brown tubing with newer black vinyl tubing, and I can’t find brown tubing anywhere online. Can anyone help? If you know where I can source some similar color tubing, it would make my week. Sizing info on the side indicates it’s 3/8” ID.

Since it obviously means something to you I can understand fixing it up. The only brown tubing I can think of that is largely compatible with guitar finishes is the stuff on String Swing hangers. Maybe if you contact them they would sell you some? They are made in Ontario, WI. I agree with the others that the tubing in probably oxidized latex tubing rather than originally brown, but the string swing stuff may be close enough for the vibe.

 

[RogerC]

no disrespect intended, but those things are kinda junky to begin with, and pretty much disposable
buy a decent stand to honor your dad

just my opinion

This. I owned this type back in the 80's/90's(?), and the lower part usually bends from weight of guitar. Your Dad would probably be honored you chose a better stand for your or his guitars. Get one of those wooden String Swing stand alone type and have his name engraved on it?

Really? There's always those guys in the crowd, aren't there...

 

[backporchmusic]

Surgical rubber tubing was used on that style of stand and has a nasty habit of reacting with nitrocellulose lacquer. Don't use it.

This.

 

[blowtorch]

Really? There's always those guys in the crowd, aren't there...

you mean guys with good practical logical advice? yeah , let's hope so

 

[Blue Bill]

I've used white hockey tape for years, to cover the rubber. Plus, I can see at a glance which stands are mine.

 

[NC E30]

I've got one of those stands I've had since the 1980's but I haven't used it in years because of the surgical tubing that is on it. I just haven't managed to throw it away yet.

 

[RogerC]

you mean guys with good practical logical advice? yeah , let's hope so

You'll notice he didn't ask for your advice. He's simply inquiring about where to find the tubing. So regardless of how good you think your advice might be, it's completely irrelevant. Perhaps you failed to grasp the tone of his post.

My dad was a guitar teacher back in the day, and he introduced me to all things guitar when I was young. He passed in 2009, and now that I’m in my thirties, it makes me feel good to hold on to his gear and use it regularly. I still have a few things.

Five or so years went by, and I realized I had sold something I actually wanted to keep, so I luckily found the buyer’s email buried in my inbox, and he still had it! He shipped it back to me, and I just received it today. It’s pretty rusted out and needs some love, so I’m doing what I need to do to scrape the rust off and restore it. I think I’m making some good headway.

BUT, the buyer appears to have replaced some of the original brown tubing with newer black vinyl tubing, and I can’t find brown tubing anywhere online. Can anyone help? If you know where I can source some similar color tubing, it would make my week. Sizing info on the side indicates it’s 3/8” ID.

You see, the fact that whether or not this was, in your opinion, a "good" guitar stand was never something germane to the conversation.

 

[blowtorch]

thanks rodge, for settin me straight

(OP- throw that thing out and get a decent stand.
That is the best thing to do, in memory of your dad, in my opinion)

 

[NC E30]

If you are set on saving it, you can probably find some pipe insulation to replace that tubing. It might be hard to find it in 3/8" diameter, and it won't be brown, but could be made to be functional. Whether or not it would be compatible with our guitar's finish is anyone's guess.

 

[39martind18]

Hmmm, not sure where that brown tubing would come from...

Try medical supply houses, surgical tubing.