MARKETPLACE
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 4, MARCH, 1976
-
...
7 •
The sound of music, automatic music, has been heard in this industry for almost 100
years. From the wax cylinder phono of Thomas A. Edison in 1886 thru automatic pianos,
harps, violins, up to today's glorified jukeboxes. Every step along the way, every
change in design and mechanism to do the same thing has seen the price go up and up and
higher up. From the first modern type jukebox of 1934 until today's models, price boomed
from $250 to i2,000. That's an increase of 70
•
About ten manufacturers of jukeboxes existed during those 42 years. Only three are
left. Offhand, there vas Wurlitzer, Mills, Gable, Capehart, Aireon, Exhibit, Capitol,
vho left the industry. The original AMI, now known as Rove-AMI, along with Seeburg and
Rock-Ola remain. So that, as price soared, manufacturing plunged. The three manufactur-
ers now existant are more than capable of taking care of all jukebox demand. Wurlitzer
and NSM of Germany have also entered the U.S. sales picture •
Aside from changes in cabinetry plus electro-mechanical improvements, tho very highly
regarded, especially in the matter of great tonal quality, phonos have continued along
the lines of the original jukebox idea. In 1939, the defunct Mills Novelty Company came
up with a new idea, "Panoram", music on film that, for a brief period, seemed destined
to lead music operators into a new era. Mechanical imperfections plus lack of an exten-
sive film library, turned the "Panoram" and other similar type machines, back into the
old time penny arcade peek machines.
At least "Panoram" was a new idea, even tho it was based on the drop picture machines
of the 1890s. Someone was thinking about the jukebox operator and his future. From the
post-War II period up to the 1976 models there has been constant repetition. Oh, yes,
the number of selections zoomed all the way up to 200. What difference if the number
would have gone up to 2,000 selections? This simply meant more dead record storage . Some
of the 200 selections didn't get ten plays a year. In the past few years, as all know,
this has been cut back to 100 and 160 selections.
"So what?", as many music operators question. What the music industry requires is a
new play action idea. An idea that will bring back young and old to play jukeboxes in
droves. Pretty new cabinets, exceptional tonal quality are fine and dandy. High prices
do not frighten operators who can amortize the cost within a reasonable period of time
and enjoy a decent return on their investment and for their hard work during the amor-
ti zation period. At least more than they could get investing their dollars in stocks,
bonds or real estate. What does upset operators is the fact no new and different ideas
have , while prices of jukeboxes continue to soar, come into being to as~ure the music
operators' future. A lot more than a change of cabinetry plus a fev electro-mechanical
improvements are needed by the automatic music industry to bring back boom times.
'ihat do you think? Write: Marketplace, 185 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60601.