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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 88
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OP
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 88 |
Hi everyone: I found an interesting 1930's Baldwin L last week, that I'm very interested in getting. It definitely needs a great deal of TLC and some functional updates, although much of it is in decent, solid condition. Without getting into all the details of everything I checked and already know about it,(I checked about everything I could and pulled the action to their wide-eyed amazement---7 pencils, numerous paper clips, and dirt beyond belief) I just had a simple question concerning the tuning pins. The current owner has no knowledge of anything ever being updated on the piano, and certainly she had not had anything done to it in the last 25 years that she owned it. But I wondered if these dark-colored tuning pins are what Baldwin was using at the time? It seems they weren't just tarnished because they were all so perfectly identical. They were also holding the piano in *remarkably* good tune, especially since everyone agreed it probably hadn't been tuned in many years. I just found them curious, that's all. ![[Linked Image]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8204/8281255848_ec50c9a834.jpg)
Regards,
Steve Schutte
Cincinnati
1979 6'7 Kimball Grand
1902 6' Hazelton Bros. Grand (project piano)
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,263
4000 Post Club Member
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4000 Post Club Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,263 |
Either colour of tuning pin is acceptable,blued or nickel plated. In the 1930’s nickel plating may have been considered too ostentatious for the time period.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,326
2000 Post Club Member
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2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,326 |
Hi everyone: I found an interesting 1930's Baldwin L last week, that I'm very interested in getting. It definitely needs a great deal of TLC and some functional updates, although much of it is in decent, solid condition. Without getting into all the details of everything I checked and already know about it,(I checked about everything I could and pulled the action to their wide-eyed amazement---7 pencils, numerous paper clips, and dirt beyond belief) I just had a simple question concerning the tuning pins. The current owner has no knowledge of anything ever being updated on the piano, and certainly she had not had anything done to it in the last 25 years that she owned it. But I wondered if these dark-colored tuning pins are what Baldwin was using at the time? It seems they weren't just tarnished because they were all so perfectly identical. They were also holding the piano in *remarkably* good tune, especially since everyone agreed it probably hadn't been tuned in many years. I just found them curious, that's all. The foreground of the photo shows the hitch pins. The tuning pins are barely visible in the photo.
Keith Akins, RPT
Piano Technologist
USA Distributor for Isaac Cadenza hammers and Profundo Bass Strings
Supporting Piano Owners D-I-Y piano tuning and repair
editor emeritus of Piano Technicians Journal
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 88
Full Member
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OP
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 88 |
True, Keith. This one is a little better angle. It was kind of funny----I didn't realize the house where the piano was located had just been vacated and so there were no lights available in the room where the piano sits. By the time I finally got around to taking some pictures, it was so dark even the camera was complaining that it couldn't "see" the subject. I was half-surprised the pictures came out at all. ![[Linked Image]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8067/8281666386_f4e5899365.jpg)
Regards,
Steve Schutte
Cincinnati
1979 6'7 Kimball Grand
1902 6' Hazelton Bros. Grand (project piano)
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,343
1000 Post Club Member
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1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,343 |
I own a Baldwin L built in 1965. Its original tuning pins were dark, though perhaps not quite as dark as those in your photo. So I suppose Baldwin was using darker pins for a number of years. As part of a recent major upgrade, I had the tuning pins replaced with chrome plated ones which, to me, look much nicer.
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Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 21
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Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 21 |
Hello Chris, I would be very interested in the details of this upgrade, especially in regard to the pinblock. If you are still on this forum, or if anyone else has done similar things to a Baldwin L around this vintage to 1968, I would love to hear from you.
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Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 7,145
7000 Post Club Member
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7000 Post Club Member
Joined: Feb 2017
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Some supply houses have sold "tuning pin blue" which, as I recall, is a bit darker than what normal blued tuning pins. If someone somewhere applied this in an attempt to make things look "newer, that may account for the abnormally dark color. The tip-off of course is that they always get it on the coils as well. Look closely.
I believe Wurlitzer routinely recoated all of their tuning pins after stringing as I have seen this sloppiness on many of them from the time period you're discussing.
Peter Grey Piano Doctor
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 12,370
PW Gold Subscriber Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
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PW Gold Subscriber Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2015
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Hello Chris, I would be very interested in the details of this upgrade, especially in regard to the pinblock. If you are still on this forum, or if anyone else has done similar things to a Baldwin L around this vintage to 1968, I would love to hear from you. Chris’ forum profile includes his personal e-mail— you can drop him a note
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Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 7,145
7000 Post Club Member
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7000 Post Club Member
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 7,145 |
Steve,
The piano is better than 50 years old. The "design lifespan" is 30-40 years. Proportionally few pinblocks continue to function at a high level from this time forward. Even if you find now observable defects, the force of restringing with oversize pins could in itself create issues that will show up sooner than later. As long as you know this and are willing to cope with it...fine. Most of us that rebuild pianos have removed blocks that "looked" good on the exterior only to find out why it failed when we cut it open. Can't do an MRI on a pinblock (that I'm aware of).
Peter Grey Piano Doctor
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Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 21
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Full Member
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 21 |
Thanks! Maybe I'm somewhat in denial. I probably should just replace this block and be done with it. There is too much uncertainty regarding re-pinning an older Baldwin block, even though the pins are still tight. Tuning stability is my main purpose for restringing and it seems now that it may be too difficult to achieve with the original block.
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