Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Bye,Bye Baldwin

If they could ever get back on their feet, is there any possible way they could bring back the Hamilton models/designs from the 1950s to early 1960s? Those have been some of the best verticals under 48" I have played. I don't care nearly so much for the newer ones, though, especially mid 1980s forward.

I have a 6000 (big vertical) from the early 90's that I think is a wonderful instrument. I'm selling it to a (lucky) friend as I take delivery of my rebuilt Baldwin C. I also think their smaller 243's are excellent.

The grands will still be around for rebuilding. I've seen at least three different rebuilders selling them, so don't dash those dreams yet. (Charles, Dennis!)

Norbert: vague negative comments like yours didn't help either. Yes, it's been hard to find nice Baldwin's on showroom floors lately. Put your brands back in your sig.

I knew it was over when I saw the stupid paint jobs...

I have to agree, when I saw some of the crazy cabinets they were coming out with I figured they were grasping at straws.

I worked for a dealer selling Baldwin pianos in the early 80s. They were in Avon CT (high-rent district).
Sold a lot of pianos because they were the "accent" needed for the room (usually chosen by the decorator).
Mostly the R.

We also kept the local concert piano for artist playing in the Hartford area.
They were still highly regarded pianos back then.

Hate to see them stop completely, then we lose another vernerable old brand.

OH NO!!!!
Balwin was on my top three list for acoustic pianos.

Well I guess that narrows the choices down...

sadness

I agree with a suggestion made by Noctugranes. Norbert: I very much enjoy your posts, but you should put your brands back in your signature line. I looked up your site, and you sell some wonderful brands, but it would be helpful to have this information included up front. The fact that you sell competing brands is useful information. It does not, of course, necessarily undercut the accuracy of what you say, but it is information worth having when weighing competing views. By the way, I believe that all dealers should include this information in their signature lines, for the same reason.

I am also sad about Baldwin. I hope that the glorious American piano tradition can continue in the few wonderful brands still being made and sold, and that there are no nasty surprises ahead as we all try to weather this economic catastrophe.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Baldwins. Taught at the local studios (Boston north) for about 15 yrs. Had about 40 students so got to play a lot of Baldwins. Same era Frank!

North Shore studio carried the concert grand (for concerts) so loved playing it when time allowed. I rushed to it after a Chuck Mangione concert (to play where his fingers touched!!!) Told the owners not to wipe down the keys and 'others' might get a thrill too!

(Dont' laugh - I've come a long way since then!!!)



Sad to hear of this plant closing.

i love SF10s....they are such fine pianos.. i hope they maintain a market presence somehow.

A very sad day for the piano industry indeed. My aunt had a Baldwin grand that I loved to play as a kid-- I'd visit her house to play the "real" piano (we had a spinet at home) and it was there I first got a sense of how really "grand" a piano could be.

We can only hope the remaining American piano makers continue and weather this economic crisis. For those around here who seem to look for every opportunity to pull down Steinway-- be careful what you wish for.

Sophia

As to the future, I see nothing that says Baldwin is gone, just that they are ceasing production in the US.

If this is so, warranties would still be honored.

There are a lot of speculations out there. I can assure you that Baldwin is not gone forever, but, a bit of changes are sorely needed. I still believe in Baldwin and know that we will work through this.

Thanks

Ric Overton

It is sad Baldwin is having trouble again. They may surprise us yet!!!

That being said, can we truly be surprised for an American company having trouble when dealers/consumers support off shore manufactures so strongly.

If you want Americans/Canadians to have jobs we have to support them when we can.

This is very sad indeed.

I only hope that Baldwin will find a champion like Mason & Hamlin did with the Burgett family and re-establish themselves someday.

The new Baldwin grands I played last year were first rate - they sounded like Baldwins from the 50's and early 60's. Gorgeous.

The demise of Baldwin is devastating news. Sadly, this is probably a predictable turn of events when a venerable piano maker is moved south for cheaper labor rates while leaving many of its master craftsmen behind; principles of soap manufacturing are methodically applied to piano building; the operation is then run by a guitar company; the guitar company refuses to honor prior Baldwin warranties to ingratiate itself with its loyal customer base; an effective and successful dealership network is jettisoned by "management"; instruments become mere "units" in the eyes of the strummers; resources are squandered on the side-shows of Wurlitzer and faux-Chickering pianos; suggested retail prices are raised into the stratosphere with previously successful discounting strategies abandoned; and Mason & Hamlin is passively allowed to displace Baldwin as principal domestic competitor to NY Steinway. This is usually not the way it's taught in business school. But heck, what do I know? I'm just a Baldwin pianist playing a Model L Artist Grand.

Maybe they'll come back. They went bankrupt twice before, right? Anyone know if they stopped production at those times? It just seems hard for me to imagine that there isn't demand for the artist grands at least.

And it seemed like they had a good market niche: they were the 'Americana' brand, the pop and folk acoustic piano. Steinway and MasonHamlin just don't have that profile. Who is going to fill that niche??

Yeah. I was still waiting for them to make one with the same fake mother-of-pearle look as on the Baldwin Bowling Balls.

Ric, if the owners want Baldwin to retain/regain its status, they might want to think thru what would be needed, to retain/regain their dealer network.

Wow, this is terrible news. I'm grateful to have this forum as a place to share my sadness. I fell in love with Baldwins when I took lessons in the late 70's; my teacher had a couple Baldwin Hamiltons in his studio. I bought a new Hamilton in 2001 and absolutely love it. Then I bought a 1995 Baldwin L 6'2" grand last year, and love it as well. I can't say I'm surprised that they closed the Trumann factory. When they raised prices through the roof I found it hard to imagine them competing with some of the very good pianos coming out of China, especially Broadmann. I was in San Diego about a year ago and I met Ric Overton at his PianoSD store. Like me, Ric is a true Baldwin lover. In addition to Baldwins, he sells Brodmann. He let me practice at his store every day, and let me use a Brodmann grand for a little concert I gave for some friends. It was amazingly good, especially for the price. He also had an incredibly well prepped new Baldwin L that was probably the best L I have ever played. But even so, if I were in the market for a new grand, I would find it hard to justify paying so much more for an L over the Brodmann. So, Norbert, you were right in your predictions, but have a little sympathy for those of us who feel like we have lost an old friend. Larry

Maybe Samick will pick them up. They seem to be becoming the new Aeolian, with KohlerCampbell, Knabe, Bechstein, Seiler, Sohmer.

An Aeolian-like rebirth for Baldwin as a stencil piano would be a fate worse than death. Samick can't make a decent piano with its own name on the fall board never mind make a real upper tier high-performance piano. What would benefit Baldwin would be a U.S. private investor rescue opportunity similar to that given to Mason & Hamlin.