Mason & Hamlin was founded in 1854 by Henry Mason and Emmons Hamlin. The union of these two friends was a perfect recipe for piano manufacturing Success. As Mason was a musician, and Hamlin was a businessman. The diverse backgrounds in both music and finance enabled the new piano manufacturer to excel at a rapid pace. Within a few short years, the Mason and Hamlin piano gained a reputation as one of the premier piano builders. What these two friends didn’t realize is that over the next 80 years, their influence on the world of piano design would shape many modern piano designs that continue to carry on today in modern Mason & Hamlins.
By 1910, Mason & Hamlin was considered Steinway’s chief competitor and still is today. Over the next 85 years, Mason & Hamlin changed hands until, in 1996, the Burgett brothers, owners of PianoDisc, purchased Mason & Hamlin out of bankruptcy and set about reestablishing manufacturing at the six-story factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts. The company emphasizes limited-quantity, hand-built production, and currently manufactures from 200 to 350 pianos per year.
Some would argue that the Mason & Hamlin model AA is not only their best and most even scale design, but one of the top designs from any piano manufacturer in the world. Even the piano guru Larry Fine personally endorses the Mason and Hamlin Model AA as his favorite piano. “The 6’4″ Mason and Hamlin model AA is a little better balanced between the bass and treble (than most pianos), one reason is is a favorite of mine”. FALL 2011 Supplement, The Piano Buyer’s Guide.
Some of the other unique features of the Mason & Hamlin Model AA, along with all other models, include the use of the thickest hardwood frames of any piano, a full perimeter plate, the tension resonator (a series of metal turnbuckles that lock the rim in place), and a high-performance action made by Renner. All of these features combined give the Mason and Hamlin Model AA a fantastic ability to control dynamics and allow the pianist to play even the most demanding music. It is also what gives the Mason & Hamlin piano the title for the heaviest piano in the world, inch for inch. The Mason and Hamlin model AA is one of the best grand pianos in the world, and at 6’4″, it is a perfect size for most larger homes, a place of worship, or even a small concert hall.
Combined with the Renner action, this generation Mason is considered one of the finest pianos, with the best action in the world.
