Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1898 Vol. 26 N. 18

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A New flethod of Tuning Pianos.
———-
y
DESIGNED WITH THE OBJECT OF SAVING TIME
BETWEEN FACTORY* TUNINGS.
An important patent (No. 602,499.) w a s
granted John B. Dayfoot, of Cambridge,
Mass., on April 19, bearing especially on the
tuning of pianos.
In the manufacture of pianos, especially
those of high grade, the tuning is accom-
plished in two stages, the first being done in
the "strung frame" and the second after
the "action " and " c a s e " have been added
to the strung frame. In the first the tuner
turns the tuning-wrench with one hand,
while with the other he " snaps" the strings
to sound them, gradually bringing the
strings to the desired pitch and tuning them
to the scale, at the same time bringing the
three strings, which together make up the
volume of each note, into unison. The
strung frame is now laid aside for a consider-
able length of time, varying with circum-
stances from one to several weeks, until the
various influences of temperature, the
" s p r i n g " of the sounding-board, and the
yielding or relaxing of other parts, as well
as of the natural stretch of the strings them-
selves, throw the latter out of tune. The
stretching and soundi-ng of the strings is
again gone through, as before, and this is
repeated from time to time until the point is
reached for the beginning of the second
stage of tuning. To accomplish this latter,
the action is added to the strung frame and
the whole placed in the case of the piano.
The tuning is now effected by stretching the
strings by means of the tuning-pins, as be-
fore, but in lieu of the light snapping or
picking of the string with a wooden picker
in the tuner's fingers heavy blows are struck
upon the strings by the hammers of the
action in order to enable such strings to
withstand any pounding action which may
be imparted to them by a musician. This
second tuning is repeated from time to time,
with intervening lapses, until the piano is
considered fit to be delivered.
In a word, the tuning of a piano in a man-
ufactory consists in stretching the strings
and bringing them to the desired pitch and
allowing them afterward to gradually go
out of tune in the course of time by the or-
dinary strain brought to bear by the pro-
cess of bringing them to pitch.
Now the object of Mr. Dayfoot's invention
is to reduce to the lowest possible point the
extent of the " w a i t s " between the various
tunings of the strings, and this result is ac-
complished by a method which consists in
applying powerful pressure to the strings
(in addition to. the strain exerted by the
tuning-pins) and between the two sets of
bridges, preferably at the point of impact of
the hammers, this additional pressure hav-
ing the effect of accomplishing in a few
hours results which have heretofore neces-
sitated weeks of time to bring about. This
economy of time is effected not only by the
additional pressure upon the strings, but
by the fact that a large number of strings
may be acted upon simultaneously—for in-
stance, the whole of the bass in one divis-
ion and of each section or possibly the
whole of the treble in another division.
An approach toward accomplishing the
result sought by this invention has hereto-
fore been made by Mr. Dayfoot and others
by exerting a temporary rubbing action up-
on the strings by means of a padded tool in
the hands of a workman; but this has been
done upon only a very few strings at a time,
of the treble only, as the covering of the
bass-strings prevents its being applied to
them. This plan is crude and inefficient.
A mechanical device which, among others,
Mr. Dayfoot has employed in carrying his
method into practice consists of one or more
presser-bars carried by and made adjustable
upon a suitable cross-head or beam, by
means of which the presser bars are sus-
pended immediately above the various
strings of the bass and treble. Each pres-
ser-bar is raised and lowered with respect to
the piano-strings by means of adjusting-
screws which screw through the cross-head
and are swiveled at their lower ends in the
upper part of the bar. By means of the
presser-bars and screws any desired amount
of pressure may be exerted upon such a
number of strings as practice may deter-
mine to be best. At present three presser-
bars are employed, one each to the bass and
to the two divisions of the treble.
Sohmer & Co.'s Magnificent Factory Buildings, at Astoria, N. Y.
Since the opening of the new Sohmer
warerooms in the Sohmer Building, Fifth
avenue and Twenty-second street, the Soh-
mer firm and the Sohmer products have,
more than ever, secured unusual attention
from music lovers and all others who are
interested in the development and progress
of the piano industry.
Several illustrations of the new Sohmer
Building have appeared in The Review dur-
ing the past three months. These merely
show the home of the Sohmer piano in New
York city. A fitting companion picture is
that of the Sohmer factory as it is to-day,
with every advantage of location and every
modern facility for producing artistic and
accurate work of the highest class. A glance
at the illustration is sufficient to emphasize
its importance.
