Mason & Hamlin Model AA Grand Piano

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@DanAhlin Жыл бұрын

I'm the very proud owner of a Model A Mason & Hamlin (1919) and totally rebuilt in 1996 by Tom Rourke at Piano Forte, Inc. in Boston. Mr. Rourke, was for many years, a builder, technician/tuner at Mason & Hamlin in Haverhill, MA. New Auble hammers, strings, pins, etc. went into the renovation. The original ivory keys were cracking and breaking in places, and since ivory was very expensive and almost impossible to obtain then, Tom replaced the ivories with bone. Over the years, by the previous owner, the piano had lost its ebony luster and drying out from sitting in a large window with direct sunlight. So it was difficult to ascertain what the original finish was. But when Tom lifted the lid, the underside of the lid shown a beautiful high gloss finish. He told me at the time that I could have a matte, satin or high gloss finish on the piano, but he recommended that I retain the original high gloss finish throughout. I am very happy that I took his advice. The high gloss ebony is spectacular. Tom continued to tune my piano approx. 3 times yearly, and made any minor adjustments as time went along. The action was very, very light when I purchased the piano, and I felt I needed a heavier action to strengthen my fingers and make them work a bit harder. Tom indicated that he would make the action heavier, and brought the action to the very limit where he felt it could be for a Mason. It was wonderful. With Tom's busy rebuilding schedule, eventually he had to turn my tunings over to another tuner, but would look in on the piano for any adjustments that might be needed. I selected Doug Atkins (a graduate of the No. Bennett School in Boston). Doug loved my piano, and told me he felt that I was getting the sound of a AA model from my model A.! He once said to me, "Dan, can you find me another half dozen pianos like this one to tune?" :) Like many tuners, to make a living, he was tuning spinets, underperforming uprights and 2nd-3rd rate grands. He went on for further training at Steinway in NYC. For a couple of decades now, Doug resides in Dayton, Ohio, and is primary piano tech for the Dayton Symphony, a small liberal arts college, and has private tunings as well. Fred Mudge then became my tuner/technician for nearly 10 yrs, in Boston, and like Tom and Doug, was a first class tuner and technician. He also told me my Model A was producing the sound of a AA. He said not all Masons do that, but it was the particular personality and the sound of the original piano that allowed that to happen. I retired to Lincoln, NE in 2007, and my tuner has been Morgan Cowell since. Also, a graduate of the No. Bennet School and Steinway in NY. He also gives "white glove" treatment to my Mason and enjoys tuning it. My Mason & Hamlin is my pride and joy, and wouldn't trade or upgrade it for any other brand piano. New or used, I highly recommend Mason & Hamlin pianos to anyone at any level of technical facility and affordability.