Artist bench query

[John Musselwhite]

>     What are the opinions on artist bences? I like the Jansen
>"scissor" type adjustment mechanism, and the price is $250 for black vinyl.

We have a Jansen bench with a leather top here at the Jubilee Auditorium
that has been in continuous service since the fifties and all I've ever had
to do was turn a new leg and a knob after an "accident" a few years ago. The
mechanism is still absolutely tight and smooth and the black  leather is in
perfect condition. The new benches from Jansen seem to be of similar same
high quality. I prefer the leather top to the vinyl simply because they last
longer (in this climate) and it has a certain quality of it's own.

The other benches we have are screw-type (I don't remember the maker) and
have been nothing but trouble since 1978 and we've never been able to remove
the rocking motion despite replacing the mechanisms. There is no sense of
quality in the benches at all, which I think many artists would
instinctively feel as soon as they sat down... I know I do.  Compared to the
Jansen they even look cheap from a distance.

>We're getting ready to purchase 3 or 4 and want something that will last.
>I'm of the impression that the bench MAFCO sells doesn't hold up as well.

Go with the Jansen in my opinion. The sissors-type mechanism they use is
heavy-duty and field-proven.

>     Television: Chewing gum for the eyes.--Frank Lloyd Wright

"Theatre is life, cinema is art. Television is furniture."

John Musselwhite, RPT               Calgary, Alberta Canada
musselj@cadvision.com              sysop@67.cambo.cuug.ab.ca