I would suggest getting benches with stretchers on them. I think they are around $200 in the catalogues. We purchased some new practice room Baldwin Studios about 6 years ago and after about 3 years damaged benches began showing up in my shop. I ordered 3 benches with stretchers and decided I could retrofit the broken benches with stretchers and salvage them It worked beautifully! I used a very dense grained African wood called "Jatoba" for the stretchers--$14 for a 1"X6"X8' piece, but works out to about $3 per bench since we split the 1"X6" into 1"X3". They worked so well we have retrofit every bench in the building. After 3 years we have never had a damaged bench, and we have carpet in the practice rooms. If you would like more information, just email me. I used a special type of screw and glued them in. The Chair was happy to spend around $5.00 for materials to retrofit rather than spending $200 for a new bench. This may not work any where else, but sure works here! 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 -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of wimblees@aol.com Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 11:55 AM To: caut@ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] Institutional bench purchasing? In a college setting, I don't think there are such a thing as indistructable benches. No matter who's products you buy, they will eventually break down. I've always bought GRK benches, but I'm sure the ones from Jansen & Sons and Schaff will be just as good. In the 2005 Directory there are 8 suppliers listed. Give each of them a call and ask for the best deal. Wim Willem Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician School of Music University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL USA -----Original Message----- From: Susan Kline <skline@peak.org> To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Fri, 04 Nov 2005 09:47:37 -0800 Subject: [CAUT] Institutional bench purchasing? Pardon me if this is old ground. Linfield College, where I tune, needs some new benches -- maybe 10-20. I'm sure if we search the web all kinds of bench-sellers will appear - but which of them offer products which will still be around in five years, even with maintenance? If anybody has a good source for sturdy, reasonably economical plain upright benches, please let me know. Thanks Susan Kline Linfield College McMinnville, OR P.S. Reading the posts about adding stringers -- good idea. Not just sure where I'd get the time for the first one, but once I'd worked out the details it probably wouldn't take all that long for the rest. _______________________________________________ caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives _______________________________________________ caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC