Crumar Baby Grand (1980s)
At 20 kg and over a meter wide, this Italian electric piano is solid and serious, and it sits between two worlds.
Overview
The Crumar Baby Grand isn't quite what the name suggests. It was branded as an electric piano, but it is really a polyphonic synthesizer in the body of a stage piano. It was marketed in the early 1980s, with a 1983 print ad confirming it and an original UK price of £949. It arrived when analog synthesis was expanding beyond monophonic leads and basslines. One description calls it closer to a synthesizer than a true piano. The Baby Grand aimed for sustained polyphony at a time when most competitors choked at five voices. An editorial snippet from 1983 shows the ambition: “Most polyphonic synthesizers are limited by their 4 or 5 voice capability. Go beyond that and notes drop out. CRUMAR BABY GRAND. This is …” The sentence cuts off there.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Crumar |
| Product Type | Electric Piano / Synthesizer |
| Keyboard | 73 Note Keyboard E to E - MI to MII weighted for consisted [sic] touch |
| Weight | 20 kg |
| Dimensions | 1340 mm x 430 mm x 130 mm |
| Power Supply | 12 VCC |
| Finishes | Glossy deep black, Glossy classic ... |
| Includes | extension for power supply cable; Crumar Pedalboard with three pedals; Crumar stand adjustable with three legs |
Key Features
73-Note Weighted Keyboard with Consistent Touch
The keyboard is one of the few fully documented parts of the Baby Grand, and it shows Crumar's intent: this was not a lightweight stage synth. The 73-note span (E to E) covers a practical range for both piano voicings and synth leads, and the weighting points to expressive, dynamic playing. The original documentation says “weighted for consisted [sic] touch,” which implies an effort at even response across the whole span. That matters to players coming from acoustic instruments. No further details about key action, aftertouch, or velocity sensitivity are confirmed in available sources.
Branded as an Electric Piano, Engineered Like a Synthesizer
Marketing positioned the Baby Grand as an electronic piano, but user assessments and contextual descriptions push back on that label. It appears to have been designed for layered, evolving sounds rather than faithful acoustic emulation. The core technical architecture - oscillator type, filter design, envelope structure, and actual polyphony count - is undocumented in the available material. That leaves a big gap in the sound generation specs, though the 1983 editorial tease implies Crumar was trying to break through the polyphony limits common at the time.
Integrated Pedalboard and Stand System
Many synths of the era were sold as bare chassis. The Baby Grand came as a complete performance package. It reportedly included a Crumar Pedalboard with three pedals, likely sustain, sostenuto, and soft, which is what piano players expect. It also shipped with an adjustable three-legged stand, so it was ready for the stage on its own. An extension for the power supply cable was included too, which cuts down on tripping hazards during live use.
Historical Context
The name “Baby Grand” was deliberate, described as “a tribute to …” in forum discussions about its spiritual successor. The sentence trails off, but Crumar was clearly invoking the acoustic baby grand piano, in both form and prestige. Decades later, the modern Crumar Spirit was billed as a “modern take on 40-year-old classic” and a “tribute to... Baby Grand.” The instrument dates from a brief window when Italian companies like Crumar, Elka, and Logan were building affordable polyphonic analog synthesizers, often mixing piano looks with synth functions.
Collectibility & Value
The Crumar Baby Grand has become a niche collectible, and recent listings show what it sells for. A unit in “Used - Good” condition appeared on Reverb at $1,250, and another listing from Sound Doctorin’ noted a price of $1,150. Those figures suggest modest but stable demand among synth enthusiasts. Condition varies. One listing noted that “top could use refinish,” which points to cosmetic wear as a common issue. Project units have also surfaced, so full restoration is not unusual. Service documentation exists for the “Crumar Baby Grand N” variant: schematics, voltage check points, block diagrams, and parts lists. Component availability remains undocumented.
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