Mason + Risch = quality?

[lagin]

Okay Jeremyjchilds, or whoever else has had experience with these pianos.  What do you think of Mason and Risch?  Good, bad, reliable, poorly made?  Because on my list of 5 pianos for sale on our school bulletin board 3 of them are Mason + Risch.  Coincidence or bad sign?  Thanks.

[jeremyjchilds]

Mason and Risch has made some exquisite pianos  Every example of an exquisite M+R that I have serviced has been an older one. (70+)

I have not gotten my hands on a higher end newer one...

The only experience I have had with the newer ones are 20-40 yr. old drop action pianos (spinets) These small pianos are among the worst instruments I could ever hope to never see again...

So...if it is huge and old, then follow this advice from an old post of mine...

things to look for in the old big  pianos
1) owned in a consistent climate
2) Make sure that it has not had a poor re-keytopping job. if the tech was careless, the keys were probably not surfaced properly, and the thicker plastic tops will make the keys too tall (check for proper key dip, black keys should not dip below white keys)
3)Strike the low octave firmly. A wooly muffled sould indicates tired old strings (you do not want to pay for a re-stringing)
4) run your hands over the tops of the hammers with light pressure, feel for any side to side play which indicates loose center pins.
5) If possible, look for cracks in the  pinblock (very serious)
6) play a high reble note repeatedly (40-60X) quickly to check for pin bushings that swell with friction heat (repitition will be compromised)
7) Have a tech come with you if the piano has passed all of these tests, for a finaltest to check for regulation progblems
Look for missing strings that indicate irregular tuning intervals.

If it is a tiny guy, then I would advise you steer clear.

[lagin]

Well, they say it's from about the 1970s, and about 4 feet tall.  So......?  Not a great idea?  Their technichian (sp.) said it has great sound, but that remains to be seen this weekend.  It was appraised at $2600.  It has been tuned 2x in the past 12 years, but was never played hard, but only for pleasure.  What is "drop action" that you mentioned, Jeremy?  My other choices so far are a Baldwin piano and a Chopin spinet.  Do I have any hope?   I know nothing of these either, but I do know I don't want a spinet.

[gfiore]

  The M&R while a good piano for the vintage you're looking at, is going to need a lot of pitch raises if it has only been tuned 2 times in 12 years, plus some regulating. If you can find a newer Baldwin, less than 25 years old, you may be able to get a better deal.