Baldwin Studio Grand Piano

[wdc330i]

Available free to a good home. Must be moved professionally at your cost. In fine condition; circa 1940s; rebuilt action. One of the nicer sounding pianos out there. Studio Grand size is 6'2" long and 4'9" wide. Serial no. 95404.

[TD]

That's a gorgeous piano. I remember seeing it in person and being struck by it.

I have to ask why you are looking to get rid of it.

[wdc330i]

That's a gorgeous piano. I remember seeing it in person and being struck by it.

I have to ask why you are looking to get rid of it.

No one plays, alas. It was my father's. We have a good-quality electronic piano, so we'll still be covered if my son wants to take it up. We'd like the space back in the house. I am in purge mode right now. Perhaps later, I'll regret it.

[Plaz]

Wow wow wow... oh man, I wish I had a place to put it... even in this new house, that's a big piece of piano. But man oh man...

Why are you giving it away? That's probably easily worth 5-10K, isn't it?

I may have to talk this over with the wife...

[TD]

I just sent a link to my wife as well.

[TD]

And I do suspect you'll regret it later. Think about this hard before you let it go.

Even as a large decorator item, I'd still keep it.

[wdc330i]

Wow wow wow... oh man, I wish I had a place to put it... even in this new house, that's a big piece of piano. But man oh man...

Why are you giving it away? That's probably easily worth 5-10K, isn't it?

I may have to talk this over with the wife...

It may well be--hard to tell without a knowledgable appraisal. But I am DONE trying to sell things currently. And as you point out, it's a very limited market of people who have the room to accommodate a piano of this size. My parents had a 35' living room AND a separate dining room, so it fit nicely there. Meanwhile in my house, it subdivides the whole living/dining area. And no one plays. Time to go to an appreciative audience.

[Plaz]

I know your pain... we're in a major purge right now, just disposing of lots of stuff that could be sold if we had the time and will to do so. But we don't.

I'd love to take this off your hands though. I gladly yield first dibs to TD, but I am definitely going to try and sell this idea to my wife.

[TD]

We have less space for it than wdc does, but I'd think about repurposing our living room. Our upright piano is in that room now but it's less than stunning.

And our kids play. Daily. On their own. No nagging.

I still think wdc should keep it. And I haven't thought this completely through yet (like what to do with our existing piano were we to do this). Nor have I actually spoken to my wife about it.

Hey wdc, interested in an upright?

[wdc330i]

We have less space for it than wdc does, but I'd think about repurposing our living room. Our upright piano is in that room now but it's less than stunning.

And our kids play. Daily. On their own. No nagging.

I still think wdc should keep it. And I haven't thought this completely through yet (like what to do with our existing piano were we to do this). Nor have I actually spoken to my wife about it.

Hey wdc, interested in an upright?

LOL. We already have one (albeit electronic.) Looks like I may have a taker already. (I'm hoping my son will learn, but we're probably a couple of years off for that.)

[wdc330i]

I know your pain... we're in a major purge right now, just disposing of lots of stuff that could be sold if we had the time and will to do so. But we don't.

I'd love to take this off your hands though. I gladly yield first dibs to TD, but I am definitely going to try and sell this idea to my wife.

I've been purging my parents' stuff for 5 years now. It is a ghastly enterprise. The hardest things now are my dad's art; the zillions of copies they had of their novels; and other meaningful collectibles I grew up with. My mother wrote for newspapers for 60 years, so I also had to bring myself to dump all of her moldering clippings. Fortunately, I learned I can access most of them online through our local library.

[TD]

LOL. We already have one (albeit electronic.) Looks like I may have a taker already. (I'm hoping my son will learn, but we're probably a couple of years off for that.)
I can't recall how old your son is, but our kids each started lessons at 4. I'm quite sure he's older than that, right?

Congrats if you have a taker.

[wdc330i]

I can't recall how old your son is, but our kids each started lessons at 4. I'm quite sure he's older than that, right?

Congrats if you have a taker.

He's six, but I think he'll need to be a bit more mature for lessons. A colleague of mine's husband is a Suzuki violin teacher and recommends eight. Perhaps he's wrong.

I'll let you folks know if our friend doesn't take it after all.

[TD]

It was definitely simple stuff when they started. But it started the process.

[wdc330i]

It was definitely simple stuff when they started. But it started the process.

Good to know. I think we will enjoy the electronic piano's headphone option for the early years. :)

[TD]

Good to know. I think we will enjoy the electronic piano's headphone option for the early years. :)
Our daughter has since started the flute and now the oboe. She's become pretty decent at the flute. But the oboe is more recent, and that sound, for now, makes me wish there was a headphone option.

[wdc330i]

:lol:Our daughter has since started the flute and now the oboe. She's become pretty decent at the flute. But the oboe is more recent, and that sound, for now, makes me wish there was a headphone option.

