Baldwin's Stealth Action lives up to its name - reducing the noise of the action (the moving parts) in upright pianos so that players hear the music, not the action. But that's just the beginning. Stealth Action is a complete, across-the-board upgrade of Baldwin's famous Full-Blow action (introduced in 1939). Stealth is not only quieter than conventional actions, it's more responsive, more durable, more technician friendly and better looking.

Here's a rundown of all the improvements incorporated into Stealth Action:

Quieter

Quieter action starts with higher quality materials. The keys on a Stealth Action piano are made of spruce, which is lighter and stronger than the basswood that was previously used. The key buttons and pivot bearings - the pivot points at the center of the keys - are also made of hard rock maple, for quiet and dependable performance. Felt is a critical component, used in the hammers that strike the strings and the dampers that stop the strings from vibrating, and Stealth Action uses the highest grade of felt available.

More Responsive

After the inherent tone of a piano, the response - how the instrument reacts when it is played - is its most important characteristic. The more responsive the piano is, the more the player feels a direct connection to the music that he or she is creating. Baldwin uses Abel hammers - the world's finest - on all vertical pianos. They are double coated, and on a Stealth Action, the undercoating is of blue felt to match the blue felts used throughout the action. High quality felts not only decrease noise, they increase the responsiveness. The new European butt return spring design, which helps the hammer return to playing position, makes for quicker action. The new twin-peaks rail design, which provides a double pivot point for the keys, also provides quicker action. Baldwin now uses textured covers on the sharp keys (the black keys), so that the fingers get a better grip on those keys.

More Durable

In a drastic departure from conventional action design, all of the Stealth Action's hard rock maple action parts (there are many of them) are sealed in an ebony stain to help maintain their dimensional integrity. The action rail and the hammer rest rail are now made of hard rock maple; previously they were made of poplar, which was adequate, but maple is harder and more stable than poplar. The high quality felts will last for generations. The hard rock maple used for the key buttons and pivot bearings is not only quieter but is also more durable.

More Technician Friendly

Should a Stealth Action ever need to be removed from a piano, the removal knobs make it much easier now for the technician. Also, the regulation rail is now in 3 pieces - which makes it more durable, as well as easier to regulate for the piano technician.

Better Looking

With ebonized wood parts, royal blue felt and nickel-plated hardware, Stealth Action has a striking appearance, unique in the piano world. The Stealth medallion, inlaid into the right side of the hammer rest rail, enhances the look.

Despite its quiet name, Stealth Action has been causing a buzz - not inside the piano, of course, but in the piano world. A few comments from players:

- "It appears as if the hammers are just floating in the air - it's incredible."

- "This new Baldwin Stealth action is like cutting through warm butter - the feel is very smooth, yet I have complete control over volume dynamics - Bravo."