Yamaha PKBB1 Single Braced Adjustable X-Style Keyboard Bench
Product Description
The PKBB1 offers lasting comfort and a reputation as one of Yamaha’s top-selling benches. Its ultra-thick padding and extra-wide single seat assures the utmost comfort for hours of music enjoyment. With a definitive black finish and a soft padded seat, this bench is fully adjustable for individual comfort and folds up for your traveling convenience.
Buy Yamaha PKBB1 Single Braced Adjustable X-Style Keyboard Bench at Amazon
First of all, the PKBB1MM is the same model as the PKBB1. In fact, the box for this bench leaves off the MM suffix. So, it would seem that the same bench is being sold twice on Amazon, for two different prices. Go for whichever is cheaper.
Now, as far as the bench goes, it’s not bad, especially for the price. Raising and lowering could be easier–as is, it involves unscrewing a knob, pulling out a bolt, holding a bunch of washers in place, and screwing the knob back into the bolt at the desired height. Not as horrible as it sounds, but could be annoying if you’re taking this bench to a gig. If you’re using it in your home, however, you’ll probably just leave it in one position anyway.
The other downfall of this bench is that its highest setting is not all that high. I’m six feet tall, have a digital piano with the keys positioned at exactly the height of a regular grand piano, and honestly, the bench makes me feel a little short. Two or three inches more height would be perfect.
The upsides are: 1) the cushion is quite comfortable, even for extended playing; it feels almost like visco-elastic foam. 2) The bench is reasonably sturdy and well-built, considering the small size and the low cost.
Overall, I’d recommend this bench for home use, but only because it is dramatically cheaper than anything else in its class.
I have this bench with a Yamaha keyboard and the Yamaha double-x keyboard stand. The bench is small and doesn’t take up much space, even folded out, which is great. When folded down, it’s a little smaller but thicker than a fold-up chair. It’s nicely padded and comfortable. My main complaint is that it only has 3 height settings, and the highest setting isn’t high enough for me – I’m about 5′6″ and at the highest setting, my elbows bend slightly upward when I’m at the keyboard, which makes it hard to keep straight wrists and curved hands without scrunching my shoulders (which gets uncomfortable and introduces a lot of tenseness in the playing). This bench is adequately stable for an adult who can touch the floor but is not stable enough for a young child who might want to climb or play on it (no way I’d let my 2 1/2 year old, who likes to “play” the keyboard, near this bench by himself). Also, at the highest setting, the legs at the bottom are close together, so the higher you set the bench, the less stable it is.
I bought this bench looking for a match for the PKBB1 bench that came with my keyboard. A couple of the amazon reviews said that it was the exact same bench, but it’s not. The foam pad on this one is not quite as thick or firm and the heights are slightly different at each adjustment level.
Overall, it is a great bench for the price, but if you are looking for an exact match for the PKBB1, don’t get this one.