- tradition, craftmanship

Merriam is proud to represent the great American tradition, Baldwin. Baldwin has been at the 
forefront of piano building since its inception in the 1870's - it quickly becamethe household choice
in America and by the 1920's was the brand of distinction, known for robust craftsmanship and
superb musicality. Baldwin was the first to introduce the hardwood rim, and its patented method of
adjusting the string tension over the bridge have both led to an extremely distinctive, rich, full bodied
tone. Baldwin's expertise with hardwood led the US Air force to employ Baldwin's lamination
techniques to create stronger wings for the war effort, and many innovations that Baldwin pioneered
during the war was further integrated into their wood manufacturing in the 1950's.  

Billy Joel, Leonard Bernstein, Dave Brubeck, Liberace, Count Basie, Pavarotti, Richard Carpenter,
Aaron Neville, Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Steven Sondheim, Bella Bartok, Stravinsky, and 
countless others are/were lifetime Baldwin supporters, and many American recording studios still
specifically seek out the SD10 Grand, Baldwin's flagship model, for any recording project of
consequence. For Merriam, Baldwin's focus on lasting value, tradition, and craftsmanship
perfectly complements the rest of our offering and provides a window to the quality of days gone by.