bombarded by a host of different options; so much so that it became a chore to choose the right one. I wanted to make sure I got the right size, performance and acoustics for a lifetime of practicing and playing, and was able to settle on picking between the Steinway and the Baldwin piano brands. Feeling a bit patriotic, after comparing their features and finding the two to be equally highly-regarded by experts, I went with the Baldwin piano brand, which has been around for well over a century and offers both digital and acoustic pianos in baby grand, upright and full grand sizes and make.
Room Sizes Matter When Buying a Piano
I spoke with a piano expert who took the details of our living-room dimensions and estimated sound quality. She advised that out of all the options, the Baldwin upright piano that might make the best fit for us was the Acrosonic console piano, due to its smaller size and very fair price, despite not compromising depth of sound and quality. My daughter was ecstatic; as she found that despite the shorter strings – a necessity for a smaller piano – they produced a sweet, resonating twang that suggested more depth than they could have in the chassis. Overall, we settled on the three most important considerations as being satisfied by our Baldwin purchase:
– The piano size was excellent for our space. Upright pianos are taller, and more compact; thus, they are given to being a better fit for smaller houses. Concert grand pianos are pretty much for mansions when personal ownership is the case. – Sound quality. Our Baldwin Acrosonic piano displayed a unique tone in the upper registers that was very endearing; grand pianos tend to have fuller sounds suit
ed to large halls. – Cost. For the average person; cost vs. performance is the most important factor in most purchases, and isn’t exclusive to pianos. The Baldwin piano was a worthwhile investment; yet far cheaper than any grand or even baby grand piano.
It took a few decades for Baldwin brand pianos to catch up with the almost mythical Steinway; but, as a proud owner of one of their musical instruments, who has been to many Steinway concerts, I can personally say that Baldwin is no longer in second place.