Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Mason & Hamlin CC comes home

After 6 months of no interest from anyone I bring the beast home for my self. The market for a 9' is pretty thin right now. I sympathize with dealers. I have never spent this much time with an instrument of this caliber and I'm in awe. It does everything I ask. In fact the piano points out my faults, I'll get better . The hammers have not broken in and feel soft, though it can play very loud it seems to prefer a softer touch right now. While my Chickering 109C is in serious disrepair, it has a quality that is much different, almost luscious. I think of the Chickering as Liz Taylor to the Mason as Audrey Hepburn. Both beautiful and very different. That might be her name...Audrey. a Concert grand should have a name, or not. ohhh where was I? The performance of the new Abel action is very nice and I'm already starting to notice every little thing and making notes because I don't have to ignore them like I did with the Chickering. It was a shame it was close to 100 on the day they moved it as the upper end has more than a few unisons that make unpleasant twangs. Here are the pictures. Yes, I'm having the time of my life.

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Great pictures, Swarth!

Forget selling and just play that beauty till' the cows come home...

Rick

*claps*

I still don't understand movers using the lyre to tilt the piano, especially such a beast. But that is one nice piano!! Congrats.

I suppose if a person has to have a problem this is a good on to have.

Is this a new Mason or a rebuilt vintage? If it's new, I envy you, but if it's a vintage, I envy you more I once played a vintage unrestored one, maybe a tad smaller than yours, that was just beautiful. It was just gorgeous in every way, and sung so well I didn't need to use the sustain pedal. Loved it!

Jealous! The CC is one of my favorite instruments of all time!

Tipping a piano over on its lyre, while looking scary is pretty common practice. It is not how I usually do it. (Though one time I did set up a grand all by myself without any tippers doing it this way.. only once.) As long as the lyre is in good condition you should be able to get away with it... just don't linger. For the movers it is certainly easier to use the leverage of the lyre than the leverage of their backs. It also appears they left the skid on the dolly which also reduces the strain on the lyre because the piano is already 4 -5 inches off the floor and it is those first few inches which are the hardest on everybody.

It has been completely restored with pretty much new everything but the soundboard which was in good shape. The hammers pulled from the old action were stamped 1966 as the serial number offers conflicting opinions as to age. It definitely has that 'Mason' sound.

I think it's still up on a PW ad, but as I knew going in the worse thing that could happen is I get Concert grand in (this case) better than new condition. So play it I shall

Wow, I envy you and I don't as I'm very happy with my M & H BB. I've never played a CC. If it's even "more" of the BB then you are very lucky!! All I can say is just enjoy it. If it's like mine, it will make you play better. Though, in some ways my piano is very forgiving in that its hard to hit a zinger on it. Then again it responds to every nuance of your playing. So, you can be very expressive. I know, how can it be both? But,it is. Make some recordings please so we can all hear this gem!!!

Wow! That is a lot of piano. Enjoy!

Wowza! Congrats. I bet the movers were hating life.

Same sentiments as dynamobt. I also have a BB which I love, but I envy you the CC. I played one from the 60's when my piano search began. It needed rebuilding, but even in its rough condition, it was a pretty great piano. I just couldn't afford the piano and the restoration. Of course it is a little tough fitting a 9' piano in but I had a great space for it then. Now, I don't, although I put my 7' grand in a small bedroom and it works for me there, so maybe in a larger bedroom I could fit the 9'? I think the large Masons are wonderful pianos and I think anyone would be lucky to have one.

I've played a M&H AA before, and it was a lovely beast. This one, being 3 feet longer than the AA, should really roar.

Congratulations.

Thanks all, the piano movers told me to stop buying such heavy pianos. It is a bit different from a BB and I'm learning to appreciate them. While I have the space for the piano it can overpower the room quite easily and I'll need to do a bit of treatment to the room to absorb some of the sound. I'll need to have a tech out sooner rather than later to clean up the tuning and then I'll figure out any recording configuration. That and a bit more practice. I feel I have to earn the right to enjoy this piano.

Dear Swarth,
It looks like it came out wonderfully, I think remembering to the pictures you posted in it's original condition. Congratulations! On the side of the piano, did it say "World's finest piano"at one stage? And is it still there, because it would certainly be worthy of it...
All the best!

What is the vintage of this handsome piano ?

Karl Watson,
Staten Island, NY

That photo was a poor photoshop job to poke fun at another posting that had those words somewhat boastfully on the side. However at this point I'll concede "among the worlds finest pianos" and no it didn't come with the Steinway legs pictured. Serial number 1607, hammers stamped 1966. Exact date, hard to say.

YEOW!!! - that CC was in really rough shape !!!!!!