Added: 4 years ago
From: Pianojanna
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  • "Then, he thumps it.."

  • ahhh i think that the best piano munufacturer is bosendorfer..........not even steinway can match up to a bosendorfer

  • Coolioso

  • Mason and Hamelin is made in China?

  • @DKevinOh No, they're made in Haverhill, MA.

  • Reminds me of asdfmovie 4.

    THE SCIENCE SHOW!

    "Piano!"

  • That peg guy has got to be paid ALOT more than the others...

  • Very cool

  • It would nice to see how a high-quality piano like Bosendorfer or Fazioli (the two remaining high-quality brands) are made...

  • While Mason and Hamlin makes a superb piano with a wonderfully warm, rich tone, it is worth pointing out that many of the design components that go in to a Mason and Hamlin piano were originally Steinway innovations. The agraffe, duplex scale, even the curved shape - all of these were Steinway innovations.

  • made in china

  • @lepricoun They are made in Massachusetts.

  • @ddpsp i know but why the workers are asians

  • @lepricoun go to visit the factory in haverhill, the are building very fine pianos, I never played such great instruments

  • we had an upright piano from the 1800s made with ivory but would not make it through another tuning. :( had to get rid of it but got an ok baby grand for cheap

  • damn...after watching how pianos are made, i believe the price should be higher than that of a luxury cars...

  • Why do they put the strings into the "guide posts"? Don't they stop them from vibrating lengthwise?

  • There's no way the higher end pianos have plastic keys; I can't imagine a piano such as a Steinway using anything but ivory keys, or do they not?

  • @xKurogashi Due to the rapid decline in the populations of the animals that produce it, the importation and sale of ivory in many countries is banned or severely restricted. I don't think ivory has been used for piano keys since the 1950s.

  • @xKurogashi Steinway and other high-end manufactures use a specialized material that is designed to behave like ivory. The material is highly porous, allowing the keys to absorb moisture and then release it slowly. This prevents the keys from becoming slippery during periods of extended play. This property is precisely why ivory was used in the first place. There is no longer any good reason to continue using ivory on piano keys.

  • @ddpsp The material is called IVORITE, I believe. I had no idea that's why ivory was used for pianos. I thought it was just because it looked (and felt) nice in the hand. Interesting thing I learnt here. Thank you.

  • @xKurogashi P/Janna's right. No piano has been made with ivory keys in decades. It's just far too expensive. If you have a piano with ivory keys, it has to be at least 50-100+ years old. My old piano teacher has a beautiful German upright piano with original ivory keys. As of now, it's about 105 years old. The ivory is stained and cracked and yellowed from a century of use...but she absolutely REFUSES to have the ivory replaced. Because it's just too valuable. Plus, it's great to play on...

  • @xKurogashi All modern pianos used plastic keys, i would imagine that all top makes would have a special compound. Ivory does feel slightly more pleasant to play on but goesstarts to go yellow or brown after many years and you have to clean it with meths often unlike wipe clean plastic.

  • @xKurogashi They are made of wood and then given a coating to make them stain-proof. If you look at Steinway's website, and go to technical specifications for their pianos, they give details on what the keys are made of.

  • @xKurogashi There actually are some very hard, very dense plastics that make a fair approximation of ivory. I'm sure it's not the same plastic as your normal run of the mill tupperware bowl from Wal-mart.

  • @Pianojanna Um, question. Which one? I searched "Schubert Impromptu" and there are more than one.

  • @BostonBoy15100 Schubert's Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3

  • Oh yes shurely they're made in America.. but i've seen only asian workers.

  • whats the song called that the guy is playing at the begining?

  • @HUSoulja Shubert Impromptu

  • @HUSoulja Schubert's Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3

  • @Pianojanna All workers look Chinese?

  • @Pianojanna by the chinese

  • Mr. You2ber is right about the tone of higher-tier pianos, it's hard to say that an Estonia is superior to a Sauter, or a Steingraeber has it on a Fazioli. Each make has it's idiosyncrisies(sp?) and defining characteristics. Some are noted for excelling at certain periods in music (i.e. baroque/classical or late romantic/20th century), some are considered more versatile. What I find interesting is that people are quick to mention Steinway and Bösendorfer but another unique-toned one is Blüthner.

