Faust Harrison Pianos is the exclusive authorized Mason & Hamlin dealer
in New York City, Westchester, Long Island and Southern Connecticut.
New Mason & Hamlin grands arrive regularly at our Westchester factory, wrapped securely in their factory-constructed boxes. The opening of each box is exciting because each new Mason & Hamlin piano is unique. While all of these pianos are endowed with the wonderful characteristics that define the Mason & Hamlin essence, their personalities vary. Some are mellow and warm while others are decidedly effervescent. Some are introspective while others are flamboyant. No two Mason & Hamlin pianos are exactly alike.
Founded in 1854 and located in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Mason & Hamlin is one of America’s oldest and most respected piano manufacturers. To maintain and improve the quality and standards that it developed over the decades, Mason & Hamlin regularly invests heavily into piano research and development. Below are some of the attributes that make Mason & Hamlin the wonderful pianos that they are.
The Mason & Hamlin Crown Retention System provides an extraordinary level of stability to these pianos. 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 an eastern white spruce soundboard. The effectiveness of this system can be seen in Mason and Hamlin pianos built in the early 1900s. In many of these pianos, the Crown Retention System has preserved the crown of the soundboard, and therefore much of the original power and tone of the piano, for a full hundred years.
Mason &
Monticello Art Case Collection'
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, helping to 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 recent introduction of space-age composites in the action has received wide acclaim. Mason & Hamlin actions were great ten years ago, when two out of three pianists preferred the feel of them to the feel of the actions in new NY Steinways. These new composite Mason & Hamlin actions feel even better.
Model 50
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 in other equally sized pianos.
Tone
The distinctive Mason & Hamlin tone derives from original Boston era designs executed with scrupulous attention to detail. The full, powerful bass, lyrical tenor, bell-like treble tones, and tremendous sustain are qualities that together define the Mason & Hamlin sound. The combination of these tones in one instrument can only be found when playing a Mason and Hamlin piano.
Watch How Mason & Hamlin's are Made
A great video was produced by Discovery/Science Channel that reveals how pianos are made. The film was shot at Mason & Hamlin's piano factory in Haverhill, MA. Mason & Hamlin is the only remaining company that still makes pianos in the U.S. other than Steinway & Sons. After watching this video you'll see why we're proud to be Mason & Hamlin’s only NY-area piano dealership!
The History of Mason & Hamlin
The history of the Mason & Hamlin piano company, one of America's oldest piano manufacturers, founded in 1854. This 2 part video tells the company's story.
