Before you read any further, a test: quick, can you spot the Cooperstand guitar stand in the photo at the bottom of this article? No? That means it's working.

In addition to providing stable and handsome support to electric and acoustic guitars of varying depths, the wooden Cooperstand also folds away so small, it can tuck behind the headstock of your guitar it its case, as shown below. This means its equally minuscule enough to tuck neatly away into the accessories pocket of a gig bag, no matter how slim the storage.

While its incredible shrinking nature may be its biggest selling point, the Cooperstand has plenty else going for it. We've already mentioned its good looks, but it might also interest you readers that this stand is hand-hewn right here in the US of A. . . in Nashville, in fact. It smart, four-contact-point design makes it far more stable than most fold-away guitar stands and even most non-collapsing, three-point stands.

Here's what I like about Cooperstand, the company. When discussing the material they've used for the non-slide padding (closed cell neoprene rubber), they go out of their way to be 100% upfront and honest about how it'll interact with your guitar's finish:

"The reality of the situation is this. Since there are so many different types of musical instrument finishes out there, including dating way back in history, that no rubber manufacturer which we have contacted was willing to guarantee us 100%, that long term exposure to any rubber product on the market, would not in some way effect "certain" instrument finishes. General speaking however most modern day guitar finishes would not be effected by rubbers currently used on most guitar stands, as long as it is not a permanent storage situation. Some guitar stand manufactures will say that their guitar stand will not effect the finish on "most" instruments. Look closely for their disclaimer, because it is there, somewhere......

If needed, herein lies ours...:)
The finish that is most susceptible to some form of damage is nitrocellulose lacquer. Honestly, it does take quite a long period of time with full contact exposure to certain types of rubber, for any damage to become obvious. How long? Well, there are just too many chemistry variables between finishes and rubbers used in either industry to predict anything. However, here is where your common sense comes in to play. . . (etc., etc., etc.)"

Gotta love a company that's honest nearly to a fault in their promotional copy.

The Cooperstand -- which, by the way, also holds mandolins, banjos, violins, you name it -- can be ordered directly from the company for $79.99. If you'd like an even nicer price, friend the company's founder (and the stand's designer) Daniel Cooper on Facebook. I guess woodworking is in the blood.