Gibraltar Essentials Tables & DW Phone Holder

Over the next few updates we’ll be looking at some hardware from Gibraltar and DW, but I thought we’d first of all start with some accessories from the two companies. More specifically, for this update I thought we would look at some essentials tables and a phone holder.

Tables aren’t something everyone is going to use, or even really give much thought to. I know I certainly didn’t up to a few years ago, however, I do now actually carry a small table with my gigging gear (I say ‘table’, it’s more of a shelf with a clamp on it really since it’s so small, about 8×6”). It’s nothing fancy but it works, even if it does sometimes get a tad crowded.

Now, I use an iPad when I play live and also often take a laptop with me as well, plus a shaker, my phone, wallet and keys etc. Same as many of us would use, I guess.

It may surprise you – I say that because it surprised me – that Gibraltar offers quite a few table-like options, however, the models I have to look at here are the Pro Sidekick Essentials Table with Mount, Pro Sidekick Essentials Station and the Sidekick Essentials Station.

Pro Sidekick Essentials Table with Mount (SC-GSE-MNT)

This is designed to be pretty much exactly what I use my own tiny little table for except it’s much much bigger. It’s an accessory table for a drummer’s essentials.

The table is 16×10” and it’s made from moulded fibreglass with a black felt lining on top. It’s fairly simple but effective. The fibreglass construction means it’s pretty light and easy to carry. It’s mounted via an adjustable heavy duty clamp on the back so you can mount it anywhere you want.

My immediate thought about this table when taking it out of the box was that it feels lightweight, but almost to where it feels a bit too light. I was concerned with how much weight the clamp would take in that respect. Well, it turns out that in practice, it’s fine and holds a laptop and other bits with no issue so my concerns were a little unfounded.

The good thing about this table is that because it’s mounted with a clamp you’re not so restricted by height like the other two models. You can use it as a second tier as well and clamp it below another table if you need two.

https://www.gibraltarhardware.com/product/sc-pse-mnt/

Gibraltar Pro Sidekick Essentials Station

In essence, this is basically the same as the above table, albeit it comes with a different 7/8” mounting bracket underneath so it fits onto a stand (which it comes with). To my mind, that does makes it potentially more sturdy than the clamped version because of the weight distribution. But that’s just me.

The single-braced stand has a height range of 14 1/2” to 22 1/2” and the base spreads wide enough to make you feel it won’t fall over easily.

As the table is mounted and supported in a different way, I would feel much better about putting slightly heavier items on it like a bigger mixer as well as the aforementioned personal items.

Further info – https://www.gibraltarhardware.com/product/g-pses/

Gibraltar Sidekick Essentials Station

This is a wood version of the table.

It comes with the same height adjustable stand and felt covering but it just feels, dare I say it, a little more upmarket. It also feels more solid to hold too and while that solidity does mean more weight as well, it’s hard not to say given a choice of the three I’d probably want this one.

https://www.gibraltarhardware.com/product/g-ses/

All three of these tables offer something slightly different.

The two fibreglass versions are light, while the two on stands offer more strength and stability but are also designed to be positioned more at a [drummer’s] seated height, whereas the table with the mount is not restricted by this. Basically, you have options.

They won’t be for everybody, but as more of us use laptops/tablets and other gadgets when we play, you’re going to need somewhere to put all the stuff when you need it.

More over at https://www.gibraltarhardware.com/product-category/hardware/percussion-stands/tables-and-workstations/

DW phone holder

You don’t really need me to explain what this is for, so I won’t go there. Suffice to say, I think it’s a cool idea and certainly something I’d use.

I do on occasion use an old phone as a mini mixer and something like this would be perfect to clamp onto a cymbal stand so I can have the phone to hand if I need to make any changes. It’s also an option for singers/guitarists etc if they also happen to use a phone as a mixer for in ear monitoring or the like.

The unit is made from hard plastic and can be used mounted to a clamp or it can be adjusted to lay flat too. I tried it with an old iPhone 8 Plus and there was still room in it for a bigger device.

To borrow a phrase, it just works…