Is This Best Piano Bench? | Unboxing and Review of Andexinger 484 "Lift-o-matic"

[@drvinculum]

Thank you for making a video review. The base looks solid and well built, which is hard to see in still photos elsewhere. I’m probably going to splurge for the button tuft leather top because it looks to comfortable and easy to clean. I also refused to buy a bench made in China, so my choices are quite narrow. I hope you’re still happy with this bench.

[@brendamengeling4653]

Glad you like your new piano bench! I’ve had my Yamaha Avantgrand hybrid piano and bench for a year, and although I love the piano, the bench squeaks loudly when I shift my weight even a little bit. You mentioned several brands and adjustment options, which gives me a place to start to look for a replacement.

[@PianistAcademy1]

Great! FYI, it's been about 4 weeks since I actually filmed this and the cushion is staying just a firm as day 1. There are a few options near this price on sites like Sweetwater and Musician's Friend, but my gut tells me they won't be the quality of this. They are by brands that usually make stage stands and other gear and I own many of those products... usually the products don't scream "lifetime" value, but more like "good for a few years."

[@TheDusty1920]

Your praise is warranted. This bench is a steal. Had mine almost 2 years and it is in the exact same condition as when I bought it. Super quiet, super comfortable, looks nice, easily adjusts… What’s not to love?

[@dannyhall6141]

I can't thank you enough for this unboxing and review!! I had never heard of this bench until watching your video...and I was sold. I ended up choosing the exact model from your link (room for me and my cat 😁), and I am dumbfounded by the quality to cost ratio of this thing! It doesn't move at all when you sit...feels like you're sitting down onto a stone wall with a nice cushion on it! I'd been eying the Hidrau for a year and a half...just couldn't bring myself to part with $800. This Andexinger delivers on everything I wanted and was missing in a bench...thanks for this video!

[@PianistAcademy1]

My pleasure! I'm glad to hear that the quality control is top notch on these! That's always something I worry about when the price seems "too good to be true!"

[@TheCe1ticZombie]

Thanks for the review. Looks like the perfect bench and I’ll most likely purchase it soon.

[@PianistAcademy1]

My pleasure! It's really a great bench at a fantastic price.

[@TheCe1ticZombie]

@@PianistAcademy1 Thanks again. Without your video I never would have found it. I ordered it last week and it should be coming tomorrow. I also told my sales engineer at Sweetwater about it and he said he would mention it at the next meeting.

[@monkeyspacepilot007]

I wish I had seen this review a few weeks ago. Now I will have to save up to replace the bench I actually bought.

[@PianistAcademy1]

Which bench did you end up getting?

[@greenpickle9606]

Bought one thru your link. Excited to receive it.

[@PianistAcademy1]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

[@aBachwardsfellow]

An excellent value! Pre-assembled is easily worth $50-plus dollars saved in time and aggravation ...! For my 6-foot height, 2/3 of it is my legs -- I also have a short waist and always have to raise the bench about 1 - 1/2" to 2" above where most people have it. Turning those knobs is not only pains-takingly slow, but ruinous to one's technic; I always feel like I need to play some scales and arpeggios for a few minutes to undo the effect -- not always possible in a concert situation ... :-| When I was teaching and had a fixed-height bench I made a set of 3 cushions by layering 1, 2, and 3 layers of carpet padding (with a piece of plywood sandwiched in between for stability) inside black pillow cases; each was about 1/2" thick, so I could combine them in various combinations to adjust from 1/2" up to 3". There are similar cushions available in the market, but these work fine and cost much less. I still have the 3-layer one (1 1/2") which is light-weight & easy to carry with me. Typically I can just set it on a bench that someone else is using and be just about right without having to adjust the bench very much, if at all. Another work-around is a stage piano bench. Not quite as stable for more energetic pieces, but do-able. The one I have for my digital piano is an ON-STAGE brand which has 4 positions that can be fine-tuned with the pads. The On-Stage model KB9503B is a hydraulic that looks a lot like yours -- height adjustment from 17"- 22", a somewhat firmer pad, and going for around $260, which, if you can purchase in a store locally, would save on the shipping cost.

