It seems there are no really good portable keyboard benches out there anymore. The last good one I had was a Quik Lok. I'm thinking of a Drummers Stool/Throne. Found an interesting one and the best part is it goes pretty high, up to 28" I like to sit about 24" high. goes back to my Hammond days playing pedals. I had a custom bench a little higher than the standard Hammond bench. The Throne I'm looking at is a Gibraltor 9608MB. Anyone have any expierence or info.

Thanks

Bill this has been discussed many times in the past....

Tama Throne

only thing be careful as these are good seats BUT,.....the raised Humped saddle in the crotch area will give you some genitalia discomfort after a few hours on stage when you are always forced to move forward while playing....they are meant for drummers....not to mention more gear to carry and setup.
I had a few of these and they just are not comfy for the man.. ouch!

Drum Stool Discussion

Got it Don

After I posted I seemed to remember something about this topic before but couldn't remember the outcome. Saw Michael McDonald on TV the other night and noticed he was seated on a Big Round Drumstool. Looked comfy so it got me thinking. One of these days I will have to take a trip to GC and actually sit on some. Like buying a mattress, you gotta try it. I do sit when I preform and carry a foldup bench now so I guess the stool would be equivelent. Put it in a duffle bag with my mic stand.


Thanks

Bill,

I tried a drum throne, but I need back support as well, therefore I switched to the Quick-Lok D-749, which provides the comfort and support I need, plus it folds flat and is easy to transport. B&H Photo has them for $89, which is a fantastic price.



Gary

Personally I use whatever chairs they have at the gigs.....but I have a custom seat cushion to soften the seat if needed. I travel lite....no need to carry more gear then I need.

Gary

Quik Lok seat looks interesting mostly for the compactness of it. Seat looks a bit small but maybe worth a shot.

Don
I can't possibly think about using a folding metal chair. Way too low. I really hate it when on a few occasions I had to do a piano gig and they had no bench, just a chair from one of the tables or whatever. When they've had those stackable chairs I've put two or three of them together, just gotta be careful they will go over while your playing---- I know !!

Thanks for the replies. Now back to programming this crazy BK7M. Been taking all my free time !!

Bill,

I modified the seat after about three years, expanded the size by about 3-inchs all the way around, then added more padding to the seat cushion. The original is about 2 inches thick, and after a while the foam seemed to be compressing. I increased the thickness to 5 inches, which made a huge difference. I purchased the covering for the seat at JoAnne Fabrics, which is the same place I bought the foam rubber. Total cost of the upgrade was about $25. I sewed the seat cover myself. Yeah, I know, I can sew, cook, clean house, and I do windows. Why do you think that woman kept me for 50 years.

Gary

Gary how much does that chair weigh?

If I recall, just over 20 pounds. And, it hooks directly to the arm of my Rock & Roller cart and anchors the keyboard stand in place while everything is being transported.





Gary

Gary

I'm assuming that by enlarging the seat you made a new seat platform from plywood or did you just add a lot of foam to the original. Really looks compact.

BTW love the fan on the end of your Rack and Roller, you think of everythng.

I've gone through them all except Gary's. I use different configurations, so I have to have varying height adjustments. I bought the Tama Hybrid throne, which is a cross between the round and saddle. It is very comfortable after three hours. I got the backrest with it, and find it the best I've had. The seat slips off and the backrest folds down for easy transport.

Bernie

Bill,

I replaced the original foam with high-density, closed-cell memory foam, which is really soft and comfortable. The seat is base is made from 3/4-inch thick plywood and I was able to use the original hardware to hold the replacement base in place. The entire job only took about two hours to complete and it looks professional.

The seat is fully adjustable for height and so is the backrest, and foot-rest.

Cheers,

Gary

Gary great pic!...now that's how I always picture you
Playing Gigs, a big smile on your face & having fun....
cant wait till you sail back safely and get back in the saddle again where you belong,with a new S950 ........
the audiences NEEDS YOU!!

Bernie

Do you happen to know which model you have? Tama lists a bunch fo them, three and four leg versions

Thanks

I still prefer the piano bench style thrones, but that is because I use a big 76, and there are times you want to slide one way or the other (if both hands are at the top or bottom end) just a bit.

The form of the piano bench has been honed over centuries to address the needs of pianists. If you have anything larger than a 61, I still think it offers the best solution. And let us not forget, even 61 note keyboards (the organ, for instance) often come with a bench, rather than a stool.

A lot depends on your playing style... are you strictly a live arranger player, with one hand ALWAYS at the lower half chording like a madman and one hand ALWAYS at the upper soloing away, or do you play full keyboard, where your hands might occasionally be both in one end? If the former, a stool is probably OK. But unless you are prepared for an uncomfortable body position while you play both hands at the ends, a bench offers the correct shape.

I spent a lot of time looking at thrones with back support before I found a took Gary's advice on the QuikLoc seat. My back in general and especially my lower back needed good adjustable support, IMO The QuikLoc works great. (Mdl# 749).