[pianotech] Artist Benches

[pmc033 at earthlink.net]

Hi,  Paul;
    I used to sell Artist benches, some from Benchworld, and the usual Jansen benches.  What you pay for IS the mechanism.  The cheap benches will rock.  The fix is to be sure the blocks that the screw rod attaches to are solid.  These blocks are attached to the underside of the bench seat.  The older models use wooden blocks, and I believe the newer ones are metal.  There must be absolutely no play at all in the screw rod, back and forth.  
    You will get what you pay for.  Absolutely true for benches.  Yeah, there are cheaper ones, but there's a reason Jansen benches are the "benchmark" standard.  They will outlast a piano if properly cared for (tightened regularly).  
    YMMV.
    Paul McCloud
    San Diego


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Paul Milesi, RPT 
To: PTG Pianotech List
Sent: 02/05/2010 11:16:12 AM 
Subject: [pianotech] Artist Benches


Yesterday I received an artist bench, Schaff No. 4990, page 24, that I ordered to check out.  I ordered it because the price was about 1/2 that of a Jansen bench, we are under some severe budget constraints, and ideally we need 4 artist benches at a minimum.  Unfortunately, I’m not happy because the bench top wobbles on the frame.  I didn’t expect this in a new bench, even a less expensive one.  Am I expecting too much?  Do they all wobble from side-to-side?  Do I really have to pay $650 to get one that doesn’t?  Why does that central threaded rod have to have so much play where it meets washers, etc., on each side?  BTW, on the outside of the box someone had written “Poeschl.”  I thought they were supposed to be pretty good benches?

Actually, I’ve sat on a couple of the petite artist benches (may or may not have been Schaff product), and they didn’t wobble at all.  So I’m a little confused.  Don’t have one to study, but wondering if they’re the same mechanism?  Actually, the ones I used might have been Yamaha...their mechanism seemed to be very tight...are they the same as Schaff petites?

Any suggestions or guidance will be much appreciated.  Should I send this bench back?  I’m under some time constraints!
-- 
Paul Milesi, RPT
Staff Piano Technician
Howard University Department of Music
Washington, DC
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