Thanks Beelady for the kind words from your "sit-ins"!
We missed you & yours!

MH Tour participants,

I had two questions and one comment.

1st, in a lot of the pictures I see all of you wearing earphones. Are these audio tour guides ( like the kind you get in museums? ) I can only wish they are the fancy kind where you push a code and get neat information at each location. That would be something for the other companies to stretch to beat on tours!!!

I also noticed in the most recent post that continue to be many asians employed at MH. I remembered in the brochure from MH they sent us they talk about rely on a large number of bussed chinese immigrants from Boston. Is this still the case? What kind of training do they get before they are put on the factory floor, especially the bridge cutter ?

It is interesting in my business all the people would be wearing eye protection, ear protection, and hard hats in the work enviroment seen here. With all the work hazards I've seen I assumed it was the foreign safety code that allowed Bosendorfer to avoid these, but I see it was similar at the MH factory.

Thanks,

Charles

Hi IH,

We were given earphones to wear to help us hear what Bruce, who was giving us the tour, was saying when we were in noisy areas. It really helped. You can see Bruce and his mic holding the brown sided piano key.

In many places they were wearing face masks, eye gear and hard hats.
EDIT: and ear plugs!

Yes, several craftsmen are Chinese.

I asked about their training as well. EXTENSIVE was the answer!

Love the pics everyone! I am saving each one.

Roberta

I'm with Bernard in feeling nostalgic. Looks like another fantastic PW event.

IH, I had asked about the Asian workmen too, when I was there last spring. It struck me when we were watching a rim being built. There were four men laminating and bending a rim. They worked perfectly in sync and they were all Asian, and in their uniforms and uniformity, I couldn't help myself from imagining Oompa Loompas from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.




These were two pics I snapped from last years tour trying to depict this. I asked about it, and was told they were all Chinese, from the Boston area. There is a large Chinese community in Boston, and it's a very easy commute to Haverhill, so it's not as though they have to be "bussed in." Apparently this is a very good, loyal and dedicated core of local workers that M & H has found. Hope someone corrects me if this is inaccurate.

The ear phones were an ingenious innovation to allow us to comfortably spread out yet continue to hear Bruce's narration.

This is one amazing tour than anyone who loves pianos should endeavor to do at least once.

And not to sound like another peanut in the gallery, but, Scheez that Rosewood CC is to die for!!

All,

Thanks to all for the info. The last post reminds me of what one of my Bosie tour attendee shared about his visit to Steinway. Where he watched in amazement as some rather large men were in his words "wrestling a large piece of wood bending it into a rim" :rolleyes: These last pictures seem to indicate MH has solved the wrestling problem

One of my side interests at some point ( be less ignorant ) to truely understand whether the PR we get from Mason Hamlin, Steinway, and Bosie truely result in difference in durability to the rim holding soundboard crown....

Any thoughts, words of education from PW about what is really required for holding soundboard crown. Mason makes lots of noise about the thickest rims and the rim tension system, Steinway about the careful handfitting of soundboard to the rim. Or Bosie who build it out of sections ( completely different ). Ahh, I'll post this ? to the technician's forum...

The rim tension system is for real. You've probably seen some pictures somewhare of that steel "hockey puck" with the four rods attached. I don't see how anything could move with those in place and attaching in four locations 90 degrees apart to the piano rim.
It was impressive.

To see the rim tension system, see Rustyfingers photos on page 1 of this thread, second photo from the bottom.

Nice Tour. I am glad for your experience. I went on their tour last winter with my wife, and talked with everyone I could. I am trying to build my own piano, and wanted to see for myself how an american piano company does it! Very impressive. Everyone I met was friendly and accomodating.... they put up with me for 4.5 hours! And to boot, there was a Dunkin Donuts up the road! Each piano goes through a rigorous regimend of careful and detailed work. The end product is consistent and clear. If you are thinking of touring somewhere this year, I reccomend going there, buying a piano, stocking your showroom, and showing support for the enormous effort they have put into providing the world with a hand made american piano. May God bless the work at their hands!

Mark Perry

Looks like everyone had a terrific time!
My husband and I attended the M&H tour last year. What a class act company and what a superb PIANO! And now a concert size grand. WEEEEEEO!



Jeanne W

Wow, thanks to all who provided accounts and photos of the N&H factory tour. It brought back memories for me, too, having been at the last one.

I sure envy your getting to play TWO new CC's!

The M&H Tour indeed looks like one of those must attend events...