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Artistic Brochure Stresses Mason & Hamlin
Salient Features in Text and Photos
The Mason & Hamlin Co. division of
the Aeolian American Corp. of East
Rochester, N. Y. has just issued one
of the most artistic catalogues which
has ever been offered to dealers for
distribution, entitled "The World's Fin-
est and Costliest Pianoforte—Mason &
Hamlin."
In the introduction, pointing out the
standards of superior quality which
have always been manifested in the
production of these instruments, the
company states, "Instruments of such
perfection are necessarily priced higher
than those of lesser quality, and re-
served for ownership by those who will
accept nothing but the best in musical
performance. The extra investment re-
quired to own a Mason & Hamlin as-
sures an easily discernible superiority
in scale, action, tone and overall crafts^
manship not available elsewhere and
the unparalleled construction of each
pianoforte endows it with stamina that
assures continuing artistic performance
through years of hard usage, so that the
initial cost divi-ded by years of service
proves the Mason & Hamlin to be a
most economical investment."
Another point which is stressed in
this introduction is the fact "Mason &
Hamlin's superiority is not a chance
acquisition. It is the rewarding achieve-
ment of generations of chosen crafts-
men who have labored with such dili-
gence, skill and devotion as was tra-
ditional with medieval guildsmen. The
average age of the veteran piano mak-
ers employed in ihe Mason & Hamlin
factory is 54 years, and their average
length of employment 26 years. The
superintendent, whose approval is re-
quired at each manufacturing step, has
been employed by the company for 39
years. The lives of these men have
been consecrated to the craft and many
of them inherited their interest and
aptitude from generations of forebears
who were piano makers. Their goal is
to build not great numbers of pianos
but the best possible instruments, each
a masterpiece in appearance, perform-
ance and endurance. This. too. is the
id^al of the company, the priceless
component of each Mason & Hamlin
piano that gives to it value beyond
price, and to its owner satisfaction be-
yond measure."'
production of a photograph of Carl A.
Bjorson, a Mason & Hamlin piano mak-
er for 38 years, taking the bearing on
a Style B pianoforte. There is also re-
produced a section of a treble bridge
showing laminated construction. In ref-
erence to this, the company states. "The
integrity of musical character that dis-
tinguishes the performance of all Ma-
son & Hamlin pianofortes results from
the perfection of their scales which are
duplex in design, provided clarity and
roundness of tone. Created by Hichard
Gertz. one of the most eminent scale
designers of all time, they are charac-
terized by an eveness of tone through-
out the entire range of keyboard, in-
cluding a rich, full bass of deep and
wondrous beauty." In addition to this,
comment is made on the reason for the
greatest string length in the lower and
middle register and the larger expanse
of the sounding board, which it is
stated is made of completely clear
straight grain white spruce.
Construction
Another page is devoted to the con-
struction of the instrument, on which
it is stated. "Structural strength is evi-
dent in weight alone, which exceeds
that of all contemporary instruments.
An unseen guarantee of longer life is
the greater care exercised in the selec-
tion and treatment of all material.
There is an explanation of the inner
and outer rims, how they are made and
also the width has been given.
There is an illustration showing how
trim and edge veneers are matched
and grained to the pattern of the rim
by an expert with 40 years experience
in the Mason & Hamlin factory. There
is also a photograph reproduced of a
section of the inner and outer rims of
the Style BB pianoforte.
A paragraph is devoted to the wrest
plank and also the plate, with illustra-
tions showing the precision drilling of
tuning pin apertures, filling agreffes
to the pianoforte plate and lacquering
a fully bronze plate to protect the beau-
ty of the spinet for years to come.
Tension Resonator
The tension resonator, an exclusive
feature of Mason & Hamlin pianos, is
the subject of another page, with a re-
production of a photograph of the un-
der side of a Style A pianoforte, show-
ing the massiveness of construction, ex-
clusive tension resonator and the great
expanse of sounding board area pro-
viding unmatched reinforcements in all
registers.
Another page is devoted lo the Ma-
son & Hamlin action which is made in
its entirety in the Mason & Hamlin fac-
tory, with a reproduction of the model
of a Mason & Hamlin grand action,
pointing out that the action contained
more than 7500 individual parts and
that the white keys are genuine ivory
and the sharps are genuine ebony.
Done in a soft sepia lint in an ar-
Scale
A page is devoted to the scale of the
piano, including a reproduction of the
scale of the Style A grand and the re-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, OCTOBER, 1953
19