Hello Deborah ! The answers to questions you ask will be vary in different parts of the country. In the Dallas - Ft.Worth area the following will be the approximate value. "A" 5ft.8 Black $ 7 to 8.000 "AA" 6ft.3 Black $ 8 to 11.000 "BB" 7ft.4 Black $10 to 14.000 Black is worth less than Mah. Wal. or Rosewood. Fancy cases are worth more than plain. As to quality, Perception and rumors can be many different things. Facts may be dull but they remain the same. The American Piano Co. Bought the Mason@Hamlin Co. in 1922. The Aeolian Piano Co. bought the American Piano in Co. in 1932. There are several "A" scales A A-2 A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6. It is my thinking that the A-6 is a little better. Oddly the "A"-5 was the scale used in later years Some of the "A"s added three ribs in the high treble these ribs were much smaller than regular ribs. This served a problem in an unclear tone. When replacing a soundboard I always replaced these with the standard size and number of ribs. Each time it cleared the tone in that section. In my research and as a rebuilder over the past 50 or so years I formed the following conclusions based on facts. The Mason@Hamlin quality remained about the same from 1922 till 1932. The Aeolian Co. in the years following the purchase did some "cleaning up the scales" therefore improving the Piano. This Information came to me directly from Elmer Brooks and my own experience. This is contrary to the popular pastime of some technicians of "Aeolian bashing" Elmer with his brothers George and Allan were the backbone of the E. Rochester N.Y. Plant. For a period of about 30 years the Mason@Hamlin remained a truly great piano. Each time I visited this factory (built in 1903) I was more impressed. The Heller family of N.Y. who owned the factory sold it to some investors in the late sixties who hired an executive of a furniture factory named Luke Borger to run the Aeolian Piano Co. The rest, sadly, is history. Sorry this had to be so long. Hope it helps. Jack Wyatt
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