[CAUT] Practice Room Piano Benches

[Porritt, David]

Last year we purchased 10 of the Jansen "Petite" benches for our piano
major practice rooms (grands).  I chained each bench to the pianos so we
still have them!  These benches have the same mechanism as the regular
Jansen artist benches, but the top is slightly smaller, and has a
buttoned down vinyl rather than the tuck-and-roll of the others.  They
are nearly $100.00 cheaper than the regular ones and have held up very
well.  I'm pleased.  

We bought 7 adjustable benches before that from Steigerman Benchworld.
They were made in China, and while economical they got wobbly in the
first month.  In a year they were ready for the fireplace.  Cheap isn't
always cheap.

dave

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Richard Brekne
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 2:39 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Practice Room Piano Benches

We at the University of Bergen are just about ready to replace 30 
adjustable benches and are leaning heavily towards the Japanese 
adjustable chair type instead of benches. The adjustment mechanism seems

very simple and durable, and they do not cost more then some of the 
mid-range to less expensive benches. Our experience at the conservatory 
here is that benches generally last about 6 months before they are 
creaking, squeeking, and making all manner of noises. The amount of 
service required to keep them quiet becomes quickly too time consuming 
for our purposes.

Your suggestion then intriques and I would like to know more before we 
go further. Would you have any pictures or diagrams to show exactly what

your solution is ?

Cheers
RicB

Elwood Doss wrote:

> While this piano bench thread is active, let me tell you about our 
> practice room piano benches. We purchased new Baldwin Studio pianos 
> for our practice rooms-please, no comments about the quality of the 
> pianos-about 5 years ago and year before last the custodian for our 
> building started bringing broken benches into my shop. I do check the 
> tightness of the bolts on a regular basis-snug, but not too tight--but

> the students began bending the bracket that the leg screw tightens on.

> After about 3 had shown up in the shop, the Chair asked me to look 
> into purchasing new benches to replace them. I suggested benches with 
> stretchers on them-they were about twice the cost of the regular type 
> of benches. When they came in I took a look at the stretchers and 
> thought, "I can do that to the broken benches here in my shop." Sure 
> enough, I designed one, used very dense wood from Africa, some good 
> wood screws and glue and went to work. It worked so well, my work 
> study students ended up retrofitting stretchers on all the practice 
> room pianos. They have held up beautifully, and no custodian meeting 
> me at the door holding a bench with a crooked leg!
>
> Now I'm sure all of you old heads do this all the time, but it was an 
> idea that paid dividends and saved the Department several thousand 
> dollars in new bench costs! No, I didn't get the surplus as check
bonus!
>
> Joy!
>
> Elwood
>
> Elwood Doss, Jr. M.M.E.; RPT
>
> Piano Technician/Technical Director
>
> Department of Music
>
> 145 Fine Arts Building
>
> The University of Tennessee at Martin
>
> Martin, TN 38238
>
> 731/881-1852
>

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