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Mason and Hamlin is a Piano manufacturer based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. HISTORY The nineteenth century One of the earliest American Piano manufacturing companies, Mason & Hamlin was founded by Henry Mason and Emmons Hamlin in Boston in 1854. Mason was the son of Lowell Mason , the famous American hymn composer and musical educator. Members of the Mason family were among the pilgrims who arrived most likely with John Winthrop although this is not 100% certain. This branch of the family is descended from Robert Mason and were among the earliest settlers of Dedham and Medfield, Mass. Musical interest and ability has been tied back to Mason antecedents in England as well. Emmons Hamlin was a talented mechanic and inventor. Originally a maker of reed 2007 . (Requires subscription). Among the company’s engineers was Richard W. Gertz, who contributed many innovations to the piano industry, including the Tension Resonator, a patented device that was designed to maintain the crown of the Soundboard for the life of a piano. (Today’s Mason & Hamlin pianos continue to feature the Tension Resonator.) The twentieth century By the turn of the 20th century, the Golden Age of the Piano was in full force and the most illustrious concert artists of the day aligned themselves with piano manufacturers. 2007 . Many piano aficionados today prize Mason and Hamlins made during this period. In 1930, Mason & Hamlin became part of the giant Aeolian American Piano Company. The depression hit piano manufacturers hard, and in 1932, Aeolian closed the original Mason & Hamlin factory in Boston, although they continued applying the brand to pianos made elsewhere.Larry Fine, The Piano Book . ISBN 1-929145-01-2 World War II brought the American piano industry to a halt, since basic piano building materials like iron had to used for the war effort. Mason & Hamlin turned from making pianos to building airplane gliders. This continued until the end of the war. Beginning in 1945, Mason & Hamlin pianos were made in the Aeolian American plant in East Rochester , New York . Between 1983 and 1995, Mason & Hamlin changed ownership several times. Since 1996, Mason & Hamlin has been a subsidiary of Burgett, Inc., which also owns PianoDisc, a maker of reproducing piano systems of the same name. Mason & Hamlin manufactures its pianos in Haverhill , Massachusetts and distributes them throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. Mason & Hamlin is a member of NAMM , the International Music Products Association and PMAI (Piano Manufacturers Association International). TODAY In January 2007, Mason & Hamlin added a new Model B (162.6 cm, 5'4") to its already successful family of four grand piano models; the Model A (174cm, 5'8.5"), the Model AA (193cm, 6'4"), the Model BB (212cm, 6'11.5"), and the Model CC-94 (285cm, 9'4"). "Our Pianos" , ''Mason & Hamlin Official Website'', 2007. Accessed June 2 2007 . Various woods and finishes are available. The A and BB Models are also available in an art case. The company also offers one upright piano model, the 50" Model 50. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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