Baldwin worth rebuilding?

[David Ilvedson]

Our little concert hall has a 1956 Baldwin D with the angled bridge notching in the first treble.   It is a little bright and the sustain is not what we'd like but I don't think it's nasty.   Plan to hang a new set of Ronsen Wurzin hammers in November this year.  We paid $12,000 6 years ago....

David I.



----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: Bob Hull <hullfam5@yahoo.com>
To: <caut@ptg.org>
Received: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 20:12:33 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Baldwin worth rebuilding?

>Caut - 
>The university I subcontract for has a 1960's 9'
>Baldwin in their main auditorium/Chapel.  (It is not
>the recital hall) 
>The sound of this instrument is absolutely nasty. I
>have been servicing it for only the last 3 years so I
>don't know what all has been done to it in the past.
>Tuning it is almost useless because unisons can't be
>made to sound decent.  The last time I tuned it I told
>the head of the keyboard dept. that anymore playing on
>it would possibly damage the key mortises, the
>bushings are so gone.
>I have promoted the idea 2 or 3 times that it should
>be rebuilt, but he maintains that he doesn't think
>it's worth rebuilding because he says he doubts it
>would sound very good even after rebuilding.
>It will be a long wait for a donor to come up with
>80-90 thousand for a new S&S or other 9'.  I have said
>that about $25,000 would get a complete rebuild, with
>new board, bridges and refinishing.  It has one of the
>bridge designs where the bridge pins are not parallel
>to the stretcher.
>I don't do soundboards or 9's. Is there any reason
>that a quality rebuilder of concert grands couldn't
>turn this beast into a beauty?  (A couple of
>rebuilders have said they thought it would be a great
>piano after rebuilding but I'd like to hear from other
>cauts. (Same question for a Kawai KG -6C - why not
>rebuild instead of spending so much for a new) 
>The amount of money available for new pianos and piano
>maintenance is so tight, wouldn't it be better
>financially to rebuild?

>Bob Hull




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