Crown Retention System
The Crown Retention System is unique to Mason & Hamlin and lends stability to
the piano. The system consists of the tension resonator (designed and patented
for Mason & Hamlin by Richard W. Gertz in 1900), heavy case ribs, thick,
hard rock maple rims, and eastern white spruce soundboard. As commonly observed
on Mason & Hamlin pianos built in the late 19th and early 20th century, the
Crown Retention System has preserved the crown of the soundboard, and the
original power and tone, throughout the life of the piano.
Rims
Mason & Hamlin grand rims are built from 18-ply hard rock
maple; they are the thickest rims in the industry. These thick rims coupled with
the massive sand cast full-perimeter plates are the rock-solid foundation of the
crown retention system.
Action
Mason & Hamlin pianos
feature actions that are designed and assembled by Mason & Hamlin using
the highest quality action parts and Renner Premium Blue hammers. These action parts and hammers are regarded as the world’s best
and produce the distinctive sound for which Mason & Hamlin pianos are
famous. The unique action rail, an original design of Mason & Hamlin, is assembled by
hand and consists of a square brass tube for extra rigidity, filled with a hard
rock maple dowel. The square brass piece tube is C & C drilled, glass
beaded, and finished with a coat of lacquer.
Feel
The feel or touch of a Mason & Hamlin piano is responsive to
the pianist’s most subtle nuances, allowing ultimate control, expression, and
the highest level of playability possible. The finest quality keys
deftly transmit the dynamics of a pianist’s fingers to the tips of the Premium
Blue hammers–from the softest pianissimo to the boldest double
fortissimo.
Tone
The distinctive Mason &
Hamlin tone is the result of a piano that is built using original Boston era
designs with scrupulous attention to detail and accuracy. The full, powerful
bass, lyrical tenor, bell-like treble tones, and the tremendous sustain are
qualities that can only be found in a Mason & Hamlin piano. Tunable aliquots
allow a tone that is harmonious and accurate.
Soundboard
The oversized soundboards
used in Mason & Hamlin pianos are meticulously grain-matched using the
highest quality spruce available: eastern white spruce. The soundboard ribs are
pre-crowned to the soundboard for a precise fit. Mason & Hamlin piano
soundboards have a speaking area that is larger than other equally-sized
pianos.
Materials
Built for durability, Mason & Hamlin pianos have been
historically recognized as the world’s costliest piano to build. Whether it’s
hard rock maple rims, white spruce soundboards, full perimeter, sand cast
plates, chrome tuning pins, quarter sawn maple pin blocks and bridges, or even
hinges and screws, only the finest available, most accurate, highest quality
materials have been used to build a Mason & Hamlin piano. Ideal equilibrium
moisture content levels are achieved by carefully monitoring the conditioning of
each species of hardwood used on a Mason & Hamlin piano.
Aliquots
The Mason & Hamlin piano scale design features separate
aliquots which are individually tunable to the speaking length of the treble
string. Tunable aliquots are an original Mason & Hamlin design that yield a
piano that is more harmonically accurate than those that have standard duplex
scaled designs. That is one of the reasons why a Mason & Hamlin piano sounds
more pleasing to the ear.
New England Heritage
Established in 1854, the Mason & Hamlin Piano Company was one of the
original Boston piano manufacturers and a pioneer of the full-perimeter plate
design. The Mason & Hamlin family ancestry dates back to the arrival of the
Mayflower on Plymouth Rock in the 1600’s. Henry Mason’s father, Lowell Mason,
became the first music teacher in American public schools and is known as the
Father of American church music, and the Father of American public school music
education. Lowell Mason was the co-founder of the Boston Academy of Music and
later became the superintendent of the Boston school system.
Scale Design
The original Mason &
Hamlin string scale design was created and developed by Richard W. Gertz during
the Boston era at the turn of the century. This scale design was heralded for
the harmonic warmth and sonic power it made possible. It is the same scale
design used in new Mason & Hamlin pianos.
Hand-built Construction
Mason & Hamlin pianos are built with one thing in mind: quality. An
elaborate locating system is used to yield consistent tight fitting tolerances
through each phase of the piano’s construction. This painstaking process allows
Mason & Hamlin pianos to be built with consistent accuracy, resulting in a
superior piano with greater sonic character.
Investment
Mason & Hamlin pianos are one of the few investment-grade
pianos built today. The logical design, careful execution, and painstaking
process of handcrafting a world class instrument make Mason & Hamlin true
investment-quality pianos which hold significant resale value in any piano
market. Our commitment to the longevity of your piano is further backed by a
generous 12 year/lifetime warranty. The heirloom quality of a Mason & Hamlin
piano makes it a valuable investment from generation to generation.
Production
Mason & Hamlin is committed to a limited annual production of
its pianos focusing on quality as our highest priority, resulting in a unique
valuable and rare masterpiece. Our limited inventory is available exclusively
through our small but select dealer network.