New hammers for Hamilton school piano

[Robert Goodale]

Joseph Garrett wrote:

> Robert,
> In case you haven't noticed, the Baldwin Hamilton is the piano of choice for
> an awful lot of schools.

Hmmm.  Or to rephrase, "The Baldwin Hamilton is the awful piano of choice for a
lot of schools".

My apologies to those diehard Hamilton lovers out there.  I hate the damn
things.  I find them rather nasal in tone and ill designed.  Even beyond the
"corfam" days, (or however you spell it),  I have seldom found one of these
actions that was aligned with everything properly.  This compounded with those
cheep Mexican made parts with their crazed wide grain, and glue joints that
cause hammers to loosen randomly after only a few years of service.  All the
newer ones I have serviced seem to have tuning pins so tight they feel like
they are set in epoxy.  And can you think of any other modern school that
requires so much effort just to remove the key cover?  And then there's those
cheep screws that round out after just a few times of disassembly.  And those
stupid things they cast into the plate that the action screws into just so that
they can save three bucks on action bolts, the result being that there is no
way to adjust the action's horizontal position.  Of course it would be futile
anyway seeing how the screws never want to come out voluntarily.  Then there's
the ribs that don't miter into the case.  How many of those have separated?
(techs in the mid west know what I'm talking about).  It doesn't seem all that
uncommon either that the bridge caps separate.  I've lost track of how many of
those damn things I've had to destring and reglue.  Jeeze, and what of those
older ones that open up like a Chevy Nova with a prop stick?  Only Baldwin
could come up with that idea.

Okay,  that's my view.  If you love them then go and hug one.  When the
university asked me to pick some old pianos out of storage to use toward trade
for a new 'D' we were buying I gave them all of the Hamiltons we had, good
riddance to them.  Flame me if you must but It won't change my position.  I
guess if we are talking about schools with no budget for replacements then I
extend my deepest sympathy.

Just my happy opinion.

Rob Goodale, RPT
Las Vegas, NV