[@PianistAcademy1]

Great info here! Yes to the "homemade" cushions if you can do that. You can also get carpet squares or little foam workout squares and stack them for similar effect, but I find them quite a bit less stable as I need to move around. I had seen the On-Stage benches. First off, I've owned a few "lockable" stage benches over the years. After a year or so, they've all turned wobbly and make metallic clunking sounds as I shift on them. I also just don't trust On-Stage for a great product that's going to last another 20 to 30 years. I own a number of their mic stands and they are in my category of "use for a few years and then toss." Whereas the mic stand I use on every live stream for my voice, I've owned and used regularly for about 25 years... sadly that company doesn't exist anymore. For stage support, I usually choose Ultimate, but even those products are better but not fantastic... good for one tour or something like that. My digital sits on a very expensive Ultimate brand stand, and you've probably seen how it shakes and wobbles around as I play on it. Those reasons are the biggest that I didn't choose a bench by one of those brands. I think K&M also make a piano bench in the $400 range. Their products are even better than Ultimate usually, but still leave something to be desired. My previous tech had a relationship with Jansen and offered to get me one of their artist benches at cost... but at the time they weren't producing hydraulics and also... at cost would still be around $500 lol.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

​@@PianistAcademy1 definitely the On-Stage benches are a bit light-weight and wiggly/sqeaky for more serious pieces where you're rapidly traversing the full 88 keys. I've had moments when I was having to pay attention to what was happening with the bench that distracted from paying attention to what was being played - 😐

[@eprohoda]

how’s life?-Pianist. Thanks~insane unboxing,have a good day~ :)

[@PianistAcademy1]

Thanks for watching and the comment!

[@bearfoxwolf]

Very much appreciated. In fact, this is the only video review I could find. Charles, you've now had the bench for a year --- has it held up over the long run?

[@PianistAcademy1]

It's as good as new! I spend probably around 20ish hours per week sitting on it, and there's not even an indent in the cushion. The lift mechanism has never slipped or lowered by itself over all of those hours either.

[@jasonmanley7815]

Hi Charles. Happy Saturday! I know what bench I'm buying whenever I finally get a grand piano instead of just having this Casio DP I have. I looked at the Hidrau before and they are very expensive. It looks like this bench at Thomann has shipping of $85. Thomann is a reputable company in case anybody wonders. They are kind of like a European version of Musician's Friend.

[@PianistAcademy1]

Shipping likely depends on your zipcode. Yes, Thomann is a great company. I don't order from them often, but once in a while there's a product I really want that's not carried by the North American distributors. Also, as currency exchange rates vary, so does the price of this bench! I visited the link again after I filmed this video to find it $10 less than when I ordered it!

[@bearfoxwolf]

Thanks for your last answer which I only saw now. I have a new question which may seem odd. I'm rehabbing technique and one aspect is leaning left and right on the bench as you get into different registers of the piano. I'm thinking that firmer may be better for this than less firm. I don't know how to word my question well but it is something about surface, tension, firmness etc.

[@PianistAcademy1]

Most piano benches are on the firm to very firm side, and this one is just that as well. The topmost bit of the seat feels a little soft to the touch, but once you sink in a cm or so, it firms up to be very supportive but still comfortable. I'm glad you are working on leaning! It's so important for facilitating better use of the body during playing!

[@benschmidt1353]

And would you recommend the leather or the fabric as there are benefits to each, thank you

[@benschmidt1353]

Also what width did you get? How do you like it? I see they have two options on the site as 65cm wide and 75cm wide

[@anakalina8004]

Would you recommend this for a studio where we teach many students and would need frequent adjustments. I’m wondering how long th hydraulics would last?

[@PianistAcademy1]

Great question! I have only sparingly used the hydraulic lift... maybe it gets moved once or twice a week either by me or a student. The bench is built incredibly well, and I'd imagine they tested it for tens or hundreds of thousands of lift uses. If I were in your shoes, I'd still purchase one or more of these for a classroom. I've had the traditional "side wheel" adjustable benches in the past and those have all eventually broken to the point of being irreparable. While I don't think this Andexinger will last "forever" I do think it'll last at least as long as a traditional adjustable counterpart would.

[@anakalina8004]

@@PianistAcademy1 Thanks

[@emergenthub305]

Is there any disadvantage to getting this slightly larger Andexinger 484 bench, as opposed to the single-seater Andexinger 484s, even though I don't need a bench that seats two? There's a 10cm difference in length; 75 cm instead of 65 cm. Is it a case of less being more or more being more? Maybe the extra room could be useful in some way.

[@PianistAcademy1]

I chose the 75cm one personally, but not for seating two. It's a little wide for just one, but not so much so that it's awkward. Seating two would work in a pinch, but it wouldn't be comfortable... maybe a short duet, but it simply wouldn't work for any serious 4-hand repertoire. It's considerably shorter than true duet benches I've used... for example, the Jansen duet bench is nearly 90 cm. That extra 15cm makes a huge difference in comfort for 2. For my work teaching, arranging, and composing, I find the extra room having a 75cm nice. I can move around a bit for camera/angles/working in a specific register, and be comfortable without moving the bench. But only for practice and/or performance and I wouldn't have any need or want for the extra room.