  • This video is unwatchable due to the irritating muzak. People interested in hand built pianos have little tolerance for this kind of musical garbage. I repeat - it is VERY irritating. Please repost without the crap music!

  • @Studio1043 i was just wondering that.... :/

  • And The Sustain Pedals?

  • My friend was shocked to find out how much my 1915 Mason & Hamlin was worth. Until I showed him this video. Thank you for posting this - and keep making the World's finest piano!

  • the most important part of the piano (the sound board) is made in China!

  • Someone tell me...are all the wires the same and it's the length that gives different notes or are they different thicknesses as well? It's hard to tell and I've always wondered because they look the same but on a violin they are different...or is that because a violin as to have roughly the same length strings and so they are different thicknesses to compensate? (Not the most elegant question LOL)

  • @icekat83 The piano strings are different lengths and different diameters. Generally, the strings that make up what are called "unisons" are plain stainless steel wire, while the strings that make up the "bi-chords" and bass are brass wire wound around a stainless steel core. 'Hope that helps!

  • Aren't the keys made out of wood?

  • @Pianojanna By a bunch of asians xD

  • i love "how it's made" but they need to go further into detail and not just scan through!!!!!!

  • @Quy4life. Yes I agree but maybe it would be too long. I think this is just an introduction to this. They could do another vid but go deeper and see it REALLY closely. :)

  • Secret for building a piano? Lots of glue.

  • @eaaeeeea Yup, its the most complex structure made out of wood and glue! haha

  • A good muscian can make almost any instrument sound good.And as far as the Gibson comments,well you more than likely do not play well to see why some cost so much.I have the money to buy virtually any guitar and I have owned hundreds. And my Les Paul Customs are still in my opinion the finest sounding.

  • @Pianojanna why so many asians

  • michael hodge said that piano has 2or3 pedals

  • Every step is important, one mistake and its well, OVER.

  • Comment removed

  • @monkeydude512 In all fairness, the man playing the Schubert Impromptu is not a professional pianist---he is one of the superb craftsmen at the M&H factory.

  • @Pianojanna oh really? i thought they hired people especially to test the pianos... that's pretty impressive then.

  • @monkeydude512 Also (in all fairness) this is Schubert's op.90 no.3 impromptu in Gb, not no.4.

  • @monkeydude512 yeah that has nothing to do with this video. im just glad I know how a piano is made and I could care less who had the most emotion playing one

  • @10011997

    No idiot... Haverhill, MA

  • Don't be stupid... These Chinese workers bus up from Boston. Also, these pianos are much higher quality than Steinway.

  • Comment removed

  • I can't believe how much work goes into this...

    How in the Holy Fucking name of God did they make pianos before electric Tools were availible?

    And who the Fuck came up with idea of making a Piano?!

  • Oh god that music sounds so impassionate :( almost rushed

  • What do you do if the dude at 4:00 fucks up?

    Around 05:00 he says that you need a lot of money to play the piano. Here people give away their pianos if someone has the equipment to move it...

  • @Serostern They are referring to the cost of piano lessons, for which I used to pay $80 per hour each week. Calculate that for a decade. A lot of money...

  • @MrYou2ber I don't think $80 a week for lessons is a lot.... A friend of mine paid more than that to smoke cigarettes for 20 years and now he buys 3 packages of Nicorette at about 80 bucks a week since he quit. Who gets more for their? The cigarette smoker or the piano student?

  • @rustydog1236 Well, that's great if you don't think $80/week is not a lot. It is for me. And I just quit to pay for my college tuition.

  • i thought keys were made of wood ?

  • @lemonlime301

    They are. They have a thin plastic cover to absorb moisture.I guess they forgot to mention that in the video. :P

  • holy crap so much work!!!!

  • amazing, really!

  • Comment removed

  • i go t a casio digital grand piano and it got beats on it too ..the best sound

  • @FenrirLupus HOLY SHIT! gibson owns baldwin ???!!!!??! wow, jeez yeah... gibson is the steinway for anything guitar related. everything with gibson on it is so overpriced and overrated itsfucking rediculous... i just laugh when i go into guitar center and look at their products....

  • @exavier091 baldwin started going bankrupt in the early 80's and after no one bought them, Gibson did. those pianos leading up to the 80's and after gibson acquired them are not the greatest. outsourced to china.

