Over the years I've tried many different sax stands, and whilst it's fairly easy to get a decent stand for a tenor or baritone, I've always been disappointed with alto stands because in every one I've had, the horizontal lower support which the sax rests on just above the bottom-bend is at the same level as the closed C-sharp pad. Consequently the sax never sits "square-on" in the stand because the proximity of the C-sharp pad or it's protective guard causes the sax to twist to the opposing side when it's on the stand, thereby rendering it quite unstable. The advantage of this stand is that the lower support is "V" shaped, and this enables the alto to sit absolutely square. The upper support just below the bell is also an improvement on most other stands I've tried, and the whole thing just looks and feels much more stable when it is in use. It doesn't fold down small enough to fit inside the bell of the sax like a lot of other stands do, but that's a small price to pay.