Deluxe Grand Piano Adjustable Piano Bench Review

We are happy to introduce a new line of piano benches by the manufacturer Empire. They offer VERY high quality grand piano benches at a surprisingly affordable price, and in our opinion, are the best deals on the market in terms of quality and bang for your buck. Having examined their products personally, I can tell you that their benches are going to be a highly desired staple on the market for years to come.

Our first review is of the Empire Deluxe Grand Piano Adjustable Piano Bench. An attractive bench, it comes in an ebony high gloss finish, with a hand tufted top, and measures 16″ x 22.5″ (L). The first thing we noticed about the bench, is that it uses an extra-thick, firm foam. One of the biggest complaints we hear from people is that their padded top benches have a very thin piece of foam as a cushion, and that after a couple years, it breaks down. This is not the case with the empire bench, which is not only comfortable ( you don’t feel the piece of wood you’re sitting on), but is this enough that it won’t break down quickly. Additionally, the vinyl used is furniture grade. If it both thick and comfortable, and you don’t have to worry about it cracking and breaking like you do on  some cheaper imported benches.

Empire Deluxe Grand Piano Bench

Outside of the comfort, what really sets this bench apart from any of its competitors is quality. When gauging the quality of an adjustable piano bench, we look at two factors:  1) materials used, 2) raising mechanism.

Perhaps the best way to tell the quality of the materials used in a piano bench is in how much it weighs, and this artist bench weighs and impressive 50 pounds. In comparison to other artist benches, the OSP artist bench weighs 22.5 pounds, and the Jansen artist bench weighs 45 pounds. This is the heaviest standard size adjustable piano bench on the market, which is a testament to the quality of wood used, and the adjustable raising mechanism.

When looking at an adjustable piano bench, it is important to take a look at the mechanism that raises it up and down.  Supporting the bench and keeping it at the proper height, a complaint we’ve begun to hear is that after a while, the mechanisms begin to get loose and break down, especially if it is frequently adjustable. This Empire bench uses an extremely impressive, heavy duty, accordion lifting mechanism, that you typically only find in the highest quality benches like a Jansen. Of all the benches in a similar price range, I’ve never seen one use an accordion raising system, and you would have to go up to a Jansen (which starts at $625) to find anything like it. Needless to say, we were very surprised when looking under this piano bench.

A final note on this bench, with regards to aesthetics. The trend in the past decade or so with piano benches, is to make their corners rounded. You will notice on this bench, the edges are straighter and sharper, which in my opinion, give it a more classic, elegant look. I believe this bench would look very nice in front of a Steinway or Baldwin grand piano.

In summation, we were very impressed with this Empire deluxe grand piano bench. Anyone looking for a long term, frequently used piano bench, or if you’re a school, church, or piano teacher, should strongly consider this product. It is high quality, attractive, and comfortable, and one of the best deals on the market.