Baldwin Hamilton Institutional Piano.

  Also referred to as a “School Piano”, this is a sturdy workhorse and it’s built like a Sherman tank. It was designed for heavy usage whether by a serious pianist at home, a busy teaching studio or in a practice room at an education institution. University music department practice rooms are where the practice piano has to be signed up for and may see hours of playing time by piano performance majors every day, and for years and decades. As a result, this model is arguably the most popular school piano in American piano building history. During Baldwin’s heyday, they were found in virtually every college and university in the country. The Baldwin model 243 studio piano is also called the Hamilton model, named after the founder of the company – Dwight Hamilton Baldwin.

Top selling School Piano of all time.

The model 243 is considered to be a low-maintenance piano. The tuning stability is excellent due to their well-designed pinblock, making service costs less and providing the pianist a better musical experience with an in-tune instrument. Baldwin takes tuning stability very seriously so they designed their pinblock to firmly grip the tuning pins with hard-rock maple fingers that prevent slippage. This pinblock is also very smooth and the pin can be left exactly where it needs to be, not falling back or easing forward. This is partly why the model is so popular with music departments, many of whom can’t budget for the recurring costs of frequent service. They are also popular with piano technicians. The music desk and front panel opens easily and props wide open for quick access to the piano-action or tuning pins. Typically, a piano requires disassembly of the cabinet to varying extents for servicing and certain models are actually difficult to get into for service.

The Baldwin model 243 has a sturdy large music desk to accommodate heavy books like multiple hymnals and a long sheet music lip so long music charts can be spread out, which would be handy for the theater or accompanying. Most pianos today have a flimsy flip-down type of music rack that can easily be pulled loose. Heavy duty precision-quality casters enable the piano to be easily moved around from one room to the next or away from the wall. It’s heavy-duty back with extra thick backposts contributes to the piano’s tuning stability.  So does the solid and sturdy sand-cast iron plate that was cast in the O.S. Kelly plant in the United States. Later plates have been outsourced and imported from Brazil. 

This piano features the famous Baldwin scale design that provides a robust clear bass, a rich colorful tenor and a strong bell-like treble. Baldwin model 243 pianos have always been well-known for their strong bass response. This instrument also has a longer duration of tone (sustain time) than most others, that is helpful for legato phrases. Its Synchro-tone bass strings™ last years longer than standard strings and provide a pleasing strong, robust and clear bass resonance. Due to their superior manufacturing they are also less prone to breakage, saving headaches for piano tuners who dread broken strings. It’s exclusive Baldwin Full Blow Action™ features longer levers and larger action parts for better leverage that provide a better feel and more expressive and controlled performances.

This piano was built in 1981 at the modern Baldwin Piano Co. factory in Truman, Arkansas.  It was purchased by a local church in Albuquerque at King Music, the long-time authorized Baldwin piano dealer, so it is happily acclimated and well-adjusted to our unique climate. There is minimal wear on the hammers and action parts. It ought to provide the new owner decades of musical enjoyment. The structural integrity of the soundboard, ribs and bridges is excellent. All of the tuning pins are tight. All we had to do was bring it to pitch, adjust several minor regulation issues and give it a thorough cleaning in the 88Keys piano restoration shop so it’s ready for its next performance.

Heavy-duty casters make it easy to move around.