Kawai Howard/Acrosonic

[PAT A RALPH]

Clyde,

You just found out.  Yes, I have at least one or two customers with the very
same piano AND Baldwin did have Kawai build their Howard for a period of
time.

And as a side on the Kawai/Howard,  I have a customer with an Acrosonic that
has a plate made up of various castings welded together; serial number
374882.  The date on the action is November 14, 1946.  I was wondering how
many pianos Baldwin built this way after World War II?

Ken Gerler

----- Original Message -----
From: Clyde Hollinger <cedel@supernet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2000 4:01 PM
Subject: Kawai Howard


> Friends,
>
> I ran into a new one today.  Inside, the grand piano looked for all the
> world like a Kawai, complete with the decal, emblem on the plate, plate
> configuration, and it claimed to be a model 550-C, serial 557975.  On
> the fallboard was written Howard (which I know is a Baldwin name) and in
> the lower right corner "built specially for Baldwin by Kawai, Japan."
> According to Pierce it was made in 1971.
>
> So what do we have here?  Was it really built any differently for
> Baldwin, or was just the name on the fallboard changed?  I never knew
> Kawai ever built pianos for Baldwin.  BTW, it also had a serious loose
> tuning pin problem in the bass and a few others here and there, if that
> has anything to do with anything.
>
> Regards,
> Clyde Hollinger, RPT
> Lititz, PA, USA
>