[CAUT] Suspicious Serial Number

[nevin essex]

Good song to go along with this story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYZ_ZDCZK60

On Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 3:59 PM, Jeff Tanner <tannertuner at bellsouth.net>wrote:

>  I tuned an old Baldwin M yesterday. Second time I've seen it. But the
> piano was bought over the internet. The lady had really wanted one of my new
> pianos, but her husband said they couldn't afford a new one. He told me they
> "got a really good deal" on the piano, this being the second grand piano in
> two years they'd bought this way. The first, a 1903 Apollo cost them $200
> plus $1200 to get it shipped from Michigan. It couldn't be tuned outside the
> two or three middle octaves and actually fell right in the floor one day.
> So, they tried their internet luck again, and found this Baldwin. The seller
> delivered the piano from several states away, in person. Claimed he was
> selling it for the owner, who'd owned it for 50 years but was now deceased
> and had serviced it for the owner for years.  Anyhow, the pins are extremely
> loose and it really needs restringing, so I got to looking for the serial
> number. The 4 digit number stamped in the plate triangle under the "M"
> couldn't have been right, even though it looked like a first digit may have
> been somehow erased, which would have made it a 5-digit number. I figure it
> was a production number. So, I looked under the soundboard where Baldwin
> usually stamps the model and serial number. The wood felt really smooth
> there. It had obviously been sanded away.  Inside the action, there were two
> different versions of serial numbers. On the keyframe, I read 130493 - no
> numbers anywhere close to the number on the plate. Likewise on the back of
> the keyslip, the same number. Now, in these two places, the 1 almost looked
> like it could have been stamped in there later because it wasn't as deep in
> the wood, and it was cleaner than the others. In other locations, the
> keyframe, keyblocks and fallboard, only 30493 was stamped.
>
> If the correct number is 30493, the piano was made in 1917. If the 1 is
> correct, that bumps it to 1955. Unfortunately, I don't see enough old
> Baldwins to be able to know what kinds of other characteristics to look for
> to be able to confirm a vintage. I would assume it to be possible, if not
> probable, that Baldwin "evolved" the M scale between 1917 and 1955. Of
> course, I realize that isn't all that significant. I actually became
> more curious about the serial number and why there would be what looks to be
> an attempt to disguise the identity of this old piano.
>
> Any ideas?
> Jeff Tanner
>
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