CAUT

  • 1.  Mason & Hamlin BB from 2000 feedback

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-21-2019 00:58
    We have an estate executor with a 19 year old Mason & Hamlin BB that needs a new home in Central Illinois. The piano is over 1 hour away and I have little experience with this era of M&H and seek feedback from those who have hands-on experience with these, and particularly with the BB model. I'm hoping to help find a buyer for the instrument and based on my research it is priced at around $25k,  but I understand it will sell for "what the market will bear". Thanks for the input!

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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
    jminor@illinois.edu
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  • 2.  RE: Mason & Hamlin BB from 2000 feedback

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-21-2019 17:33

    HI John-

    Nice to hear from you. We have several BB's from that era and I have redone all of them by now.  One of our piano faculty is partial to M&H and he just bought a 2005 BB from a private party in Maine and had it delivered. He has a another BB same vintage in his office and that we used WNG parts with Steinway D hammers, and he loves that piano.  They can be very nice pianos, but the action parts most likely came from China during that time. We had some problems with them.  Plan on a new action and consider restringing with brass rod string rests in front of the capo bar.  You must get agraffes from the factory if you go that far.  

    best,
    Dennis Johnson
    St. Olaf College








  • 3.  RE: Mason & Hamlin BB from 2000 feedback

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-21-2019 22:34
    Dennis,

    Thanks for the insightful feedback. Glad to hear there is cause for hope for a good sounding piano.

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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
    jminor@illinois.edu
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Mason & Hamlin BB from 2000 feedback

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-22-2019 08:36

    John-

    I my rush I forgot a large part of your question was about market value.  That 2005 BB our faculty bought from Maine last summer he ended up paying only $20,000 for, plus delivery. As I recall the one we purchased new from a dealer about around 2007, we paid $35,000 for that.  There is another one I'm prepping to be used in our Christmas Festival that we paid somewhere around $30,000 for back in 2011.  That one also has been redone with WNG parts and I used Ronsen Weickert hammers. That one is my personal favorite.  We have a couple other old ones that were purchased as commissioned rebuilds with everything done, so not really relevant.  Hope that helps. I think your ballpark of $25,000 is well within range. 

    dennis
    St. Olaf College





  • 5.  RE: Mason & Hamlin BB from 2000 feedback

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-21-2019 20:52
    Hi John

    I am quick to point out to customers that my expertise is in pricing maintenance and repairs as I am a technician, not private sale prices. To that end I am fortunate to have a great relationship with an honest and high quality dealership/rebuild shop that I ask for input as this is their expertise. 

    I have a customer with a partially rebuilt (hammers, shanks, flanges, keytops, restrung and refinished in satin ebony) M&H BB from 1915-1919.  The rebuild was about 20 years ago.  Board is intact and I have not checked crown or bearing but it still plays nicely and sounds really good. My friend at the dealership said this was difficult to price but, for a private sale, he felt comfortabke that 25k is a fair price for the Atlanta market.

    Hope that helps


    Many thanks

    Kamuela "Sam" Haasenritter, RPT
    President: Haasenritter Piano Service, Inc.
    Certified Bosendorfer Technician
    Certified WNG Action Installer
    Registered Piano Technician
    www.hpianoservice.com
    (404) 932-8863 (TUNE)





  • 6.  RE: Mason & Hamlin BB from 2000 feedback

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-21-2019 22:56
    Kamuela,

    Thanks for the feedback and corroboration of the approximate value of the Mason BB. 


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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
    jminor@illinois.edu
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