Gig chair with good back support?

[BluMunk]

I'm dealing with some back issues (hello 42), and am thinking my usual: "sit on an amp or anything that happens to be close to the right height" isn't going to cut it.

 

It seems like the Roc-n-soc drum thrones are a popular (and pricy) favorite.  Does anyone here use them? With the back rest?  Are there other similar chairs folks like? I don't mind paying for quality (and if it's for health/comfort that goes double), but maybe there's something else out there that'll be good, long-lasting, and isn't approaching $300 (chair w/backrest)?

[Delaware Dave]

following........

[Shamanzarek]

The Soundseat is considered to be one of the best but not inexpensive.

 

[Docbop]

For home I just went to a office supplies store and got what they call a "Task Chair"  basic work chair no arms or tilts just comfortable seat, solid back, and adjusts up and down.   My gigging days were as guitarist or on bass.   When playing upright bass I got a Roc-N-Soc  stool and the optional backrest.   Real comfortable to sit on, but being the backrest is an screw-on option it was working loose all the time.   So when looking at drum thrones with backs check how the back attaches and if it seems like it will be solid.  

 

 

[ShadowMan]

4 hours ago, Docbop said:

Real comfortable to sit on, but being the backrest is an screw-on option it was working loose all the time.   So when looking at drum thrones with backs check how the back attaches and if it seems like it will be solid.  

 

 

I agree with Docbop… I have used the Roc N Soc with backrest for a couple of years and it is very comfortable and supportive. Pricy, heavy and clumsy to transport to gigs though - and the backrest loosens up within minutes. But with several bad discs in my back, it is by far the most comfortable seat I have found. 

 

I picked up a Gibraltar 6600 (without backrest) last year to leave at our rehearsal space… it’s quite nice and great value for the money. 

[mate stubb]

I prefer a bench with a backrest to a throne. For a multi board rig, a throne pins you in one spot while a bench allows you to slide.

 

For gigs I modified an x bench to attach a backrest for a portable solution.

[Al Quinn]

I used a Roc-n-soc drum throne with backrest for a few years but it fell short on comfort (and was clumsy to move).

[Ledbetter]

This one is heavy and expensive, but solid as the rock of Gibraltar and worth every penny:

 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1690051-REG/k_m_14050_000_55_stool_with_backrest_black.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=Cj0KCQiAybaRBhDtARIsAIEG3knVjfsZB1PRYu749Fma7thRBodQ2Wxw0Y1bUt9eUyLWNBOEt84M0NYaAp9AEALw_wcB

 

 

[JohnH]

Yeah the one problem with the Roc N Soc- ( I have one for my Doors gigs without the back rest) is that it does not disassemble. I wish they could have designed it so the seat comes off for moving it.

[El Lobo]

I use the the K&M 14050 Stool that Ledbetter linked to above. I don't have the back rest but the stool solved my problems of sitting at a standing position for 3-hour gigs. It's foldable, height adjustable, heavy and expensive, but I throw it into the back seat of my car and I'm good to go. I'm told it's what stand-up bass players use in orchestras.

[BluMunk]

Thanks all! 

Thomann had a B-stock K&M available that, even with shipping, was $150 less than any of the American suppliers (who are all out of stock at the moment).

 

I like the idea that it can fold super flat, and can also work as a semi-standing seat.  Now let's see how long it takes to arrive.

[Delaware Dave]

9 minutes ago, BluMunk said:

Thanks all! 

Thomann had a B-stock K&M available that, even with shipping, was $150 less than any of the American suppliers (who are all out of stock at the moment).

 

I like the idea that it can fold super flat, and can also work as a semi-standing seat.  Now let's see how long it takes to arrive.

which K&M model is that?  

[BluMunk]

2 hours ago, Delaware Dave said:

which K&M model is that?  

14050 (the same one that Ledbetter and El Lobo suggested). 

Thomann has it at $219 (plus about $75 shipping) as opposed to the $450 listed at B&H and others.

[Delaware Dave]

31 minutes ago, BluMunk said:

14050 (the same one that Ledbetter and El Lobo suggested). 

Thomann has it at $219 (plus about $75 shipping) as opposed to the $450 listed at B&H and others.

ouch.

[dbhoosier]

Anyone see a weight limit/capacity for the K&M 14050?  That's been a problem for me in the past with those types of seats, but K&M makes pretty solid stuff.  I'm not seeing anything on various websites.  

[BluMunk]

51 minutes ago, Delaware Dave said:

ouch.

Yeah. K&M stuff is always pricey, but it's also built well, designed well, and seems to last forever. I don't think I'd pay the ~$500 from a US distributor, but ~$300, for something that I'll be using a lot, and where quality will matter, is . . . if not reasonable, then at least close to reasonable. 

[Griswold]

Hey BluMunk - I too suffer from some lower back issues. For years I played mainly B3 with pedals so I used the organ bench. When I branched out into more portable, multi keyboard setups I experimented with many throne/ bench designs. They all seem to eventually wear out or I get tired of them. However about 5 years ago I tried a DW Airlift throne with back support and the was the sturdiest most comfortable solution I've come across. The hydraulic is very sturdy & a small up/ down adjust helps alleviate pain during a long gig. I also opted for the motorcycle seat design (which I was skeptical of) but it turns out this helps prevent leg fatigue. It was somewhere around $300 I believe but it is still going strong. 

