your talking about the swivel feet, I like those?Storm Trooper, actually they are hercules, not atlas.
No sir, those stands with the swivel feet were the later Atlas series stands. They weren't called Hercules stands until they made the feet out of rubber and had the big heavy-duty top tilter sections.
I thought 80's Atlas stands had those HORRID gold BAR STOOL swivel tips on the bottom? Or,were those late 70's?
See my posts above...but to be clear, the true Atlas series was done by 1978 (I am including the short lived swivel foot series with these too). The line from the 80's was technically the Atlas II series, wich was nothing more than a modified Hercules stand, or a modified early Modular series stand (flat single-brace legs with large rubber feet). The 80's Atlas II stands were ok, not as solid feeling (or well made) as the earlier stands from the 70's, aand were very short lived. By the late 80's they were heavily modified again and renamed the classic 800 series.
Want my theory on how Ludwig came up with those WONDERFUL, swivel tips ?
Here goes:
A designer at Ludwig was bought into Bill The 2nd's office and told....
"You are a good designer,but have been falling behind in ideas......if you don't come up with something soon,I am afraid we will have to let you go........."
So,said designer heads to the nearest pub to have a few drinks to unwind....
While at the pub getting smashed,he looks down at the bar stools,and see the gold,swivel tips.
Starts thinking......hmmmmm...what if we applied those to cymbal stands, for all those NUMEROUS times you play on totally uneven,warped stages? <(Thats a joke,BTW!)
Goes back to Bill,shows him the idea,and being the 70's>(the decade that taste forgot), Bill says......."Well done......You still have a job!".
Seem plausible?
No sir, those stands with the swivel feet were the later Atlas series stands. They weren't called Hercules stands until they made the feet out of rubber and had the big heavy-duty top tilter sections.
To set the Record, straight, The Hercules line has been in production since the1963 with the Introduction of the Hercules snare drum stand, it came in two models one the model#1353-3 the standard length model and the model#1364-4 the 4 inch higher model, also the snare basket has Atlas written or stamped on the side, just as the 80's Hercules Snare drum stand does also the snare basket has atlas stamped on the side.
the Swivel feet Hercules line was only offered one year from1976 to 1977 then the Hercules line was Introduced as an entire line, the Early swivel feet has the very same legs as the Hercules line, not like the Atlas line at all,
To set the Record, straight, The Hercules line has been in production since the1963 with the Introduction of the Hercules snare drum stand, it came in two models one the model#1353-3 the standard length model and the model#1364-4 the 4 inch higher model, also the snare basket has Atlas written or stamped on the side, just as the 80's Hercules Snare drum stand does also the snare basket has atlas stamped on the side. the Swivel feet Hercules line was only offered one year from1976 to 1977 then the Hercules line was Introduced as an entire line, the Early swivel feet has the very same legs as the Hercules line, not like the Atlas line at all,
I'm sorry but you are only part correct still. Yes they did call the "Buck Rogers" snare stand the "Hercules" in its early days, but the swivel foot Atlas stands with the tube legs were NEVER called Hercules stands. They were still called the Atlas series in the catalogs from 1976-1978, tube legs and all. The Atlas line was RENAMED Hercules AFTER they got rid of the terrible swivel feet and replaced them with the large rubber "crutch" feet while retaining the tube legs.
Ok...this should settle it from the source (Ludwig)......the first pic is from the 1975 catalog showing the "traditional" or what is normally assumed as the Atlas line of hardware. The second pic is from the 1976 catalog showing the new updated Atlas hardware with the tube legs and swivel feet (not Hercules, but Atlas). The third pic is from the 1980 catalog and shows the outfits with the Hercules hardware.
And my personal opinion of them is that the FIRST example (the early ones with the flat "blade" legs) were the best of the bunch.
Yes sir,the first...... by a landslide!
I agree with that statement having owned all three types. The first seemed to rattle less, the second type those foolish feet would always fall off, and the Hercules stands......a bit overkill. Too heavy, they would rattle, lose the rubber feet from time to time and those foolish plastic T knobs! I can't tell you how many of those that have cracked or completely broken on me in the past...and the going prices for those plastic T knobs on Ebay! DOH
The first style were made the longest, so the are the most plentiful out there, and they just seem to hold up better than the "improved" stands do.....
As an aside.....the "spur-lok" hi-hat, as everyone calls it.....NO SUCH THING. It's either the Classic model, the Big-Beat/Atlas model, the Hercules model or the early Modular series......"spur-lok" was the name of the mechanism in the heel of the pedal that when flipped around the right way would help anchor the stand in place on a drum rug or carpeting, NOT the actual stand.
Sorry, but its just another pet-peeve of mine when I see people call it by the wrong name.....
Kleening
