DIY Mic Stand - Turn Your Guitar Stand Into Combo Guitar/mic Stand.

I needed a mic stand I could travel with that wasn't bulky and heavy. Necessity gave birth to ingenuity, so I took my standard yet compact guitar stand and converted it to do double duty. I used PVC 1/2" electrical conduit and found just the right connectors to adapt and attach a standard mic clip. I didn't do any video because it was so easy...at least after puttering through many iterations of materials and connectors to finally find what worked best.

Guitar stand like the one pictured that has the telescoping cradle insert.

1/2" Sch. 40 PVC conduit. A 10 ft. sec. is more than enough. My neighbor had some scrap pieces.

1/2" x 4" section of hollow aluminum tubing.

(1) 1/2" electrical pvc coupler

(1) 1/2" x 1/2" combination metal set screw coupling

(2) 2" diameter metal hose clamps

Tools: any saw to cut PVC pipe, Screw driver, measuring tape,

Measure and cut PVC pipe to 47". There is some play at the base where the cradle height can be adjusted with the screw pin, so make sure the aluminum tubing is not any longer than your cut piece of pvc or you won't be able to seat the connection where you attach the boom to the flange. Cut the boom section to a length of about 30". No flange is needed for this section. You're going to heat up the pipe over an electric stove (or heat gun) so you need extra material at each end so you can hold it and bend it when its heated. This will be trimmed later when you fine tune the angles and length.

Remove the screw pin and cradle. Before you insert the pvc pipe into the cradle base, place a hose clamp below the screw pin hole, then take the other hose clamp and slip into the pvc pipe and then insert the pvc pipe into the cradle base. Position the hose clamps as seen and tighten to snug. Insert the aluminum pipe inside the pvc shaft. It adds stability. You could skip it but it will be a bit bendy and bouncy.

Next, prepare to fit the boom section by standing in front of the guitar/mic stand and eyeballing where the mic should be according to your height. Hold it where the flange is and mark the bend but leave plenty of room to hold while heating and bending so you don't get burned. The angle should be 45 degrees or less. The second bend straightens out the end where the mic clip will be attached. The mic should be level with your mouth and not be above your face.

Heat up the pipe where you need to bend it with the stove or a heat gun. Slowly rotate the tube about 4" from the surface. It takes a short time to heat up. Once it starts to bend hold it away from the burner. It can overheat quickly and melt. As it softens, bring it in and out of the heat, rotating the heat evenly on each side until you acheive the angle you want. You may want to use a practice piece to get the feel. Cool and hold it up to the main shaft flange and eyeball and mark for the proper height. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect because you can adjust the height of your mic up to 10" using the screw pin. I left only about 3" where it attaches to the main shaft at the flange. Don't trim until you heat and bend the mic section. To measure this, attach the 1/2" x 1/2" combination metal set screw coupling to the mic and tighten. The mic should be a comfortable distance from the base allowing you room to play your guitar but not so far as to create instability. Trim and attach the boom to the main shaft. Attach the mic to the boom tightening the other end of the metal screw coupling The beauty of the guitar stand I used is the angle of the base counter balances the weight of the mic. Note: There no need to glue the shaft and boom. The dry fit is tight and it makes it easy to break down and pack. I may even cut the main shaft in half and use the 1/2" coupling to making it easier for travel. I would also cut the aluminum tube but I would offset the cut from where the coupling is to add strength.

I spent about $20 on parts including a $4 hacksaw. Pipe was free.