 

Anyway good luck!

Larry

[Ledbetter]

K&M and weight: I weighed 240 at one point and no problem whatsoever on the stool. Built like a rock.

 

Another consideration: K&M guarantees spare part availability for their products for five years after they are discontinued. Good to know if you regularly lose those push-on tubes that are the “feet” of many pieces of equipment, or if you subject your stuff to hard use. I found this out when I had to order a push-on foot for the stool.

[El Lobo]

I also weigh 240 and no problem with the K&M stool.

[Spider76]

I use this Quik Lok stool.

https://www.quiklok.it/en/quik-lok/dx749

Big and heavy, but really solid and has an ample range of height settings, from really low to really high for "almost-standing" gigs

[BluMunk]

The K&M 14050 arrived. Rock solid, easy to assemble and pack up.

 

But… the minimum height is a little too high for true seated keyboard playing (and pedal usage). Maybe if I had legs that were longer, but with 30” inseams my feat can’t rest flat on the floor even at its lowest height. 
 

So, on to the next option. Roc-n-soc is on its way (after double checking the minimum height!). 

[dbhoosier]

Got my K&M 14050 today - great thread - it's rock solid and perfect for me, it seems.  With a 36" inseam, I have no issue with the minimum height and I finally seem to have the right seating height and back support!  I was using a 24" high bench with a 1.5" wooden platform underneath to get my seat to at least 26".   If I ever decide to start playing standing up (doubtful), the ability to raise it to 36" would be great as a stool to occasionally take the load off.  

[cedar]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:47 PM, mate stubb said:

I prefer a bench with a backrest to a throne. For a multi board rig, a throne pins you in one spot while a bench allows you to slide.

 

For gigs I modified an x bench to attach a backrest for a portable solution.

That sounds good to me (and I am shopping for a bench for gigs).  Can you recommend a particular bench with a backrest?

[mate stubb]

3 hours ago, cedar said:

That sounds good to me (and I am shopping for a bench for gigs).  Can you recommend a particular bench with a backrest?

 

No. I couldn't find one that was light enough, transportable and sturdy enough, so I made my own out of an X bench.

 

 

[BluMunk]

If anyone's curious . . . I'm selling the K&M and keeping the Roc-N-Soc. Here are some pictures with both at their lowest heights, and you can see that the K&M really is much taller.  Also, the Roc-N-Soc has a bigger seat for more . . . ample coverage 😛

[cedar]

21 minutes ago, BluMunk said:

If anyone's curious . . . I'm selling the K&M and keeping the Roc-N-Soc. Here are some pictures with both at their lowest heights, and you can see that the K&M really is much taller.  Also, the Roc-N-Soc has a bigger seat for more . . . ample coverage 😛
 

Is there any notable difference between these items in terms of transportability? In other words, does one get flatter/smaller when you break it down?

[Docbop]

28 minutes ago, BluMunk said:

If anyone's curious . . . I'm selling the K&M and keeping the Roc-N-Soc. Here are some pictures with both at their lowest heights, and you can see that the K&M really is much taller.  Also, the Roc-N-Soc has a bigger seat for more . . . ample coverage 😛

Looking at the two I would keep the Roc-N-Soc it just looks more study and less to tip over.   Also Roc-N-Soc looks designed for being packed and unpacked many times.     

 

[BluMunk]

41 minutes ago, cedar said:

Is there any notable difference between these items in terms of transportability? In other words, does one get flatter/smaller when you break it down?

Transporting the K&M:
-Remove the backrest via unscrewing the securing screw (by hand . . . it's the same screw that you use to adjust how close to the stool the backrest sits).
-The two legs fold against each other, and the seat can tip forward (by simply releasing a clamp) so it's lying kind of horizontally atop the legs. So you end up with a long sort of folded stool. It looks like 1/2 of a closed-position X stand, with a seat lying flat at the fulcrum.
-Super simple, but probably folds taller than you'd expect. 

Transporting the Roc-N-Soc:
-Similar to above, the backrest comes off via the same mechanism.
-You can also remove the seat from the legs by loosening a screw (a screw with 'wings' designed to be turned by hand). You could also leave the seat on if you wanted, of course. Note that there's a gas/piston version of the Roc-N-Soc that I think doesn't let you remove the seat.
-The legs then just fold in like you'd expect from a drum throne.
-Also super simple, but much more compact. 

Note that for both the backrest really isn't designed to pack away easily . . . you end up in both cases with a loose back rest with an L-shaped metal rod sticking off of it.

 

[BluMunk]

49 minutes ago, Docbop said:

Looking at the two I would keep the Roc-N-Soc it just looks more study and less to tip over.   Also Roc-N-Soc looks designed for being packed and unpacked many times. 

I will say that the K&M feels super-sturdy. Obviously with a higher center of gravity you're more likely to be able to tip it if you tried, but I felt very secure on it. After some basic testing with my 215+lb body trying to rock it front and back and left to right and not getting it to wobble or tip even a little, I'd trust it completely. 

[Doerfler]

22 minutes ago, BluMunk said:

I will say that the K&M feels super-sturdy. (snip) I'd trust it completely. 

German engineering.