There are very few good hamilton studios left as most are in schools and institutions and are not taken very good care of. They are great pianos one of my favorite uprights. They always had such a rich powerful tone. I would love to see you get a hold of model 6000 which is their 52 inch concert vertical.
I’ve never heard one sounding this good, but I knew they have this very sweet tone potential in the lyrical area 5th octave region due to having had a Baldwin grand and knowing some of their older uprights, so it’s nice to see one treated so well. The American bass character in these mid size uprights is something that took me some getting used to. I have a 45/46 Steinway and I finally made sense of the bass by thinking of it as if it’s a small grand. A lot of American pianos have that more dry sound. The American piano history as a whole is an adventure in my experience, many of the verticals are super-pianos with string lengths up to 53”, and there were so many manufacturers and many had their own distinctive branding and tone etc. My most awesome piano right now is a 54” Canadian-built department store piano built by Layton, a blind organist who immigrated from England.
I had a Baldwin Hamilton 243 for years that I enjoyed, despite the cost-cutting design and lack of attention to detail in the manufacture. They do have a lovely tone. Loved that wide music desk. Mine was from 1983 and had the fake leather on the hammer butts and catchers that had hardened over the years and caused clicking as well as poor backchecking. That was the first thing I replaced when I got mine. The keys are a bit shorter than standard/modern pianos, so it might feel strange when first playing but you get used to it pretty quickly. A lot of the felt seemed to have just been glued without much care and was not very straight or aligned well. One of the strings was wound incorrectly around the bridge, and there were other signs of sloppy work from the factory. Despite that I did enjoy the piano. You can hear how it sounded on my channel if you are interested.
@heavypiano Do you have a link to one of your videos playing the Baldwin? I saw you also play on a Petrof. Not sure which one is the Baldwin. Also, how do you find the Petrof compared to the Baldwin? Thanks!
@@rociocorrea9775 Hi Rocio. Here is a link to one of the last videos I recorded on my Baldwin: ruclips.net/video/ZXe09a19Edc/видео.html The 1999 Petrof P125 is a taller instrument than the 1983 Baldwin 243, so the Petrof has a little better defined bass. I found the action in the Baldwin a little too light for my liking, although the piano was much older than the Petrof. The Petrof has some issues with hammer weight but overall the action is more responsive and there is greater dynamic control and range on the larger and newer piano.
I have a 1993 Baldwin 243 and it has brass hand screws to remove the action like the YC (I have a very fine '89 YC G-175 as well) - I don't know if the hex bolt is original factory substitute between '93 and '95 or replaced after...
Below is information from the Antique Piano Shop. I hope it may be of some use to you. I like the way this one sounds; mellow and rich perhaps because of the hammer condition. Still, a rounder and more musical sound than many others. Hoping all is well with you and your family.
I believe 1980 is when they sent their action production for uprights to Mexico and had a lot of QC issues with the 243 after that. This should be a desirable year. I have played a couple that were newer than this and they were still fine, but I played one from 1980 and the key tops were crooked and they action clicked on several keys. Nonetheless, I do love the tone of this model. Another American make that is lesser known but worth checking out is Sohmer. Their institutional model will make you boogie.
Hamilton (By Baldwin) The Hamilton Piano Company was originally established as “The Hamilton Organ Company” by D. H. Baldwin in 1888. The “Hamilton” brand label was named after Dwight Hamilton Baldwin, founder of the famous Baldwin Piano & Organ Company. “Hamilton” brand organs were the first instruments actually manufactured by Baldwin. The firm began building pianos in about 1890 at which time the name of the firm was changed to “The Hamliton Piano Company”. “Hamilton” has always been known for being a well made, durable piano of good quality, and was marketed to be a more affordable alternative to the costlier Baldwin line. For over a century, Hamilton pianos were often found in schools, churches, and studios where pianos were meant to endure harsh and constant use. Today, the Baldwin and Hamilton names are owned by the Gibson Guitar Company of Nashville, Tennessee.
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There are very few good hamilton studios left as most are in schools and institutions and are not taken very good care of. They are great pianos one of my favorite uprights. They always had such a rich powerful tone. I would love to see you get a hold of model 6000 which is their 52 inch concert vertical.
We need more expert piano technicians and sellers in the USA!!! Bring some of those rebuilt Bechsteins and Bluthners to the good old USA!!!
