How to determine if a piano is a studio or spinet?

Question

I have a Baldwin Style 914 Piano and I do not know if it is classified as a studio or spinet

Answer 1

The Baldwin 914 was a 42" console, so it was neither a spinet nor a studio. It was discontinued prior to 1986, so it's been around a while, eh?

The good news is that it has a "direct blow" action rather than the inferior "drop" or "compressed" action of the spinet. The not-so-good news is that ti's only 2 inches taller than the spinets of those days. The other good news is that this is from their "Acrosonic" line, which was the best vertical that Baldwin built.

The difference between a spinet and all others is sizes, and the design of the action. If the hammer heads are nearly even with the keys, you have a spinet. If the hammers are higher than that, the geometry allows for a longer keystick and a "direct blow" from the key's other end -- the more responsive and enrgy-efficient wasy to build an action.

Hope this helps you