The Premier American Piano

After going decades without playing the piano, I picked it up again during the pandemic, re-learning on a used piano we had inherited during a house purchase. What a joy! Fast forward to 2024, when my husband and I happened to visit the Hotel Emma in San Antonio, lovingly restored from an old Pearl beer factory. We noticed an old "baby grand" piano, and I sat down to play my favorite song, Philip Glass's beautiful and bittersweet composition "Opening". With the first bars, my husband and I both gasped at the gorgeous and vibrant sound – the song came totally alive. The piano was a 70-year-old "Style A" Mason & Hamlin, lovingly maintained through the years. When we returned home, we researched Mason & Hamlin and were delighted to find out that they are now based in Haverhill MA, near an area we visit frequently. We stopped by a few months later for an impromptu visit and fell in love with the historic building, the collection of very special pianos that resides inside, and the whole Mason & Hamlin team. We are now the proud owners of a Mason & Hamlin piano, its rich and beautiful sound illuminating our lives daily.

I first learned of Mason and Hamlin when as a piano major in college, I found my favorite practice piano was a Mason and Hamlin. It's been true ever since. It was a privilege to tour the factory and see first-hand the expert craftsmen and women building these magnificent instruments. I learned it takes approximately one year for each piano to be individually crafted and carefully manufactured. After the tour I was able to try several showroom pianos before selecting the one that was right for me. I am in love with the touch and rich, bright sound. From factory to living room, Mason and Hamlin has provided the highest quality service and craftsmanship in pianos. Made in the United States, Mason and Hamlin exceeds all other piano manufacturers in quality of sound, workmanship, and expert artistry. Thank you to Nathan MB and the people at Mason and Hamlin Piano Co.

They say "home is where the heart is. I've lived down the street from Mason & Hamlin for almost 40 years. When it was time for me to fulfill my dream of owning a grand piano, I thought it happenstance that I was so close to where these legendary instruments are made.

But what made this experience profound was when I arrived to try the pianos. As a musician, my "artistic home" is within my ear and soul, and Mason & Hamlin's grand piano connected with me in an immediate and intimate moment, the piano's "vocal" sound literally singing to me! I purchased that Model A piano immediately, and now I have the best of both worlds, the "piano of pianos" IN my HOME, and IN my HEART!

I have played piano almost my entire life (over forty years now) and... music is extremely important to me. When I discovered that Mason & Hamlin have a factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where they make pianos by hand... I knew I had to see it for myself.

The factory tour was nothing short of incredible. I genuinely felt privileged to witness the process and see just how much goes into making the wonderful Mason & Hamlin pianos.

I took great pleasure in playing and comparing them. I was immediately impressed by their beautifully warm, rich and sonorous tone... so much more satisfying to play than the pianos I spend most of my musical life playing.

Over the course of several weekends, we visited piano showrooms all over New England and I had the opportunity to play a range of both new and secondhand pianos by every imaginable maker. While I didn't love the sound and tone of our old Yamaha piano at home, I also disliked many of the new pianos even more – far too bright, brash, and lacking in warmth and nuance in my opinion.

Since we were passing Haverhill on our travels, we headed back to the Mason & Hamlin factory to take another look. I truly didn't expect us to buy one, but we did – it was just irresistible! Unlike some of the other places we looked, there are no pushy sales staff at M&H... The quality of the piano and the satisfaction in playing it did the selling rather than a pushy salesperson.

Now we have the piano of our dreams in our home. And that factory tour started it all for us