Most companies use automated production lines to manufacture their pianos. Gibson will not dilute their brand by producing anything but the highest quality instruments for their intended price point. They do!īaldwin is an iconic global brand. Computers and modern machinery have actually made piano building more precise and consistent, which benefits everyone! …but that doesn’t mean Baldwin pianos don’t receive a ton of “hands-on” work by master technicians. Advancements in manufacturing and design have improved the way virtually everything is made. The truth is – MOST things aren’t made like they used to be. Baldwin continues to use this joinery technique in all its modern grand pianos. For consumers, it’s a good thing! Made The Way They Used to Beĭovetail joinery is the hallmark of fine wood craftsmanship. As much as we’d love to have everything made in the US, we have to accept the new global reality. Globalization gives businesses the chance to maintain their high standards of quality without pricing themselves out of the market. You’d probably be surprised to find out how many “iconic American” products are now made in other countries. Companies like Levi Strauss, Ray-Ban, Apple and even “American League” baseballs make their products in China. In fact, many of our favorite “American brands” today are made in China. As with many companies who used to build pianos in the US (including Yamaha, Wurlitzer, Kimball, Chickering and many more), production locations change with shifts in global economics and supply. …but even though their pianos are now built in Baldwin’s Zhongshan, China factory, Baldwin is still wholly owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. For 113 years, Baldwin built their pianos in the US (winning countless awards across the globe for their quality and rich, expressive sound). Gibson and Baldwin are based in Nashville, Tennessee.įirst and foremost, Baldwin is still an American company. The Gibson Guitar Company now owns Baldwin Pianos. As a Baldwin piano expert and a piano industry veteran of over 30 years, I’m here to help you learn the truth about today’s Baldwin pianos. Today, it’s actually quite difficult to find truthful information about Baldwin pianos… so that’s exactly what I am here to do. Americans mourned the loss of yet another American product… and the internet did what it does. Technicians who loved working on a handcrafted American piano panned the decision to modernize the instruments. Baldwin’s competitors used this opportunity to denigrate the brand. Unfortunately, it also created a storm of misinformation. As you might imagine, such a significant restructuring of a beloved American brand created quite a stir. In 2006, Gibson opened a new Baldwin factory in China and, finally, in 2021, Gibson introduced the world to its new, state-of-the-art piano factory in Zhongshan, China (where all Baldwin models will be produced for global distribution). Gibson moved Baldwin’s headquarters to Nashville and began promoting Baldwin pianos at their 18 offices around the world. Their strategy was to reposition Baldwin from the shrinking luxury piano market (where it competed with companies like Steinway and Mason & Hamlin – who were also undergoing major restructuring around this time) to the broader mid-priced piano market (where it would compete with companies like Yamaha and Kawai). That same year, the Nashville-based Gibson Guitar Corporation purchased Baldwin’s assets and began a major restructuring plan. In 2001, the Baldwin Piano Company filed for bankruptcy.
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