Hooked Up - ezStand

Written by Dan Keener on 7/16/2008 for AV  

Welcome to Hooked Up, the Gaming Nexus series that puts the spotlight on gaming related products that impact the Video Game experience. This week we take a look at ezGear’s ezStand guitar stand.




What is it?
The ezStand by ezGear is a product designed to hold virtually any guitar controller (both first and third party) on any platform for games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Not only will it get the controllers off the floor, but it adds extra layers of protection for the instrument with lots of padding and a security strap for the neck.



Impressions
“Perfect, absolutely perfect.” That was the thought running through my head when I pulled the ezStand out of the box and started putting it together. I assembled it in less than 30 seconds without the aid of directions and marveled at how easy and simple the design was. It was simply a matter of folding the legs out into a locked position, inserting the neck into the base and tightening it down and then threading the u-shaped piece that supports the guitar through the hole. It was seriously that easy.

The ezStand is all-metal construction which makes it extremely sturdy and doubtful it will ever collapse (or fall apart) from everyday use. Two of my pet peeves with other stands have been cheap plastic and failure to hold together for more than a handful of uses. The others simply looked and felt cheap. I have checked out about a half dozen of these stands from various companies, and the ezStand is the first to blend price, quality of construction and ease of use into one package.

One real nice feature is the piece that supports the guitar controller pivots, unlike most that remain fixed. So regardless of which guitar controller style, it will make contact and provide support for the controller on both of its arms.

I spent some time trying to come up with a negative, any negative, on the ezStand and I simply could not find fault with it. While $15.99 may seem pricey for a Guitar Controller stand, the ezStand offers superior construction and durability that warrants the price.


Gaming Impact
Since the first Guitar Hero game hit the market, the genre has evolved from fantasy play to trying to realistically emulate the real music experience. Along with this come higher quality controllers that look and feel like the real thing. Because these musical controllers add quite a bit of cost to the titles (and are pricey stand alone), it only makes sense to protect them and store them properly like any good musician. The ezStand does just that, by not only getting these faux guitars up off the floor where accidents can be avoided, but by protecting it with cushioned contacts on the bottom and neck. As of now, you will not find a better product to store your controllers.

The Skinny
The ezStand is by far and away the best guitar controller stand on the market that I have experienced. The difference is in the quality and flexibility of the design, which allow any guitar type to easily be stored and protected. The bottom line is that ezGear provides the best option on the market to protect and store your guitar controllers.

Where to Find/Buy
The ezStand guitar controller stand from ezGear can be found at the ezGear website. In addition, it can also be found at online retailers such as Amazon.com, and in a bundle at Buy.com .