[@emergenthub305]

@@PianistAcademy1 Thanks for your reply. Like you, I figured the extra room would be nice, even though I can't think of an immediate use for it right now, so I ordered the leatherette 75cm one earlier today. It's a strange size (not a single-seater or a duet), but I like it (the peculiarity). I guess the test will be when it arrives, and I get to use it. Your review and comments were very helpful in helping me come to a decision. Thanks again! Looks like you're still the only person on KZbin who has reviewed this thing. That's crazy, considering how long these Andexinger benches have apparently been around.

[@thomaswenger5036]

Great video, thank you very much Charles! I'm interested in the Andexinger 484 S (65cm wide instead of 75cm), but I'm not sure whether to go for the textile cover or the genuine leather cover. Genuine leather would look classy and would be lint-free. However, I'm afraid that I might sweat and that I might slide forward when sitting in the front. Fabric is generally less prone to sweating as it is more permeable. And it's certainly good at preventing slides. However, you do have the fluff. You've had the fabric version for a while now, but I'm sure you've also had leather ones. What is your experience with leather vs. fabric? Would you choose fabric again?

[@PianistAcademy1]

Thomas, first up, thanks for being on today's stream! Secondly, because I'm recording so much at home (both for this channel and also my other work arranging, composing, and performing), I chose the fabric. Leather tends to squeak and make other noises when you need to shift here and there. I didn't want any of those types of noises getting into recordings or causing me to need to re-do takes because of something out of my control. For what it's worth, every concert hall I've played in that has a similar style hydraulic bench have *all* had fabric covered ones, not leather. I'd assume for the same reason since they certainly wouldn't mind spending the extra $$ for leather in a fancy space. My previous two benches were leather and leatherette. Both squeaked. AND. The upholstery buttons on both would also move slightly when I'd be seated, causing noise once again. I'd probably not go back to leather again.

[@thomaswenger5036]

@@PianistAcademy1 Perfectly explained! That really encourages me to go for textile covers Thank you very much!

[@benschmidt1353]

Someone said you need to have an upright bench for an upright piano and a grand bench for a grand piano. What do you think of this bench for an upright?

[@PianistAcademy1]

Hi Ben! Thanks for the questions! First off, there are no “upright” benches and no “grand” benches. There are benches that are shipped with those piano, yes. The perk is that the wood finish on the bench will match the piano. Higher end grands will come with an adjustable artist bench, sometimes with the logo of the piano also on the bench. I’d always recommend an adjustable bench to anyone playing any instrument, digital, upright, or grand. I purchased the wider 75cm version. I thought the 65 would be a bit too narrow. The 75 is *almost* wide enough to do 4-hand work with another person. It’s very comfortable for one person. I chose a fabric finish because leather can tend to squeak and make noise when you shift your weight on it. I do a ton of recording on this piano, both educational and music, and I wanted a “silent” finish. Sometimes little specks of dirt get caught in the fabric finish, but they wipe away easily with a damp cloth. I’d imagine that nothing would get caught on leather. Leather also tends to crack where it’s strained. Some people like that look and some don’t. To me, the bench is quite large to have just a big span of leather and no upholstery buttons for design. So even for looks, I’d still choose fabric. I’ve been sitting on this bench now for probably an average of 20+ hours per week for about 6 months, and it’s still looking, feeling, and performing like new!

[@tap6943]

boss. it is entirely up to the quality of the cushion that the but cheeks have deal with and the durability and nothing nothing else.

[@PianistAcademy1]

Haha, I might fully agree with you if I hadn't personally had the mechanisms of 2 artist benches fail on me... one after about 10 years (which I think is OK, but still...) and another after only about 2 years. Neither were Jensen benches, but cost nearly that much and were directly from piano manufacturers themselves. The cushion on this one is quite comfy, and the padding isn't showing any signs of divot or wear after something like 1,500 hours on it.

[@absaurel1]

Thanks a lot for the video! I've seen reports that Hidrau benches are hard to adjust down for kids (or light people). Do you feel that the Andexinger requires less weight and is easier to adjust down for e.g. a 6 or 8 yo? (References: In a comment to this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHixlYdrr5imhpY, I read that 80 lbs works but not 70 lbs for Hidrau. And this video says 112 pounds are not enough for Hidrau: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2SznpV7hc94e80.)

[@PianistAcademy1]

I wish I had an answer for you! I don't have any young students, and my "lightest weight" student is probably about 100 lbs... she doesn't have a problem adjusting this bench. I could see that lighter than 80 or so lbs might have a problem as it doesn't feel like I have to lift half or more of my own body weight off the bench to raise it. You bring up a great point! I would never have thought about the weight necessary to make the hydraulic work!

[@aurelienl]

@@PianistAcademy1 ok, thank you!