I’ve never heard one sounding this good, but I knew they have this very sweet tone potential in the lyrical area 5th octave region due to having had a Baldwin grand and knowing some of their older uprights, so it’s nice to see one treated so well. The American bass character in these mid size uprights is something that took me some getting used to. I have a 45/46 Steinway and I finally made sense of the bass by thinking of it as if it’s a small grand. A lot of American pianos have that more dry sound. The American piano history as a whole is an adventure in my experience, many of the verticals are super-pianos with string lengths up to 53”, and there were so many manufacturers and many had their own distinctive branding and tone etc. My most awesome piano right now is a 54” Canadian-built department store piano built by Layton, a blind organist who immigrated from England.
do you have a 47 steinway
Thanks for the video. The front cover mechanism is a very practical one, definitely a plus for an school-oriented piano
I had a Baldwin Hamilton 243 for years that I enjoyed, despite the cost-cutting design and lack of attention to detail in the manufacture. They do have a lovely tone. Loved that wide music desk. Mine was from 1983 and had the fake leather on the hammer butts and catchers that had hardened over the years and caused clicking as well as poor backchecking. That was the first thing I replaced when I got mine. The keys are a bit shorter than standard/modern pianos, so it might feel strange when first playing but you get used to it pretty quickly. A lot of the felt seemed to have just been glued without much care and was not very straight or aligned well. One of the strings was wound incorrectly around the bridge, and there were other signs of sloppy work from the factory. Despite that I did enjoy the piano. You can hear how it sounded on my channel if you are interested.
@heavypiano Do you have a link to one of your videos playing the Baldwin? I saw you also play on a Petrof. Not sure which one is the Baldwin. Also, how do you find the Petrof compared to the Baldwin? Thanks!
@@rociocorrea9775 Hi Rocio. Here is a link to one of the last videos I recorded on my Baldwin: ruclips.net/video/ZXe09a19Edc/видео.html The 1999 Petrof P125 is a taller instrument than the 1983 Baldwin 243, so the Petrof has a little better defined bass. I found the action in the Baldwin a little too light for my liking, although the piano was much older than the Petrof. The Petrof has some issues with hammer weight but overall the action is more responsive and there is greater dynamic control and range on the larger and newer piano.
@@heavypiano Thanks! very helpful.
I have a 1993 Baldwin 243 and it has brass hand screws to remove the action like the YC (I have a very fine '89 YC G-175 as well) - I don't know if the hex bolt is original factory substitute between '93 and '95 or replaced after...
Robert! This is the exact piano I have in my home, it’s so lovely and has been maintained by me personally.
Below is information from the Antique Piano Shop. I hope it may be of some use to you. I like the way this one sounds; mellow and rich perhaps because of the hammer condition. Still, a rounder and more musical sound than many others. Hoping all is well with you and your family.
do you have a 99 model piano
Great video
The Baldwin seemed to have much shorter keys than the other two.
I’m surprised by the 11mm key dip. Their artist grands have low key dip just 9.5mm I think.
as for 13mm to 7.mm
This piano isn’t from 1995- it’s from 1978. That serial number is a Hamilton serial number- not a Baldwin serial number.
Many thanks for correcting that. Marcus
I believe 1980 is when they sent their action production for uprights to Mexico and had a lot of QC issues with the 243 after that. This should be a desirable year. I have played a couple that were newer than this and they were still fine, but I played one from 1980 and the key tops were crooked and they action clicked on several keys. Nonetheless, I do love the tone of this model. Another American make that is lesser known but worth checking out is Sohmer. Their institutional model will make you boogie.
Hamilton (By Baldwin)
The Hamilton Piano Company was originally established as “The Hamilton Organ Company” by D. H. Baldwin in 1888. The “Hamilton” brand label was named after Dwight Hamilton Baldwin, founder of the famous Baldwin Piano & Organ Company. “Hamilton” brand organs were the first instruments actually manufactured by Baldwin. The firm began building pianos in about 1890 at which time the name of the firm was changed to “The Hamliton Piano Company”.
“Hamilton” has always been known for being a well made, durable piano of good quality, and was marketed to be a more affordable alternative to the costlier Baldwin line. For over a century, Hamilton pianos were often found in schools, churches, and studios where pianos were meant to endure harsh and constant use. Today, the Baldwin and Hamilton names are owned by the Gibson Guitar Company of Nashville, Tennessee.
# between 88 & 90
Ah yes the Baldwin Hamilton. The most common model seen in music classrooms in US schools
Thanks you for your comment confirming that it was often supplied to schools, just like oak ones are in the UK. Marcus