Near miss with Hercules wall hanger

mrkb · May 2021

Have checked mine and they are AO17D and AO17K versions so I think the number isn’t the year of manufacture (2017) which is when I bought mine.

One had a loose metal collar (but not broken or likely to drop the guitar) so will keep an eye on it.

Felixq78 · August 2021

I use the ones without so many moving parts solid steel bolted directly into the timber but I use the Hercules for my acoustic guitars only.

IvoBRodrigues · November 2021

I had the exact same break as the OP on at least 3 Hercules stands from 2016-2018. I never contacted them, maybe I should have. The last one that broke was from from the A017B series. I've been replacing the old models since 2020 by the new model (HERCULES Stands GSP38WB PLUS AGS) and so far no breaks, but as soon as I have a break on a new model or I see someone with pics of one of them broken, I'll replace all my Hercules stands and never use the brand again. I have 16 guitars on the wall some of them custom shops, the idea of one falling to the ground is horrible. But I also have limited space and I need my guitars off their cases, otherwise I won't play them as much.

If someone knows about a brake in the new model, please share. I'll sure do.

Thanks all

Mellish · November 2021

I've had trouble with Hercules. Not wall-hangers but stands. I bought two at the same time at GG and both failed the same way: the trigger mechanism at the back fell off

ICBM · November 2021

Mellish said:

I've had trouble with Hercules. Not wall-hangers but stands. I bought two at the same time at GG and both failed the same way: the trigger mechanism at the back fell off

I’ve got three which did that, from two different series. The trigger mechanism is made of the same type of plastic as the thumbwheel which locks the pole to the base on some models, which chemically degrades, goes sticky and falls apart. The guitar clamp mechanism doesn’t seem to be affected, it must be a different type of plastic. The newer ones I’ve seen don’t seem to suffer from this either, so I think they must have been changed too.

I replaced those parts with metal ones myself - not quite as easy to use but it does the job. I filed down a nut into a lozenge shape so it fits into the slot at the back, and fitted an old thumbwheel - these came from an HH amp head, surprisingly! They're used to hold the end pieces to the chassis - so it engages with the holes in the pole when it's fully in, and allows it to slide when backed out a bit. (I also replaced the thumbwheel at the bottom with one.)

It's a shame they have these problems, the design is very good otherwise.

HAL9000 · November 2021

crunchman said:

I got mine last year, and have the newer style.

I've had problems with the plaster I've drilled into though.

Plaster? Or plasterboard? I’ve never had any problems hanging things (even very large heavy mirrors, cabinets, etc) on regular plaster. Plasterboard however is the work of the devil, the spawn of Satan, and the handiwork of Lucifer. Horrible stuff that really should have been left in that special place in Hell where it came from.

Mellish · November 2021

Cheers @ICBM

ThePrettyDamned · November 2021

That's scary. I've only ever used the cheap ones guitar shops use for hanging guitars - plain bent bits of metal screwed into the wall. A bit like this, but not the same - they have a circle bit at the back.

https://rattleanddrum.com/products/stagg-short-guitar-wall-hanger?currency=GBP&variant=34446161871013&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhMOMBhDhARIsAPVml-GzvbLdQOuzQWGKjABzgUZSBDo5U3uzhLf__obcUrkI5sqP9OCXDeUaAl4wEALw_wcB 

Now I use a floor rack but I'd like to wall mount when I'm in a new house...

PhilKing · November 2021

Just put up 4 hangers. The boxes all say "Upgraded AGS", and I've had a couple up in my work room for over a year now, with pretty heavy guitars on them. I used strong 2½" screws into the studs, so I'm pretty certain they will hold up.

Dampmaskin · October 2022

Another one bites the dust. Bought in September of 2017, batch no. AO17F or A017F. The pot metal tube seems to have shattered. Luckily the Hercules still didn't let go of my StingRay5. I just sent an email to the dealer asking about the warranty. https://imgur.com/a/PwEaswV

DiscoStu · October 2022

Dampmaskin said:

Another one bites the dust. Bought in September of 2017, batch no. AO17F or A017F. The pot metal tube seems to have shattered. Luckily the Hercules still didn't let go of my StingRay5. I just sent an email to the dealer asking about the warranty. https://imgur.com/a/PwEaswV

Another 17 code too. Seems to have been a bad year for them! If you have no luck with the dealer then contact the distributor instead, that's how I got mine replaced.

drofluf · October 2022

Dampmaskin said:

Another one bites the dust. Bought in September of 2017, batch no. AO17F or A017F. The pot metal tube seems to have shattered. Luckily the Hercules still didn't let go of my StingRay5. I just sent an email to the dealer asking about the warranty. https://imgur.com/a/PwEaswV

Get in touch with them via their website. My stand had the dreaded "sticky trigger" and after exchanging a few emails they sent me a replacement stand. 4 days from raising the issue to replacement arriving

docbaker · October 2022

That metal has just torn, it looks far too thin to take 15lbs, repeatedly loaded and unloaded. Hercules must be skimping on the spec they give to the fabricator, either internal or external. Are they in fact US made?

Obviously guitars are built to take stress by hanging by their necks, but I have always had the view, how would you like it? They can be so expensive, why put it through the stress and risk, unless space really is a problem.

ICBM · October 2022

I have to say this catalogue of problems really isn't good for such an apparently highly-rated (or hyped) product, and it's a shame when the 'catch' mechanism is a genuinely useful innovation. It seems to be largely down to poor choice of materials rather than bad design.

Hanging by the neck isn't the problem, a guitar neck has to take a string tension of around 100lb plus a very hefty force from the truss rod as well in most cases - I don't know how much, but given how tight the adjuster nut often is I would have thought another few tens of pounds at least - so the weight of the guitar in the sub-10lb region (usually!) is not going to make any difference.

DartmoorHedgehog · October 2022

drofluf said:

Get in touch with them via their website. My stand had the dreaded "sticky trigger" and after exchanging a few emails they sent me a replacement stand. 4 days from raising the issue to replacement arriving

When you say "them" do you mean Hercules or the dealer? If they're replacing them I may as well make a claim for my stand that failed recently - it's pretty old so I just bodged it with a bolt similar to what ICBM posted earlier, but if they'll give me a new one then that's a bonus.

RiftAmps · October 2022

I bought eight units and only two have survived more than three years. They all failed in the same place as the OPs.

drofluf · October 2022

DartmoorHedgehog said:

drofluf said:

Get in touch with them via their website. My stand had the dreaded "sticky trigger" and after exchanging a few emails they sent me a replacement stand. 4 days from raising the issue to replacement arriving

When you say "them" do you mean Hercules or the dealer? If they're replacing them I may as well make a claim for my stand that failed recently - it's pretty old so I just bodged it with a bolt similar to what ICBM posted earlier, but if they'll give me a new one then that's a bonus.

Sorry wasn't clear - get in touch with Hercules' UK distributor who is Strings and Things. This is the address they were communicating with me via Sales@stringsandthings.co.uk

DartmoorHedgehog · October 2022

drofluf said:

DartmoorHedgehog said:

drofluf said:

Get in touch with them via their website. My stand had the dreaded "sticky trigger" and after exchanging a few emails they sent me a replacement stand. 4 days from raising the issue to replacement arriving

When you say "them" do you mean Hercules or the dealer? If they're replacing them I may as well make a claim for my stand that failed recently - it's pretty old so I just bodged it with a bolt similar to what ICBM posted earlier, but if they'll give me a new one then that's a bonus.

Sorry wasn't clear - get in touch with Hercules' UK distributor who is Strings and Things. This is the address they were communicating with me via Sales@stringsandthings.co.uk

Cool thanks mate - I'll give them a try, nothing to lose

DiscoStu · October 2022

Yeah, contact Strings and Things, it was them who sorted me out.

The tube that fails on all of these does looked to be a casting rather than a piece of solid metal pipe, with less structural stability as a result.

Dampmaskin · October 2022

I just got a reply from the dealer. They said that they have contacted the distributor, who didn't know anything about any failures or problems with these mounts. The dealer also didn't want to warranty it, and they didn't know anything about Hercules giving any warranty. In short, they washed their hands of the problem.

The Hercules web page states that they give a lifetime warranty for products sold through US shops only. As I bought mine in Norway, I was told to go to the Norwegian distributor, EM Nordic.

EM Nordic state on their web page that they give a 2 year warranty on their products, unless otherwise specified. Nothing else is specified on their Hercules brand page, and nothing on the individual product pages. So it seems I'm well and truly out of luck.

Guess it's time for me to start looking at other brands.

digitalkettle · October 2022

Dampmaskin said:

I just got a reply from the dealer. They said that they have contacted the distributor, who didn't know anything about any failures or problems with these mounts. The dealer also didn't want to warranty it, and they didn't know anything about Hercules giving any warranty. In short, they washed their hands of the problem.

