I took a short walk to my student’s place to check out his new Descattiati model 810 Hydraulic. It’s not a sports car by any stretch of the imagination, but a piston-packed piano bench that has a vector design that gently nudges the player forward. Without doubt, it’s the best reminder, absent the shadow of a teacher, that a player should NOT sit too far back, lest he risk compromised posture and keyboard alienation.
For me, Model 810 afforded a built-in joy ride. Sitting back as far as I could to test the limits of dysfunctional ambulation, I was pleasantly pushed downhill over shiny velour, rekindling a childhood amusement park experience: the final red carpet slide after a tunnel of horrors journey.
My model Hydraulic, a 30″ Hydrau (HM), to the contrary, will not catapult me forward, though it has a slight vector that only becomes noticeable if the bench is completely turned around. (My student, with his laser-sharp vision spotted this feature and toyed with it) However, when push came to shove, I was relieved that I’d miss-installed the hydraulic, inadvertently obtaining an even playing field that’s my preference. (By habit I sit toward the front edge of the bench and lean toward extreme registers.)
In all fairness, both Descattiati and Hydrau have dependable pistons making height adjustments effortless and smooth. Their un-oiled ups and downs draw the interest of pianists, and concours directors worldwide. One disclaimer: my particular experience with HYDRAU,(HM) attached a two year long difficulty energizing the piston mechanism due to my weight bracket shy of 110 pounds. I could easily “bench press” up, but not descend without second party assistance. The problem could have been remedied by a piston replacement (offered me), but I decided to leave well enough alone and keep one fixed height.
In the present, I have built enough muscle weight through fitness workouts that I can jack the HM up and down without a hitch! So it’s Onward and Upward, if desired.
from Arioso7’s Blog (Shirley Kirsten)
https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2019/10/26/the-highs-and-lows-of-a-hydraulic-piano-bench/