[Terri Kennedy]

Our daughter has since started the flute and now the oboe. She's become pretty decent at the flute. But the oboe is more recent, and that sound, for now, makes me wish there was a headphone option.
Could be worse. Unskilled french horn playing sounds like a cow being strangled (and about as loud).

[TD]

Could be worse. Unskilled french horn playing sounds like a cow being strangled (and about as loud).
I'd argue the oboe is just as bad. We make murdered cow references all the time when she's playing.

('Cause, you know, if you can't heckle your own child...)

[Plaz]

Our daughter has since started the flute and now the oboe. She's become pretty decent at the flute. But the oboe is more recent, and that sound, for now, makes me wish there was a headphone option.

Count yourself lucky. My daughter chose an instrument for band for this fall.

Wait for it...
















Trumpet.

:ack:

[TD]

Count yourself lucky. My daughter chose an instrument for band for this fall.

Wait for it...
















Trumpet.

:ack:
I worry that our son will pick trumpet when instrumental music starts in 4th grade.

[TD]

Hey wdc, I talked to Tonya and we'd definitely take it if your current plan falls through.

[wdc330i]

Hey wdc, I talked to Tonya and we'd definitely take it if your current plan falls through.

Cool. You never know; our pal may have said yes before consulting the spouse.

...So of course my son had a great time playing around on it tonight.

[wdc330i]

Count yourself lucky. My daughter chose an instrument for band for this fall.

Wait for it...
















Trumpet.

:ack:

Horrors!

[Plaz]

Hey wdc, I talked to Tonya and we'd definitely take it if your current plan falls through.

Cool. My wife is much less enthusiastic about the idea. Given I already have a Chickering upright, and a Kurzweil, plus a drum kit, two big bass cabinets, two PA speakers, a couple of racks of pro audio gear, and about a dozen guitars and basses, I can kind of see her point. :eeps:

I've just always wanted a grand. Since I was in third grade or so!

[Sharp11]

For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would give away a Baldwin grand for free. Baldwins were fine pianos, as good as a Steinway in their own right.

Wdc, you need an intervention :yikes:

[blee]

Oh man. If I were home right now...

I played the piano for about ten years; I stopped halfway through high school for all of the typical BS high school reasons. My mother told me that I'd regret it one day; it's one of the few things she said that's actually come true. My parents still have the Baldwin upright sitting in their house, waiting patiently for us to make room for it.

But this? This thing is beautiful! wdc, I'm totally on board with the purging thing, but this is one of those things you really shouldn't purge. :-( I'm glad you at least want someone to take care of it.

I was thinking about buying an electronic piano to expose my girls, and maybe pretend to take up playing again. I want to go electronic because they're so compact, but I'd find room for this one.

[zach]

Wow, that is a beautiful piano. I was classically trained from about age 4 through 14 or so. I remember my piano teacher had a Baldwin like that in the beginning, but replaced it with a Steinway at some point.

Like others here, I think you should keep it. Dibs after TD if multiple takers fall through. :)

[wdc330i]

For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would give away a Baldwin grand for free. Baldwins were fine pianos, as good as a Steinway in their own right.

Wdc, you need an intervention :yikes:

True that. But I'd rather see it go to a good home, as my father really loved it--almost as much as his Chickering that was destroyed in a hurricane. It's going to some friends, so we'll have visitation rights. And they have three kids who'll benefit from it.

We also have his electronic piano with touch-sensitive keys. It's decent. If my son looks like the next Glenn Gould, we'll get a smaller acoustic instrument.

[dan]

what does "classically trained" mean?

[Optimus Prime]

Oh my, I've been looking for one of those. We just donated our really nice Chickering upright to a friend who has a daughter learning the piano so we could make room for a Grand. We just haven't found the right Grand. I learned on the Chickering and it is a great piano.

I'd drive out to DC to pick up a piano that nice, if it's ever on the market again.

[Sharp11]

what does "classically trained" mean?

It means he learned the wrong way ;)

[wdc330i]

I had no idea our group had some many piano aficonados!

[Plaz]

what does "classically trained" mean?

One word: Czerny.

:lol: :ack:

[TD]

I don't know if any of you saw this really depressing story in the Times- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/arts/music/for-more-pianos-last-note-is-thud-in-the-dump.html?pagewanted=all

[Plaz]

I don't know if any of you saw this really depressing story in the Times- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/arts/music/for-more-pianos-last-note-is-thud-in-the-dump.html?pagewanted=all

“Instead of spending hundreds or thousands to repair an old piano, you can buy a new one made in China that’s just as good, or you can buy a digital one that doesn’t need tuning and has all kinds of bells and whistles,” said Larry Fine, the editor and publisher of Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer, the industry bible.

http://www.nndb.com/people/804/000092528/fine-sm.jpg

[Sharp11]

One word: Czerny.

:lol: :ack:

... that and Hanon are responsible for my carpel tunnel. I've got (useless) chops though ... LOL