Question for LD. And anyone else. (piano related)
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I have nice padded adjustable bench for my Bosie. I keep it higher than most people. Certainly higher than a fixed bench.
Upstairs in my office I have my Yamaha Clav. It has the non-adjustable bench that it came with.
I want to upgrade to an adjustable bench for upstairs but I'm not sure what to get. Shelling out 750 for the high end Jensen seems like overkill. But some of the cheap knock offs worry me. Should they?
I don't need it to be storage. In fact, a thinner sleeker look would go better with the Clav.
Any advice?
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https://cpsimports.com/Our_Products.html
I'm still leery of them, but I know 6-7 people that have purchased them and been thrilled. You can't beat the price...
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Looks really nice, Jon.
You should definitely call around, and base your needs on those humongous butt-cheek indentations on your current bench.
Now, if you would have bought that Vette like you were supposed to, then you would already have size, leather quality & etc. to use as a baseline for a new piano bench.
Take a picture of your bench, especially the humongous butt-cheek surface. Then, when you call around, you can ask first thing if they have a computer with dual monitors.
OK, I'm just kidding. It's spelled "Jansen" by the way.
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Ten years ago I bought a couple of padded, adjustable piano benches at $95 each.
Ten years later, they still work, as in I can still sit on either of them to play the piano, I can still adjust their heights.
BUT, the upholstery has not hold up well. Some decorative buttons popped off. The faux leather chipped and peeled. And one bench developed some creaking noises that will come out as you lean your torso back and forth or left and right as you play the piano, creaking noises loud enough to be noticeable in recordings. (The other bench has not develop this creaking noise.)
Would a Jensen bench that is 5x to 10x more expensive have fared any better? Frankly I do not know. But I know that I can replace these cheap benches 5x over by now and still not spend as much as I worked have for a Jensen bench.
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Yeah, I've also had a couple people buy from them, and they were happy. They clearly aren't as robust as Jansen benches, but as Axe, mentioned, you can replace it every few years and still come out ahead cost wise.
As far as the creaking--that's frequently from securing two pieces (the base of the bench and the legs) that are both fully coated in polyester. Sometimes, removing the legs, and sanding the finish off the edges where the legs come in contact, would solve the problem.
It could also just be the mechanism working itself loose over time.
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@axtremus said in Question for LD. And anyone else. (piano related):
But I know that I can replace these cheap benches 5x over by now and still not spend as much as I worked have for a Jensen bench.
Sure. And, you can buy the cheapest car and replace it 5X over, as opposed to buying a quality car. Depends on how much you like all the time and energy spent on buying the cheap car(s) and hoping the interior doesn't disintegrate, faux leather chipping off, particle board crumbling, padding underneath the carpet turns to dust, and the wonderful mental anguish as you think over and over to determine at what point you have had enough, and you'll start shopping for the next "vehicle" trying to save money.
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I for one think that a good piano needs a decent quality bench and not some cheap crap.
I mean, you spend a high five or even six figure amount on a piano and then sit on some cheap $100 piece of plastic? That sounds just wrong to me.
The time I spend on my piano is supposed to be fun. It feels much nicer to sit on a bench that shouts "quality!" from any angle you look at it.
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Jon, on a more serious note. . .
Chinese benches do not adhere to the restrictions on materials used. There
can beare issues with chemicals including glues and foam. There have been instances where people with allergies can easily smell the chemicals, have a reaction, and for you, I'd be concerned about inhaling chemicals which are not allowed in products manufactured in the U.S. The EPA and other agencies indeed protect the American consumer from American-made products. -
Jansen has a Pneumatic Bench that's pretty nice for around $400...
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I for one think that a good piano needs a decent quality bench and not some cheap crap.
I mean, you spend a high five or even six figure amount on a piano and then sit on some cheap $100 piece of plastic? That sounds just wrong to me.
The time I spend on my piano is supposed to be fun. It feels much nicer to sit on a bench that shouts "quality!" from any angle you look at it.
@klaus said in Question for LD. And anyone else. (piano related):
I for one think that a good piano needs a decent quality bench and not some cheap crap.
I mean, you spend a high five or even six figure amount on a piano and then sit on some cheap $100 piece of plastic? That sounds just wrong to me.
The time I spend on my piano is supposed to be fun. It feels much nicer to sit on a bench that shouts "quality!" from any angle you look at it.
Agreed and if my bench for the Bosie needed to be replaced I’d spare no expense.
This is for a fucking Yamaha.
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By the way, my main bench has a nice little touch:
You were warned.
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@jon-nyc said in Question for LD. And anyone else. (piano related):
By the way, my main bench has a nice little touch:
So does this one:
“Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”
Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton
