Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Retrofitting a fixed-height bench to be height-adjustable?

Is it possible to purchase the top assembly to convert a formerly lid/fixed-height piano bench (14"x30") supplied by the factory, to add the top cushion with height-adjusting mechanism?
Attached is the picture.
I'm looking to reuse the perfectly-fine kept legs and frame with matching finish.
Any ideas?

Generally, I would say no because that kind of project is cost prohibitive. And if you spent the necessary money, you would still have a significant issue retrofitting a mechanism in the space allowed to a reliable result.

Since the legs are typical square tapered, my suggestion would be to order an adjustable bench unfinished and have it stained to match.

The underlying historical question is an interesting one--how come grand pianos always come with adjustable benches, but uprights do not? It seems odd to me that height would require adjustment only if one is playing a grand piano--surely the dimensions of pianists vary just as much, whatever type of piano they are playing! Anyone have any ideas on why this is the case?

In any event, if I were the OP, I would probably buy an adjustable bench and keep the one that matches the piano in its original state. My guess is an adjustable bench would cost less, as custom work is always expensive, and any changes to the original bench would wreck its value.

My two cents.

One might be able to use the legs and frame to replace the legs and frame on an adjustable bench, but it would take some advanced woodworking skills to do it.

That looks like a U7.