STEINWAY PIANOS

I agree with Lukecash's opinions on Baldwin Artist Grands. If properly prepped by a dealer, they can be absolutely incredible pianos. As I mentioned above, I have a Model L (6'3"). If only my music room were larger, I would definitely have the SF10 (7'), which reputedly has the best scale that Baldwin ever designed for any of their pianos. An SD10 (9') would be to die for, of course, but not many people can fit one into their homes. These Artist Grands are truly high performance quality pianos meant to be appreciated by serious pianists.

I should point out here that Gibson (Baldwin's owner) has been under financial strain during the recession. They moved all of their upright piano production to Zhongshan, China. Their line of consumer-grade Baldwin grands (perhaps more suited for casual or budget-conscious pianists) are now made at Dongbei, China. Fortunately, Artist Grand building remains at the plant in Truman, AK. But these grands are no longer automatically built and shipped to dealers. Instead, there is just a small crew of piano makers on hand there who build for custom manufacture only by special orders. I hope that the Artist Grands do not move to China, but others argue that it would make sense, while requiring compliance with specifications under on-site inspection by Baldwin personnel. The theory is that quality could in fact be fully maintained, while enabling pricing to be more competitive. But what about freight costs--grand pianos are heavy! I'm not yet convinced. I think it should remain in the U.S.

David