Home » Guides » Microphones » Mic Stand Threads: 3/8 inch, 5/8 inch and the Adaptor You Are Missing

Mic Stand Threads: 3/8 inch, 5/8 inch and the Adaptor You Are Missing

Two thread standards, a small brass part, and the reason the clip in your hand will not screw onto the stand in front of you.

~6 min read · Updated August 2026 · By the Stage Supply team

In this guide:The two threads · The adaptor · Clips and mounts · Picks · FAQ

There are two microphone stand thread standards in common use, and nothing on either of them is labelled. This is why every venue has a drawer of clips that fit nothing and a box of small brass adaptors that everyone borrows and nobody returns.

The whole subject takes two minutes to learn, and knowing it saves a lot of time on a get-in.

The two threads

The two standards are 3/8 inch Whitworth, common on European stands, and 5/8 inch 27 thread, common on American stands and on most professional microphone clips.

  • 3/8 inch is the smaller one. Widely used on European-made stands, and on camera and lighting accessories.
  • 5/8 inch is the larger one. The default on most professional microphone clips, shock mounts and American stands.

Both are so close in size that people try to force one onto the other. Do not, because cross-threading a brass insert ruins the part.

The adaptor that solves it

The universal answer is a thread adaptor, a small threaded bush with a female thread at one end and a male at the other. The common one converts a 3/8 inch female stand into a 5/8 inch male, so that any professional clip screws on.

  • 3/8 inch female to 5/8 inch male: fits a standard clip to a European stand. This is the one you need most often.
  • 5/8 inch female to 3/8 inch male: the reverse, for putting a European accessory on an American stand.
  • Metal versions last. Plastic ones are cheaper and are fine for a fixed install, but they crack and strip in a flight case.

Many stands ship with the adaptor already fitted into the top, which is why people are surprised when a stand that worked last week suddenly does not. The adaptor came out with the clip and went home in someone else’s bag.

Buy them by the bag

They cost very little and disappear constantly. Every gigging rig, hire stock and venue should keep a handful of metal adaptors in the microphone case rather than one in the drawer.

Clips, shock mounts and what else uses the thread

The same threads appear on more than stands.

  • Microphone clips and quick-release holders, almost all 5/8 inch female.
  • Shock mounts, usually 5/8 inch female with a 3/8 inch insert supplied.
  • Boom arms and extension tubes.
  • Drum rim clamps and instrument mounts.
  • Lighting and camera accessories, often 3/8 inch, which is where the two worlds overlap.

If a clip will not go on, the answer is nearly always an adaptor missing or an adaptor already fitted, not a faulty part.

Frequently asked questions

What thread do microphone stands use?

Either 3/8 inch Whitworth or 5/8 inch 27, depending on where the stand was made. European stands are commonly 3/8 inch, American stands and most professional clips are 5/8 inch.

How do I know which thread I have?

By size, since the 5/8 inch is visibly larger, or by trying an adaptor. Never force a clip onto a thread that resists, because cross-threading destroys the insert.

What is an AT8423?

Audio-Technica’s metal thread adaptor, converting 3/8 inch to 5/8 inch. It is the same part as any other quality metal adaptor, and it is the one to keep spares of.

My stand’s thread is loose or spinning

The adaptor bush has come loose in the stand top rather than the thread failing. Remove it, check it, and refit. Metal adaptors are far less prone to this than plastic.