This is not to say the richness of a larger piano is missing, but that there is a distinct timbre with these spinet/console pianos that is quite appealing. The shorter strings inside the acrosonic piano give it a brilliance of tone that has a bell-like quality. They offered a high-quality home piano that was responsive to the touch, compact and manufactured to a level of excellence.
#1950S WURLITZER SPINET PIANO VALUE FULL#
This alongside their small size and full sound, made these pianos highly sort after for families and professionals alike. What this means is that there is a 23% faster repetition rate in respect of dynamics. If you can find an acrosonic piano from the 1950/60’s that is in excellent condition, they can compare favourably with today’s pianos.Įach of the acrosonic pianos has what is described as a “full blow, direct action”. They had the full 88 keys that you would expect on the pianos of today. These pianos were in their day considered to be extraordinarily good with a rich tone that was far ‘bigger’ than the modest size of the piano. The woods used for the cabinets vary from Mahogany to Pecan and Dark Walnut and are distinctive in character. Both varieties have the ‘supreme tone’ of all Baldwin acrosonic vertical pianos but the Spinet model is 36 inches tall and the Console model a little larger at 40 inches. The acrosonic pianos can broadly be divided into the Spinet Piano and the Console Piano.
Such was the importance of the name Baldwin registered the trademark ‘Acrosonic’ at the US Patent Office. In fact, it is claimed on by many sources that the acrosonic piano has sold more than any other model of all time.
The acrosonic piano had what was described as a ‘supreme sound’ and from the sales figures, it would seem it was met with a warm and positive response. !936 was the year and the claims by Baldwin were quite forthright. Bankruptcy followed in 1984 and these days Baldwin is now a subsidiary company of the equally famous Gibson Guitar Company.įollowing the death of the founder of Baldwin piano in 1899, the company decided to develop and later introduce the ‘Acrosonic’ Upright Piano to the public. At this time the sales of pianos contributed as little as three percent of the impressive $3.6 billion it gained in revenue. The story changed for Baldwin during the early 1980s in spite of significant diversification into the manufacturing of other musical instruments. By 1973 it is claimed that Baldwin had manufactured one million upright pianos. The company thrived in spite of the Great Depression and World War Two when the Baldwin factories were taken over by the military to produce plywood parts for aeroplanes. By the mid-1890s Baldwin had largely cornered the Mid-Western US with its dealership claiming they could make “the best piano that could be built.” The Baldwin company began with Mr Dwight Baldwin who in 1862 opened a piano dealership in Cincinnati, Ohio. They have been less popular here in Europe perhaps due to the formidable reputation of piano manufacturers like Steinway & Sons, Blüthner, Bechstein as well as Kawai and Yamaha. If you are from the United States of America there is a good chance you have heard of Baldwin pianos. I was intrigued to uncover more information.
What this seems to imply is some kind of piano capable of extreme sound production. ‘Sonic’ on the other hand relates to ‘sound’ from the Latin ‘sonus’. The Greek meaning tends towards meaning ‘extreme’, whereas in combination form, ‘acropolis’ for instance it denotes something at a summit or a height.
What is an acrosonic pianoīefore I embarked on my research to uncover the meaning behind the word, I speculated for a while on what it could mean in terms of a piano. I have already completed a few pieces on various aspects of the piano but I had never come across the word ‘acrosonic’ until very recently. One of the many aspects I enjoy about writing articles for CMuse is that I have the opportunity to discover new things about music.
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