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I have a Mason Farrell baby grand and I can't find anyone who has heard of this brand. Any ideas where I could find out. I'm looking for compatible parts.

What kind of parts?

I needed some hammer shanks, pedal support rods, and I ordered a few as samples. I got them to work but they aren't quite like the ones on the piano. I'm really new at this and have just been researching how to bring this piano back. Every time I look for something I have to figure out if it will work. It appears that many parts are more uniform. Thanks.

The piano atlas said the brand was used until about 1930. You are not likely to find case parts, and hammer shanks will have to be the closest equivalent you can find. You need to be creative.

It's a fascinating challenge. So far so good. Thank you, BDB! The piano was a family hand me down and I'm making some progress using my retirement to learn something new.

Sounds like a fun project. I did the same with my Pease grand piano from 1911. I had it evaluated by a tech beforehand. He told me the repairs that would need to be done to bring it back to optimal condition. I then looked up the approximate total cost and went forward with the project, knowing that it would probably cost more. I suggest you do the same. Any piano can be rebuilt, but some repairs are much more expensive than others (e.g., pinblock replacement, soundboard replacement). Best to know beforehand if it's worth it, depending on how much you like its tone and its sentimental value to you.

Good luck, Robertle. This is a challenge for any piano newcomer, even with expert help. On the other hand, I have heard enough people come in and play after watching YouTube videos to know that anything is possible.

Enjoy!

I'm wondering why you are putting on new hammer shanks. Does this mean you are hanging new hammers? Reinstalling the old ones on new shanks?
The biggest issues with old shanks are going to be a flattened, worn knuckle, or a flange with either too much or too little friction. Either can be solved. In your case, the knuckles are surely flat.

You can remove the old knuckles with heat and glue in new ones, and you can repin the flanges if necessary. Pianotek.com (you'd have to have an account) has many different shank types, including Tokiwa adjustables. You should measure the knuckle to center distance carefully. Is it 15, 16, or 17mm? If the new part is only off by a mm, it will change the action ratio and feel. You don't want to put on the wrong part and end up with a heavy action, or one you can't adjust other parts to. If, for example, the old knuckles are at one distance and the new ones at another, you may not be able to adjust the jacks properly. It's all inter-related.

When is it smart to not do either? When the hammers are shot. I wouldn't hang new hammers on old shanks. You may want to send end samples from each section to Renner or another shop and ask them to match as well as possible and pick the best hammer for the piano. Probably something not too heavy for an older piano. They'll do everything--drill, mount, prevoice the hammers. You just screw them on and regulate the piano.

We don't know your level of knowledge, but just beware: when you start in messing with things in a grand action, it can quickly become an (expensive) can of worms.
A full set of shanks will run you $500, new hammers on shanks more than double that. You might, for example, put on new hammers and shanks, but you're not done yet. Are the strings original? Then new hammers alone might not be a great investment by themselves. You probably need a restringing job for it to sound its best. But wait, there's more.....what about the bridges? Are they cracked? Does the soundboard have any crown left?

The reason I needed the hammer shanks was because I broke one while I was sanding them. Every thing I'm doing is the first time. There is quite a bit of work needed and i may get around to replacing the hammers one day. Right now i replaced all the front rail and balance rail felts. It plays much better but there seems to be plenty more to do. At first i thought i would. Just need to tune it...something i had only done on my guitar. I ended up treating all the loose tuning pins and I'm pleased to say that went well. Next I have to repair the cracked pedal lyre and hopefully have some success with the bushings on the rods. I expect I will eventually run out of things to do with it.🤔 Thanks for your thoughts.

The reason I needed the hammer shanks was because I broke one while I was sanding them. Every thing I'm doing is the first time. There is quite a bit of work needed and i may get around to replacing the hammers one day. Right now i replaced all the front rail and balance rail felts. It plays much better but there seems to be plenty more to do. At first i thought i would. Just need to tune it...something i had only done on my guitar. I ended up treating all the loose tuning pins and I'm pleased to say that went well. Next I have to repair the cracked pedal lyre and hopefully have some success with the bushings on the rods. I expect I will eventually run out of things to do with it.🤔 Thanks for your thoughts.