Piano Forum

Topic: New Baldwins?  (Read 3813 times)

Offline SJ

  • PS Silver Member
  • Newbie
  • ***
  • Posts: 4
New Baldwins?
on: March 26, 2003, 10:06:08 PM
I'm seriously considering purchasing a new Baldwin (R1 or L1).  I know that Baldwin was recently purchased (out of bankruptcy) by Gibson.  Any difference between older Balwins and new?  Any thoughts on Gibson owning this company (good or bad)?  Thanks!

Offline benthepianoboy

  • PS Silver Member
  • Newbie
  • ***
  • Posts: 15
Re: New Baldwins?
Reply #1 on: March 27, 2003, 12:27:06 AM
From what I know.... Baldwin as of now is busting at the seams with pianos. They lost the majority of dealers when Gibson purchased them and of course RAISED their wholesale prices to dealers. My experience is that the newer Baldwins are overpriced and do not have the quality control that they once did. Samick is waiting at the doorstep of Gibson right now with a check in hand.... They already bought Bechstein- Baldwin is next. personally, I think it will be a step in the right direction after what Karen Hendricks and gibson did and are doing to the company. Go buy a Steinway.

Offline rachfan

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3026
Re: New Baldwins?
Reply #2 on: March 27, 2003, 04:52:42 AM
Or, another option is to watch for a used Baldwin.  I bought a 1984 Model L new and have really enjoyed the piano over the years.  So if you could find one from the 80's , it might be perfect for your needs.  

I was previously a Steinway Model M owner.  Their competition for the Baldwin L (6'3") is the Steinway L (5'10").  The latter has a square rather than a tapered tail, making for a larger than expected soundboard.  The sound is ample all right, but there are some wolves in the scale in my opinion.  Also, because the strings are obviously shorter than the Baldwin L, the sound is not as rich.  

When it comes to smaller grands both Baldwin and Steinway require tons of dealer prep, so no difference there.  The Baldwins are priced a bit better.  I've played Steinway and Baldwin all my life and like both.  At the 7' length, I think I prefer the Baldwin SF10 to the Steinway B though.  

Also the repertoire you play will be a big determining factor.  My opinion: Baldwin is unrivaled in French Impressionist music and the Russian composers like Rachmaninoff.  Steinway is great for Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, and Schumann.  Both are equals for playing Chopin and Liszt.  Steinway gives you the thundering bass, while Baldwin gives you the profoundly deep bass.  Both pianos have their merits.  But again I'm a satisfied Baldwin pianist right now.  I've always considered Baldwin to be the true "American sound".
Interpreting music means exploring the promise of the potential of possibilities.

Offline dinosaurtales

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1138
Re: New Baldwins?
Reply #3 on: March 28, 2003, 08:07:00 AM
I don't know what your price range is, or if you are limited by size, BUT www.pianomart.com has an ad for Baldwin SF10's *new* for $26k or so.  Not a bad price if the ad is correct.  Don't know where you live, or if you can travel to see them.

Here's the ad url:

https://www.pianomart.com/cgi-bin/classifieds.cgi?db=Grand_Pianos&website=&language=&session_key=&search_and_display_db_button=on&results_format=long&db_id=2089&query=retrieval

If that doesn't do anything, the ad number is 2089 on www.pianomart.com

I like Baldwins, actually.  For some reason they are hard to find out here but I don't know why.
So much music, so little time........

Offline rachfan

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3026
Re: New Baldwins?
Reply #4 on: March 29, 2003, 04:58:38 AM
Hi Tales,

The reason that Baldwin grands are so scarce is that since Gibson took them over, they release only a small number of grands to the dealers now--a half dozen a day or so.  Both  large models, the SD10 (9') and SF10 (7'), are only built to special order. Because they are producing in smaller quantities more akin to Steinway now, their prices have gone up as you would imagine.
Interpreting music means exploring the promise of the potential of possibilities.

Offline G.Fiore

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 77
Re: New Baldwins?
Reply #5 on: March 29, 2003, 08:13:49 PM
Let me clarify Benthepianoboy"s post.Samick did not buy Bechstein.What occured between these two companies was more or less a stock swap.This benefited Bechstein because their North American distributor was retiring.Now working  through Samick's distributor network Bechstein can be represented in  new markets that they did'nt  have an open door to,and Samick get's Bechstein's expertise in piano design and manufacture.As for Baldwin's demise,there is'nt any.They are not going anywhere.They are gaining in market stability since the reorginization of their dealer networks,and plan to continue producing pianos with greater quality control and precision.I have played several new units in the last two months and found them to be very good inst :)ruments.Like Rachfan stated in his reply, new Baldwin grands need some prep work, but from what I've seen lately,not as much as they needed in the past.
George Fiore /aka Curry
 Piano Technician serving the central New Jersey area

Offline amy

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 87
Re: New Baldwins?
Reply #6 on: April 10, 2003, 04:22:11 PM
What's prep work???

Offline dinosaurtales

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1138
Re: New Baldwins?
Reply #7 on: April 10, 2003, 07:16:51 PM
*prep work* will depend on the piano.  Each piano manufacturer has its own attitudes regarding the condition they will ship their pianos to the dealers.  For example, Bluthners and Faziolis are shipped *ready to go* and maybe need a quick tune at the store.  In other words, they are unboxed and set up in the store all set to go except a quick tune.  Some American pianos, in particualar Steinway, ship their pianos *mostly built* (in my mind - they are lazy to save costs, pass the work on to the dealer). the dealer unboxes the piano, but the furniture needs to be buffed out, the action needs regulating to make it even, it needs tuning, and considerable voicing.  The dealer doesn't want to do any more of this work than necessary, because their price negotionation capability has just been diminished, havin to do so much work, so they will do a quick tune, and maybe regulate the action, so it plays well for a customer.  They will *sell* the customer on the *incredible potetntial* of the voicing -that they can make it whatever the customer wants (any high end piano can be voiced by the way) hoping the customer will buy it, and then they will buff out the furniture and voice the piano.  Really lazy stuff.  To me it indicates a basic attitude of the piano manufacturer.  Also check oiut the bottoms of the pianos.  Even though it doesn't affect the sound, strength or performance of the piano, Upper end European pianos are finished underneath, Steinways are not - just an indicator of an attitude to me.  So, after all this blather, *prep* work is whatever work is required by the dealer to make a piano saleable from the factory.
So much music, so little time........

Offline classicarts

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 363
Re: New Baldwins?
Reply #8 on: October 20, 2005, 09:49:13 PM
Baldwin is making tremendous improvements in quality control, marketing, and manufacturing.  Baldwin's are great pianos, but has suffered a bit due to bad management and quality control.  The latest is that they have re-emphazie on every aspect of piano manufacturing.  My honest opinion is that Baldwin's are great pianos.  Every single Baldwin's I have played sounds great. ;D
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert