Let's Take a Peek Inside

You may have driven by this building in Haverhill, Massachusetts, countless times, but did you ever realize that it produces some of the most exclusive pianos in the entire world?

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We took a tour from the basement to the top of the building.

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The wood they use for the piano is placed in these molds and glued together.  Depending on where you go in the building, you will either get a smell of wood or glue. This section of the building, you got both.

Once the wood and glue are set, it's taken off of the mold, where it waits to be used inside of the instrument.

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As we go up and up, each floor reveals more of the piano and is responsible for making a certain part.

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One of the top floors sits a very old Mason and Hamlin.  This one below, from the late 1800s, shows how the hammers on the inside have been replaced.

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On the top floor of the building, Bruce, our friend and the chief engineer who gave us a tour, is very proud of his work with the latest piano that he's created.  A jazz piano player has already purchased it!

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I was quite taken with the piano shown below.  It was made with wood from Africa.

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Mason & Hamlin Piano Company was founded in Boston in the mid-1800s, according to its website.

From Boston, the company moved to Chicago for a few years, but now is back in Massachusetts at the current location in Haverhill, according to Bruce.

So, the next time you drive by the place, you now should have a good idea of what it looks like inside now.

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