The Hercules web page states that they give a lifetime warranty for products sold through US shops only. As I bought mine in Norway, I was told to go to the Norwegian distributor, EM Nordic.

EM Nordic state on their web page that they give a 2 year warranty on their products, unless otherwise specified. Nothing else is specified on their Hercules brand page, and nothing on the individual product pages. So it seems I'm well and truly out of luck.

Guess it's time for me to start looking at other brands.

^ This is what Twitter is for!

I don't hang my guitars up...I prefer to leave them leaning precariously all over the place. If I did, I wouldn't touch these products...I've seen too many of those sheared tubes and it's dangerous: dropping something you love and/or landing on something you love.

flying_pie · October 2022

I have an old house with tough brick walls needing SDS drills to get into them. I use tool hooks which are around £2 from any decent hardware store screwed into a rawl plug. They hold electric guitars no problem.

I'm pretty sure that if you located the studs in a more modern house then it should hold the same. A bit of 4x2 mounted to the studs can house a number of hooks. I've got multiple bikes hanging in that manner in my shed and they're way heavier than even a Les Paul.

I made some padding from old socks to cover the issue of the plastic coating on the hooks rubbing off on thin paint jobs (no problems with poly)

DiscoStu · October 2022

Dampmaskin said:

I just got a reply from the dealer. They said that they have contacted the distributor, who didn't know anything about any failures or problems with these mounts. The dealer also didn't want to warranty it, and they didn't know anything about Hercules giving any warranty. In short, they washed their hands of the problem.

The Hercules web page states that they give a lifetime warranty for products sold through US shops only. As I bought mine in Norway, I was told to go to the Norwegian distributor, EM Nordic.

EM Nordic state on their web page that they give a 2 year warranty on their products, unless otherwise specified. Nothing else is specified on their Hercules brand page, and nothing on the individual product pages. So it seems I'm well and truly out of luck.

Guess it's time for me to start looking at other brands.

If you haven't done so already, contact the distributor directly. I'd had mine for 3 years when they failed.
The UK distributor (Strings and Things) confirmed a known fault to me and replaced ALL my hangers, not just the two which had failed. I was more than happy with their customer service but obviously things may be different in Norway.

Quoted from their email:

"Many thanks for sending the video and pictures over.

There was a manufacturing issue which Hercules thought had been caught at the factory. Unfortunately a few stands were despatched before the affected stands were quarantined.

The design has since changed and the issue rectified.

We are happy to replace your hangers(5), if you can send me a delivery address."

Pabcrane · October 2022

RiftAmps saidi:

I bought eight units and only two have survived more than three years. They all failed in the same place as the OPs.

I've got a few of these wall hangers which have been fine - however they're older than three years.

I think based on Rift Amps experience I'll be looking for another brand when it comes time to get a couple more hangers. It's a shame because I quite like the the little clippy-bit but it seems quality has really gone downhill.

JohnS37 · October 2022

If you’re worried about the prongs abrading the finish on your guitar’s neck, then take a tip from the following joke:

Two older women were outside their nursing home, having a smoke, when it started to rain.

One of the ladies pulled out a condom, cut off the end, put it over her cigarette, and continued smoking.

First Lady: What's that?

Second Lady: A condom. This way my cigarette doesn't get wet.

First Lady: Where did you get it?

Second Lady: You can get them at any drugstore.

The next day, Lady 1 hobbles herself into the local drugstore and announces to the pharmacist that she wants a box of condoms.

The guy, obviously embarrassed, looks at her strangely (she is, after all, over 80 years old), but very delicately asks what brand she prefers.

Doesn't matter son, as long as it fits a Camel.

JohnS37 · October 2022

Er, take a tip - geddit?

DrJazzTap · October 2022

Have to admit this thread has got me somewhat worried. I think i may buy a 3 guitar stand again. I am downsizing anyway.

the_jaffa · April 2023

I found one of mine failed this afternoon. Has had my Strat hung on it.

I’ve emailed Strings and Things and the US Hercules arm. We’ll see.

the_jaffa · May 2023

And as an update, Strings and Things are replacing it for me.

Great service I'd say

bertie · May 2023

the_jaffa said:

And as an update, Strings and Things are replacing it for me.

and what about the priceless 1963 strat ?

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Near miss with Hercules wall hanger

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