  • that is amazing!!! never thought about how much work it is to make a piano

  • Damn this makes my Steinway Concert look like crap!

  • this is like the rolls royce  in pianos

  • @TzManiac01 Fazioli is the Rolls Royce in pianos

  • I've always wanted to play the piano, when I am good at it, I'll make my own customized piano. I wish I could.

  • Wow, that's the longest "How It's Made" i've ever seen!!! Brilliant!

  • @darren2985

    lol. and there is still some stuff they left out. XD

  • damn! talk about craftmanship, and yes mason and hamlin are one of the best you can get along with fazioli, bosendorfer, and some models of steinway.

  • @exavier091 I notice how you said "some models" of Steinway. Good Call!

  • @darren2985 schimmel is also up there too. i own a mason and hamlin 7 foot BB model (i'm a lucky bastard =) . it as BIG BASS, perfect sound, and a unique feel. took time getting used to. but yeah if u (or whoever is reading this reply) are SERIOUS about piano as a possible career, look into m&h, best bang for your buck alon with schimmel, even baldwin perhaps. steinway is great, but u pay about $10000-20000 extra just for the name since they literally cornered the market for pianos.

  • i wish i could afford a steinway or balwin concert grand. i have a yamaha upright and i just love the sound of steinway!

  • I wish I could play the piano =(

  • why they didn't explain how the pedals are made and how they put them to the piano??

  • @nokia789456123 They just ran out of time. As it is, the show gave us two segments (4 min. each) instead of the usual one, but even so they had to leave out a lot.

  • meticulous. and beautiful. I've always wanted a grand piano =( maybe one day.  it'll be my first big purchase after college.

  • For years I have always stood by the Mason & Hamlin piano as the best there is in the world. They are the Bentleys of pianos.

  • imagine a piano from carbon fiber!

  • its part of my dream of owning a grand piano lol..... ever since when i was 5 (even though i dunno how to play it xD)

    learning now though :P

  • amazing feet!

  • FASCINATING!!!

    I'm a student from Taiwan and have learned piano more than 10 years. But not until today do I truly know how complex and precise it is!

  • Damn that's hardcore, it takes more talent and skill to make a piano then to play one.

  • I love hearing someone playing Piano it is very Relaxing .....

  • Are these piano's high quality? or low quality mass product

  • Highest quality, hand-made pianos

  • @Pianojanna ALMOST highest quality. M&H has in recent years outsourced some of it's components from China as a cost saving measure. This has moved them down a notch in comparison to top tier instruments such as Steinway, Bosendorfer and Shigeru Kawai-- companies that still spare no expense in favour of quality.

  • @piano1174 You need to be sure of what your saying on a public media format such as this..............

  • @Pianojanna Steinway and Baldwin are both better.

  • @Bertziethegreat No way.... these are the best man.

  • @Bertziethegreat Baldwin moved their factories down to Mexico, so actually the pianos are probably not as good anymore. If you are reffering to older Baldwins, then yes they and Steinways can be both better.

  • @Pianojanna i wonder why all workers are chinese if this an american factory

    as their website says

  • @schizokinesis because that's who's applying for the jobs apparently in MA. doesn't matter what ethnicity or race is applying, it's who trains them and how well they are trained for their one specific job. plain and simple.

  • @Pianojanna Ahem Steinway

  • @Pianojanna The tension resonator is a bit of a joke. Pianos that are built well and with the correct materials do not need crown support. A steel structure bolted to the rim will rob energy from the piano, decreasing sustain and inhibiting the voice. While the piano will be incredibly stable with such an apparatus, ultimately it is a hinderance.

  • @sientguy wtf dayya tink? if it costs 5 grand and takes a fucking month & a half to make it and its all hand made, ur a dumbass to ask a question like thata stupid you

  • @sientguy If you want the best sound possible, go with a Bösendorfer. Very well made piano with a nice price tag. If you want second best, go with a Steinway. Mason & Hamlin is a mediocre brand, but all get the job done.

  • @leifo5343 The soundboard and frame are much heavier in the M&H in than the Steinway, giving them a larger sound and the tone they are famous for. When M&H started making pianos, they hired away many of the skilled Steinway artisans allowing them to expand their art and creativity. Mason & Hamlins are regularly rated higher than Steinways by artists, and in professional competition. Having played both extensively, I chose a Mason & Hamlin for my personal grand. The tone is unsurpassed.

