baldwin-grand-piano

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
Action

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