Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum A 1986 Baldwin SF for $64,000!?!?!?

Jarobi - thanks for the heads up - I've sent you a Private Message.

To the general populace here...…...when PW members reaches their Private Message limit, what can be done to rectify the situation? Can some of the old ones be deleted? Any guidance would be appreciated !!

Old ones can be deleted.

BDB - Thanks - I'll try that !!

Very nice piano and really nice playing! Congratulations.

You impressed me with your playing.

Nice piano, with good decay. Someone here in Berkeley, CA asked me to try her SF-10.. 1975 which I will do today. Woman is 90 and moving into Assisted Living. Can't take piano.Will make a you tube video of it. I was interested in a couple of previews of the model, though each must be judged independently. Looked up a few playings of Estrin, etc. Have not been on Piano World for quite some time.. sweet reunion.

The 7' Baldwin is a piano sound that I really like. I hope to own one or something very similar someday.

I'm of the opinion that the 7' size is just about ideal for quality of sound. 9' is fine for a big hall where you need the power. But I've just never been as impressed with the sound as with a 7 footer, whether Baldwin, Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, or several others.

Then again, opinions are like... well, I shouldn't say it... but everyone has one. Guess it would be a boring world if we all shared exactly the same opinions.

I have the Chinese made Baldwin 165, (bought NEW) and while it is extremely well regulated, it has no OOMPH in the bass.. and in general needs more definition. (High upper register is fine..shimmering) but middle range suits Debussy for sweetness.. and Ravel.. but there are no chops in this piano. Might end up selling if I can get a decent rebuilt O Steinway. It would sit beside my Steinway M, 1917. The Baldwins going way back in time, were for me the real deal. I have not sampled the SF series yet, though I will today as a favor to a friend in a volunteer organization to which I belong. Will be a learning experience re: the SF10 series. This one dates to 1975-76.

I tuned an SF10 somewhere around '76 for a George Shearing concert - the poor man. The dealer, rather than pay for a concert tuner to travel, sent me (on his payroll). Amazing instrument. First time I'd seen tri-cord wound unisons. Man, those could knock a man down at 10 paces.

Well, with that recommendation, I will try to have an open mind. Of course, each pianist sampling a piano will come away with a diverse opinion. I am now very curious about the one I will play and record this p.m.

About six years ago I coordinated the purchase of a private sale 7 foot Baldwin SF-10 (a 1995 model) for our church.. Beautiful tone, responsive Renner action. Certainly fills our 4,000 sf sanctuary without need for additional amplification. It does lack the powerful bass of my personal Mason and Hamlin BB - but the bass is powerful enough...more in line with a Steinway B. There is a newer Steinway B in the lobby of the Musical Instrument Musuem here in Phoenix (where I volunteer) which museum guests are allowed to play. Certainly impressive how the sound of that 7 footer travels throughout all the galleries of the building (over 50,000 sf).

American built Baldwin SF-10's and SD-10's can be wonderful pianos.

Hey Carey,

I played that B in the MIM a few years ago.

My step-son and his wife live in Scottsdale and we spent a day at the MIM when we were there a couple of years ago. It was kinda fun, sorta had a little crowd around by the time I was through messin' around. (Everybody loves a little Charlie Brown Christmas, LOL!!) I don't remember a lot about that particular piano. Steinways do tend to be a little on the heavy side for touch, though, at least to me.

Don't know if my step-son's wife's dad till works at the MIM or not. "Mike." Anyway, we're planning to come out to see our son and his wife after the New Years holiday. Never know, might have to stop in and jam for a while.

There's a church close to me here in TN that has an older 7' Baldwin that I've gotten to play a few times. Sweet and rich sound, could play that one all day long. I don't know what year but it was back before the Accujust hitch pins.

I didn't think much about where the current Baldwin grands are being made or if they're being made anymore when I posted earlier (shame on me). I spent a little time at the factory in Conway, AR when they were building them there way back when, but I know the years have slipped by. I had heard something about Gibson Guitar taking over but then wasn't sure what happened to them, thought they might have sold Baldwin again. ??

There is definitely something about those old American grands that I like. Some of the Asian and other ones are fine pianos but they are a little different. A Yamaha will cut through and talk to me. An old Baldwin or Mason & Hamlin or Steinway (certain ones anyway) will envelop me. Can't explain it.

Fantastic playing, really enjoyed the phrasing and attack. And that is a beauty of an SF-10, congrats all around.

I get to play on an SD-6 (pre-cursor to the SD-10) and it is hands down easier to play than my SF-10. Why on earth would you give up on the 9 footers? You have the skill to bring out the best from a concert grand.

Have you been getting my private messages. Thread had quota and forced delete.I didn't know I could select a few redundant ones to delete without erasing all. System is a bit confusing. Now I have almost a blank slate.

For all who are interested, I did sample the SF 10 here in the East Bay. Turned out it was circa (1976-77) I made a video which revealed some serious issues..considerable action noise, tubby bass, false sounding sustained chords. Regulation was a big problem. Usually when I test a piano, I play pianissimo to start in chromatics from top to bottom. This piano could not play in this soft dynamic range .. notes just dropped out--not heard. One had to dig in to this piano at Forte range to scoop out the sound.. I could tell it was once a decent piano but 25 years in the Midwest killed it (sizzling humid summers, and raw winters)..I conjecture it needs major action work, restringing. I do not represent the piano in any sense.. Was asked to check on it, for a possible sale. I gain no commission or $$ for doing what I hoped was a good deed. I can tell this world of pianos and giving opinions is fraught with hurt feelings. Everyone thinks their piano is the greatest and is worth a ton of money. If this piano is properly rebuilt, I can only hope it can be resurrected. I have no idea if there are soundboard cracks as a tech would have to examine its structure, etc. thoroughly. This is what I recommend to piano owners who are selling.. and those who are buying. I just happened to give my perspective as more of a player--as a springboard to going further in detailing the piano.