Above is my review of Le Support (My Review) – I’m mainly playing on this support now due to its secure feeling. I also sometimes use my ErgoPlay “Tröster” for teaching or at home and still recommend it to most students starting out. Before Le Support I used this the most and still like it.
I’ve done so many reviews of supports over the years that people are regularly asking which ones are my favourites. Truth is, they are all good but depending on your preferences one will be more useful than another.
I mainly use three supports: Le Support (or GuitarLift) for performance, Ergoplay for general use. I also like the Woodside support for some occasions.
Recommended Classical Guitar Supports
- Foot Stool – Still important.
- ErgoPlay “Tröster” – Side Mounted Suction Cups. Very popular and I recommend it to students buying their first support. It is more likely to suit all players.
- Le Support (My Review) – Back Mounted Suction Cups. This is my current favourite support that I’m using in my videos.
- Guitarlift Guitar Support – Back Mounted Suction Cups. Also great and fits more sizes and positions of players than Le Support.
- Woodside Guitar Support – Clamp System. An important option for those who are sick of suction cups coming off.
- Sageworks (Barnett) Guitar Support – Magnets. A great solution but I don’t love the internal installation. Lots of people love it though.
FYI, the non-adhesive protective and suction enhancing vinyl material I mention in the video is a non-guitar one called Grafix ClingViynl. I’ve used it on French polish and polyurethane finishes but I’ve been told not to use on lacquer finishes so use at your own risk, ask your luthier or maker. Also, I often use a black cloth/foam on my right leg to keep the guitar from slipping, just a basic Shelf Liner.
Thank you for recommending the Tröster , based on your review I bought one and I’m very happy with it, it’s very fast and easy to use.
Great, yes, I think that it is the best support for many people. Or at the very least, the best one to start with before exploring all the others.
Nice piece of soft..real leather suede on your lap is also a great anti slip tool.
After trying out a few types of supports I discovered a very effective option that’s super-cheap, if not free if you already have some in your home: that thin waffly rubbery material used to keep rugs in place, and for shelves, too, I think. I place a small piece on my left thigh and — voilà — my guitar stays in place because the material grips on both sides.
What’s wrong with the good old fashioned footstool? I know it’s supposed to be bad for posture, and all that entails, but I’ve used this as my only support for more than 50 years, and never had any problems. I have a nice wooden four legged stool, and it’s perfect – looks cool too.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the footstool. It’s not as ergonomic but plenty comfortable for many people. I have completely switched over because I just feel better with guitar supports, more open and free, and I end up with better posture. But of course it’s all player preference.
I have tried a lot of supports. What I settled on is a good old-fashioned guitar strap. I tested it first with my beater guitar, a Cordoba three-quarter size. I took it to the guitar shop, The Blue Guitar in San Diego, and had them put strap pins on. I bought a $10 guitar strap from them and tried it out. I love it. Then I took my good guitar and had them put strap pins on that. Perfect. You can adjust the guitar position very easily. It is far and away the most secure method I know. You should try it, but I know 99.9% of guitarists will never consider a guitar strap.
Ya, straps are good but I can’t get the right position for myself with a normal sized guitar. With a smaller 19th century guitar it feels good to me. Also, I don’t know if I could bring myself to drill into my guitar!