Including D. H. Baldwin, Hamilton, Howard, Chickering, Wurlitzer, Concertmaster.
Baldwin Piano Company
309 Plus Park Blvd.
Nashville, Tennessee 37217
www.baldwinpiano.com
Pianos made by: Baldwin Piano Company, a division of Gibson Guitar Corporation, Trumann, Arkansas; Baldwin Dongbei (Yingkou) Piano and Musical Instrument Co. Ltd., Yingkou, Liaoning Province, China; Baldwin (Zhongshan) Piano Musical instrument Co., Ltd., Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China.
Dwight Hamilton Baldwin, a music teacher in the Cincinnati area, established Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. in 1862. Originally Baldwin was a retail enterprise, selling Steinway and Chickering pianos. Baldwin began manufacturing its own line of pianos in 1890 when it lost the Steinway franchise. The firm hired Lucien Wulsin, as a bookkeeper in 1866, became a partner after Baldwin died in 1899. Baldwin and Wulsin, and later Wulsin’s heirs, pioneered methods of business organization and merchandising, still used today that made Baldwin into one of the most successful and financially stable piano companies in the United States. However, in the 1980’s the quality declined as a result of manufacturing of piano action to Mexico. A combination of foreign competition and management problems led to bankruptcy in 2000. The company was purchased by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Baldwin manufactures in Trumann Arkansas, and two factories that it owns in China, where it also maintains a major presence in the Chinese domestic piano market.
Notes: After Baldwin filed for bankruptcy and until sometime after being purchased by Gibson, piano production at Baldwin’s Arkansas factories came to a near standstill for a time and a great deal of piano-making talent and know-how was lost to layoffs – at least temporarily. Over the past few years, Baldwin had been very gradually resuming production. Baldwin grand still have great designs and specifications, but as can expected, quality has been uneven while the factory has been gaining experience.
Baldwin grands: Baldwin grands, known as the "Artist Series," include the model BP148 (4’10”), BP152 (5'2") BP165 (5'05"), and BP178 (5'10"), BP190 (6’03”) and the BP211 (6’11”) Baldwin grand use a strong, one-piece rim construction, the inner rim entirely of maple and the outer rim of maple and poplar. Soundboards are of tapered solid spruce. The pinblock, for many years known for its extreme density, has been changed for forty-one highly compressed laminations to eleven normal laminations of maple. The Grands also use the patented Accu-just hitch pin system in which the downbearing pressure of each string on the bridge can be individually adjusted. This allows for more efficient and uniform construction of grand bridges, but may also occasionally be usefully in servicing the piano. As of 2008, all Baldwin grands come with Renner Action and Renner Hammers. Each piano also comes with an adjustable artist bench. Baldwin maintains a long roster of well-known concert artists, musicians, and composers who endorse and use its concert grand.
Baldwin upright: Acrosonic B342/B42 (43”), Acronic BP442/B42 (43.5”), Hamilton B243/B47 (47”) B252 Concert Vertical (52”)
Piano Manufacture’s Regulating Dimensions
Piano Name |
Key Height |
Sharp Height |
Hammer Blow |
Hammer Let off |
Key Dip |
Back Check Distance |
Drop |
Baldwin Grand |
2 ½” |
½” |
1 7/8” |
1/16” |
.428” |
5/8” |
1/16” |
Production Records for Baldwin
1890 – 1 |
1922 – 40500 |
1950 – 110243 |
1973 – 199649 |
1895 – 6000 |
1923 – 43000 |
1951 – 114239 |
1974 – 204113 |
1900 – 10400 |
1924 – 45400 |
1951 – 114239 |
1975 – 208742 |
1901 – 10800 |
1925 – 48000 |
1952 – 118244 |
1976 – 213470 |
1902 – 11200 |
1926 – 50700 |
1953 – 121600 |
1977 – 217853 |
1903 – 11500 |
1927 – 55500 |
1954 – 125050 |
1978 – 222683 |
1904 – 12000 |
1928 – 59000 |
1955 – 128167 |
1979 – 228858 |
1905 – 12300 |
1929 – 61000 |
1956 – 131515 |
1980 – 236654 |
1906 – 13000 |
1930 – 63000 |
1957 – 135256 |
1981 – 242984 |
1907 – 14000 |
1931 – 65000 |
1958 – 138559 |
1982 – 248306 |
1908 – 15000 |
1932 – 67100 |
1959 – 141874 |
1983 – 253274 |
1909 – 15700 |
1933 – 69000 |
1960 – 145002 |
1984 – 257293 |
1910 – 16400 |
1934 – 72000 |
1961 – 148635 |
1985 – 262256 |
1911 – 17200 |
1935 – 74600 |
1962 – 152706 |
1986 – 266329 |
1912 – 18700 |
1936 – 77000 |
1963 – 156591 |
1987 – 272432 |
1913 – 20100 |
1937 – 80600 |
1964 – 160868 |
1988 – 278556 |
1914 – 22400 |
1938 – 83000 |
1965 – 165701 |
1989 – 284228 |
1915 – 24000 |
1939 – 86000 |
1966 – 170652 |
1990 – 290656 |
1916 – 26400 |
1940 – 88700 |
1967 – 175821 |
1991 – 298934 |
1917 – 28700 |
1941 – 91000 |
1968 – 179702 |
1992 – 307561 |
1918 – 31000 |
1942 – 94000 |
1969 – 184661 |
1993 – 315355 |
1919 – 33400 |
1943 – 102000 |
1970 – 190028 |
1994 – 322347 |
1920 – 35800 |
1948 – 105000 |
1971 – 192401 |
1995 – 328780 |
1921 – 38000 |
1949 – 108000 |
1972 - 195485 |
1996 - 335514 |