Was 1915/1916 a good year for Mason & Hamlin?

[Roger]

I've got another Mason Hamlin question. How about the pianos biuilt in 1916...  Were they good, excellent, ok, or what?

A seller called me last night with a 1916 Mason & Hamlin A, 5'8", for around $7500. He said the  condition is very good considering it's age and that it was rebuilt in the early 70's. (There's where my questioning begins... with the term "for its age") At that time, they replaced the hammers and strings, repaired the soundboard and refinished the piano and changed out the ivories to a an excellent quality plastic. It is the original soundboard. The action works fine. He said the tone is wonderful as it is. The sounding board was expertly shimmed/repaired and there are no cracks at this time. The bridges are in great shape. The sustain time of the notes is suppose to be excellent & the the treble is alive and well, not dead! The pinblock is in good shape and holds it's tuning. The finish is ok, with some very slight crazing and some spots on the top were perhaps a vase was located. He said, if anything, he'd replace the bass strings, everything else is working fine.

So what do you think.  Was this a good year for M&H?  Is the price in the ballpark?

Thanks for any comments.

[CJ Quinn]

So what do you think.  Was this a good year for M&H?  Is the price in the ballpark?

Thanks for any comments.

A chance playing of the same vintage M&H  A  a year and a half ago sent me piano shopping, I loved that piano so much.  They can be wonderful, but it is old.  You really need to have a trusted knowledgeable tech inspect the piano before you can make a decision.