Restored American Baldwins
New Baldwin Pianos
Keith
Baldwin Piano Technician
Keith formerly served as the head of Baldwin's technical services and quality control at their home manufacturing plant in Arkansas prior to the discontinuation of U.S. production. He is an expert in his craft and brings many years of experience to our rebuilding shop. Keith is meticulous in his craft and ensures that every Baldwin piano sold meets rigid tone and regulation standards before being shown on our floor.
Baldwin Pianos
“America’s Favorite Piano…” Established in 1862, Baldwin pianos quickly became one of the larger American piano makers. Many notable performers have preferred Baldwins during their careers, including Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, and Ray Charles. Their primary manufacturing plants were located in Mississippi and Arkansas.
In 1862 Dwight Hamilton Baldwin, an accomplished music teacher, opened his first music store in Cincinnati, Ohio. In his quest to create the ‘perfect piano,' along with inventor John W. Macy, in 1891 they created the first Baldwin piano. The Baldwin Piano company went on to become the largest manufacturer of pianos in the United States. ‘America’s favorite piano’ certainly was more than a slogan when referring to the vision of this man and his company. Artists worldwide have enjoyed the concert stage as well as the recording studio with fine Baldwin pianos. It has found its way to the White House more than once.
"America's Favorite Piano"
But just as important, Baldwin was recognized as the piano that people could have at home without ‘breaking the bank’. The company coined the ‘5 T’ creed in the middle of the last century, bringing their vision for Tone, Touch, Tuning Stability, Timeliness, and Tradition. Technology developed for the transfer of sound from the strings to the soundboard in Baldwin pianos has been state of the art and is a continued challenge by competitors to try to duplicate even to this day.
A few years ago, one of our staff members met with Henry Z. Steinway in New York City. He was the last remaining family member that worked for Steinway. During lunch at the Green Café, next to the old Steinway Hall on 57th Street, he mentioned something profound-- that Baldwin was always his true competitor. Coming from him, that certainly says something in the piano world.
In November of 2001, Gibson Guitar Company bought the Baldwin brand and assets. The new Baldwin pianos are now manufactured in China.
Atlantic Music has rebuilt and restored many pre-Gibson American-made Baldwin pianos. They are still a favorite piano! When we work on these pianos we are reminded once again of why they are such great musical instruments. The ‘5 T’ philosophy is alive and well here! The time we spend bringing them back to their original glory is worth every penny we spend to do so.
Atlantic Music Center actively searches and is on a continual quest to find more of these American favorites and bring them back to brilliance. We always maintain a superb collection of these instruments in stock. You are certainly invited to come and listen, and play. Remember, we ship worldwide.