Subject: Re: Best Buys in the Used piano Market > Steinert Pianos from Boston were pretty good copies of Mason & Hamlins. I > have only seen 2 of them' > James > James Grebe James, Respectfully, the Steinert-Hume- Jewett were copies of various Steinway models not Masons.They do have the W.N.G. actions as did Mason of the same era. We see bunches of them here in Ma. Often nice but sometimes with some wacky key leading. Best wishes, Tom Driscoll FYI ---This from the web: In 1901, Morris Steinert began manufacturing pianos primarily to prove the efficacy of the Steinertone piano, a piano he had designed. This piano was a good copy of Steinway! Steinway sued Steinert for copyright infringements. The judgment that came down was that Steinert was still allowed to produce a set number of pianos each year. After the court ruling in 1903, Steinert decided to start building pianos with the Hume name; same piano, same action, different design on cast iron plate. In 1903, he purchased two piano factories in Leominster, Massachusetts--the Woodbury Piano Company and the Jewett Piano Factory--and began manufacturing his own line of pianos. Because he was still a Steinway dealer, Steinway forbade him to use his own name on his pianos for fear of branding confusion. Thus the pianos he manaufactured were named A. M. Hume after Archibald Hume, Steinert's general manager. The Jewett and Woodbury names were also used, as well as some others. After a surprise audit in 1916, it was discovered that Hume was embezzling money from M. Steinert & Sons, and Hume was promptly fired. Not wanting to name his pianos after a thief, Steinert requested and was granted permission from Steinway to use the Steinert name on his pianos. Pianos with the Steinert name were manufactured in Leominster from 1916 until 1932, when the factories were closed for financial reasons. >
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