Baldwin began in 1873 as a piano dealer, but in 1891 introduced the first Baldwin upright pianos, and their first Grand Piano in 1895.
By 1965, Baldwin was looking to expand, and unsuccessfully tried to buy out Fender, losing the bid to CBS. They were successful at purchasing Burns of London, and in 1967 purchased the Gretsch company.
In the 1970’s, Baldwin expanded in another direction – financial and insurance services. This ultimately led to bankruptcy in 1983.
Baldwin is now a subsidiary of the Gibson guitar company.
