Pianotech

  • 1.  Benchworld Pneumatic benches

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-08-2017 21:01
    Anyone out there have any experience with benches made (and distributed) by Benchworld? Their product is being considered by a music school that has asked me to advise them. Our last several bench purchases have been from Hidrau Model (Spain).

    Thanks,

    Alan

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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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  • 2.  RE: Benchworld Pneumatic benches

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-10-2017 01:38
    A teacher I tune for recently purchased one of the benches in question.  She liked it and I was impressed with the elegant design and smooth functionality.  It's a pretty piece of furniture but the real question with these benches, as with more tradition designs, is how well they hold up to use and abuse.  It's a rare bench that will last as long as its piano, and my experience with the lift-gate shocks on my various old wagons has made me a little dubious about the durability of hydraulics.  If it lasts more than five years in a teaching studio, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

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    Cecil Snyder
    Torrance CA
    310-542-7108
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  • 3.  RE: Benchworld Pneumatic benches

    Posted 06-12-2017 08:59
    Ages ago, Bosendorfer used pneumatic benches for a period of time. I don't remember exactly when, but if I had to guess I would say it was in the late 80s. The reason I remember the benches is that I ran across several that leaked. Not only is there compressed air in those benches, but there is some type of hydraulic oil as well. It caused quite a mess. The dealer I worked for was very unhappy and replaced them all with regular crank knob benches. While they seem very convenient and fun, I would personally stay away from them.

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    Charles Rempel
    Sales & Marketing Director
    Dampp-Chaser Corp.
    HENDERSONVILLE NC
    828-692-8271
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  • 4.  RE: Benchworld Pneumatic benches

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-13-2017 15:32
    Charles,
    To the best of my knowledge, those Bosey benches were, in fact, hydraulic, meaning they used hydraulic fluid. These pneumatic benches use gas cylinders. No oil involved.

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    Fred Sturm
    University of New Mexico
    fssturm@unm.edu
    http://fredsturm.net
    http://www.artoftuning.com
    "We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Casteneda
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  • 5.  RE: Benchworld Pneumatic benches

    Posted 06-13-2017 15:46
    Hi Fred,

    I thought they used compressed air as a spring, or is that not correct?

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    Charles Rempel
    Sales & Marketing Director
    Dampp-Chaser Corp.
    HENDERSONVILLE NC
    828-692-8271
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  • 6.  RE: Benchworld Pneumatic benches

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-13-2017 18:24
    Adding to the confusion over pneumatic vs. hydraulic is the usage of those terms by Hidrau Model themselves. When I asked them for clarification, this is what Partycja said:

    "In spite of the name "hydraulic" (unfortunately we didn't use the proper name for our benches) all benches we offer for US are pneumatic ones, so works under the pressed gas, not liquid.

    The concert hall bench is also pneumatic one."

    I suggested they get their terminology straightened out, and was providing a "customer request" that could be forwarded on to the powers that be.

    Alan



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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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  • 7.  RE: Benchworld Pneumatic benches

    Posted 11-28-2017 10:47
    Their music school must have a good School Marketing Strategies for promoting it.

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    james royster
    Ralph
    Ephrata PA
    9991768298
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