I have a 'heavy duty' type music stand and unfortunately one of the height adjusters is broken. It adjusts with one of those... the only way I can think to describe it is like a patio umbrella, where you pull a toggle up and down to release the tubing. The whole toggle has broken off. So it's still OK for playing sitting down and there are various bodges I can use to make it stand at full height, but it wouldn't pass the health and safety test to have someone else use it in its current state, so it's a no go for teaching for sure. Does anyone know if this type of height adjuster is repairable? I don't have a clue what sort it is to know where to start looking for a replacement length of tubing, it's just black all over and I bought it from a shop that's long since gone out of business.

If it definitely couldn't be repaired, does anyone know where to get a soild-topped stand (i.e. not those ones with spotty holes in that look like a very large strainer, nor one with a folding top) that will hold a hard-backed library volume and cost... well, the closer to £25 we can get the better, as the strainer-style ones are £25 so it must be possible. Oooh, and not those wooden "conductor's stand" either, I've yet to come upon one of those in my lifetime which is not broken. Not sure if it's rough handling or bad design, but I'm definitely reserved about their potential. EDIT to say I meant where I can get one that someone has tried and knows to be good. I can find a fair number of stands that look nice and stable, but who knows what will happen when you get them home, a recommendation would be good.

I have a stand that I can't adjust any more. I used araldite on it and accepted that it was no longer portable. It stays in the spare room where I practice.

Thanks. I don't think that is really an option if I am going to use it for teaching as I'd be taking people of all different sizes.

I have one of the very lightweight RAT stands and one of the height adjusters broke on that. I e-mailed customer services at RAT and they sent me a replacement - if you know the make of the stand you could try that route.

It looks most like a Wenger, but if so they have definitely changed the mechanism since then. I must have bought it in about 1993, so that sounds like it's had a good life and worked well over the years but actually it broke in 1994! Sadly I think I am just going to have to give it to a cellist and buy a new one, which is so annoying when it's only such a small part that is broken, it was £47 even back then!