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[quote=terminaldegree]If it was from 2010, the action wasn't Renner. Your statement about actions makes very little sense in the first place... :crazy: [/quote] I would like to know what is your opinion about MH new and vintage?

Ed,as regards my CC2, it was selected by 3 piano faculty members and was also preferred to the Steinway offerings at the time. Of course the faculty could be imbeciles, but like I said, we all drooled over it as students and played umpteen recitals on it, and fought to practice on it on weekends. Maybe it's a fluke of the 60's time period. I'm glad to have it.

I've heard that people prefer Masons over Steinways and those that prefer Steinways say Masons are a close 2nd. Personally I'm drawn to both (all things being equal) but the Mason BB seems to have a edge over the overall power and resonance in the tenor/bass then a B. Just curious if anyone think that a well prepped BB that can rival a D in a home environment?

Can't really say as I have never played a D in a home setting. I'll tell you though that my BB can overpower a room that is 21' x 42' with a cathedral ceiling if the room is not full of people. I often think that if I opened the windows, you could hear me 2 towns over. I don't know if my BB is as powerful as a D. But, I couldn't really imagine a bigger piano in the room. And as rooms go, it's big and well filled with rugs and furniture.

If you want to make comparisons i think it should be Mason BB vs. Steinway B. A Steinway D is inappropriate for most homes.

Power is rarely important in a home environment.

My piano professor had two Ds in his living room: a Hamburg (the favorite), and a New York. In his office on campus he had a B, which took up half the office. I think the rich bass of long pianos can be enjoyed in small spaces.

For me, a M&H BB, which Larry Fine describes as having a "prodigious bass register [that] sounds like that of a concert grand," would certainly suffice. When it comes to Steinways, I want my uncle's Hamburg C (7'5").

I would take a good BB over most Bs I've played. The D is in it's own category in that it's unique sound is so familiar from concert stages and recordings. I love BBs, but a good D can be equaled by very few pianos.

That's my point. I've read that a D in a home would actually have adverse affects on mid/lower resonance thus "perhaps" giving the BB and maybe even a B an advantage. I'm not talking about power or volume here

Nine footers properly voiced sound good anywhere. Horowitz didn't seem to mind a D in his living room. I have owned 9 footers almost exclusively for the last 25 years and I wouldn't swap a 9 footer for a 7 footer.

I have posted here before that I have my 10 year old Mason BB in a small bedroom and it sounds really nice in spite of the room. Would it blast out in a large room with wooden floors? You bet. As loud as a Steinway D? I doubt it. Actually, I tried a fifty year old Mason CC several years ago and I expect that if it had been up to its original condition, no piano would match it for power, but I have played several new Steinway D's and I have to say, I love them. I just don't love the price. For that matter, a new Steinway B is a mightly lovely beast, too. What's wrong with liking Steinways and Masons? These are top notch pianos and each has its special qualities. I just found the Masons more affordable, especially if you can find a slightly-used one like I did.