  • @leifo5343 Some prefer Steinway over Bösendorfer. Don't say one particular brand has the best sound because it's a matter of taste. And I think Fazioli sounds better than Bösendorfer. Again, my opinion and subjective taste.

  • Wow! Gotta show my appreciation

  • publicity time!

  • Isn't it amazing the level of work that goes into a Piano.. its something where it costs a fortune, but at least you can see the value because of the manufacturing costs and time that goes into building one.. unlike so much other crap we buy today that just rolls off a production line.

  • It is to make the piano louder guys

  • I still wonder why some people leave the lid of their pianos open.

  • lol me too i guys to show off?!!?

  • Maybe

  • amazing

  • Such a good, informative video. This video is both useful, and cool. I always wondered how pianos were made. I love Mason and Hamlin pianos. My teacher has an old Model A from the 1900s- it sounds great. If you want to watch a movie similar to this but more in depth, watch that new movie, Note by Note, which talks about the making of a nine-foot concert Steinway. in my opinion, both brands make good pianos.

  • I have a mason&hamlin piano w/ real ivory keys.

  • WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO B A PERSON

  • what are you, now?

  • iam a computer

  • no wonder they are so expensive xD

  • beautiful

  • When I grow up I want to be a piano.

  • I wanna be a saxamaphone

  • i support you

  • @tweek1133 LMAO

  • @tweek1133 lololololol

  • imagine if you were part of the crew and you screwed something up, it'd cost you like a soul and a half haha!

  • @Palamneus

    I'd just keep quiet about it!

  • AWSOME

  • Are these made in China as well???

  • No, they're made in the US, in Haverhill, MA.

  • thats allot of work no wonder there so expensive

  • wow. so much work goes into the counterweight adjustment! *favorited*

  • I wonder how they put the crown in the soundboard.

  • amazing

  • Nice!!!

  • whats the name at the song at 01:53 ?

  • u mean 00:53?..the song is schubert's impromptu Op.90 No.3...

  • not that one.. what i mean is the background music..

  • oh,srry..i dont knw that one..ha

  • I know pianos dont come cheap they can range from $10,000 - $370,000 US dollars I know a freind he paid $13,000 for a harpsicord

  • That's nothing. A good concert grand will cost you upwards of $100,000

  • I like that he is playing Schubert's Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3 it is kinda complicated to play

  • can any one tell me how much one of these is worth?

  • at a guess £40,000

  • some people by them to play them, not just to 'sell them later'

  • They leave out some stuff (like the pedal mechanism), but this is still a very interesting video!

  • does anyone know if the backround music is a real song or if it is available w/ out the guy talking. it's annoying, but catchy

  • of course it's a real song, it's not a figment of your imagination.

  • I meant if they made it specifically for How its Made.

  • Yeah I think it's composed specifically for How its Made. They should give out an OST CD!

  • I worked at Mason & Hamlin from 1990-1994. I like the pianos so much, I named my dog Mason.

  • I don´t think 10 minutes and 29 secs are enough to explain the whole process.

  • i kno they cut a lot of steps out

  • Exactly ... Even if you could see a full hour video there would still be more to learn.

  • so thats why piano very expensive

  • oh very very complicated

  • It doesn't talk about the pedals.'_'

  • I used to work with the guy who plays the Schubert. It was amusing to me to hear that little segment played over and over because that was the only thing he know how to play!

  • Mason and Hamlins are not very common where I live. The one Mason and Hamlin grand I played was a wonderful piano. I would love to own one. I've heard technicians rave about Mason and Hamlins.

  • Fascinating.

  • these are considered the finest pianos. sounds ike it!

  • Who cares if it's played incorrectly. It's still beautiful music.

  • kool dats goin in my favorites

  • lol what about the pedals???

  • The best segment of this show!

  • absolutely beautiful in every aspect.

  • Great video! Shame though that they didn't go into the pedal lyre or whippens, it doesn't do justice to the complexity of the internals parts.

  • Not enough time unfortunately. As it was, they devoted two segments of the show to us! Imagine if they'd limited our story to one 4 1/2 minute segment!

  • intersting

  • lol ''square it up''

  • Very interesting, but what annoying background music.

  • I agree. They could have chosen something more pianistic...