The output of the Sohmer factory, it is
needless to say, is steadily increasing. This
has been the case without intermission from
the start. The policy of the firm encourages
progression, and it is likely to continue.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
were—of the instrument, that must be com-
bined with it to com-plete the beauty which
LITERATURE THAT IS l&AKING THEIR PIANOS. the case alone cannot supply. Such a com-
KNOWN FAR AND WIDE A RECENT
bination is found in the Fischer piano. The
PRODUCTION.
cases are models of architectural skill, but
" The Pathway of Success" recently issued the tone quality brings out a new beauty to
by J. & C. Fischer contains a number of the piano as the artistic mind of the beauti-
brief essays, each interesting and each useful ful women lends a new charm to her face
as an aid to popular understanding of the and figure."
merits of the Fischer products. In the essay
on " t h e Artistic and the Beautiful," the S. B. Shoninger Elected President.
writer says :
AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE B. SHONINGER CO.
" A beautiful woman always attracts at-
tention, but if with a handsome face and
At the annual meeting of the B. Shoninger
figure is combined an artistic mind, she is an Go., New Haven, Conn., held April 20, 1898,
hundred fold more attractive to all refined the following officers and directors were
men and women. A work of art, be it in the elected: S. B. Shoninger, president and
form of a statue, a painting or an article of treasurer; Joseph Shoninger, secretary.
furniture appeals to the artistic side of our Directors: B. Shoninger, S. B. Shoninger,
nature. Everyone, no matter what, station Joseph Shoninger.
in life he may occupy, admires the beautiful.
There is within us an inborn something that
Norris & Hyde Assignee Will
is attracted by beauty and repelled by ugli-
Sell.
ness. In comparison, (all other things being
equal) the artistic and the beautiful will
Boston, April 23d, 1898.
always be victorious over the commonplace. The Music Trade Review.
"But mere outward beauty cannot long
Gentlemen:—As Assignee of the Norris &
retain our admiration. It is the soul that is Hyde Co., late manufacturers of the Trans-
within and behind it all that takes a per- posing Key Board Pianos, I beg to say that
manent hold upon us. A statue, however I shall sell at the room of the company at
finely carved or molilded, a painting, how- Public Auction all the stock, fixtures, good
ever beautifully colored, a woman with will and patent rights used in the manufac-
classic features and a skin of velvet, cannot ture of their piano.
long retain the impression a first glance may
The sale will take place on Tuesday, May
make upon us, unless there be a certain 3d, 1898, at 10-30 A. M. at 2249-2261 Washing-
character and soul that a more careful study ton St.
Yours truly,
will soon discern.
EDW. H. DAVIS, Assignee.
" This we may aptly apply to a piano. The
case may be of choice woods and artistically
L. A. Clark has opened a music store in
designed, but it is the tone—the soul as it Fairmount, Minn.
J. & C. Fischer.
Delighted with the "Steck."
The good old reliable Steck piano which
has such a hold on the affections of the pur-
chasing public as well as a wide representa-
tion in the leading institutions, educational,
religious, and otherwise, in this glorious
country of ours continues to be praised and
admired wherever used. Geo. Steck & Co.
of this city, are in receipt of letters week after
week in which the merits of the Steck are
referred to in terms of the highest praise.
Among those recently received was one from
the North Carolina Institution for the Deaf
and Dumb and Blind. It is as follows:
Raleigh, N. C , March 30, 1898.
Messrs. Geo. Steck & Co., New York.
Gentlemen:—It affords me special pleasure to bear
testimony to the exceeding high merit of the S'eck
piano recently purchased of you. Our musical di-
rector, all our music teachers, and our tuners and
repairers have given the instrument a most thorough
and critical examination, and are unanimous in their
verdict of its excellence.
Officers, teachers and pupils are thoroughly de-
lighted with its mechanism, its power, its sweetness
of tone, its beauty of finish.
In th£ recent contest before our committee ap-
pointed to select pianos, in the midst of a large num-
ber of instruments presented, the Steck stands un-
surpassed.
Yours sincerely,
John E. Ray, Principal.
The new factory warerooms of the Ma-
thushek & Son Piano Co., at 174-8 Eighth
Avenue, this city, were formally opened last
Saturday. The opening festivities will close
to-day.
The New England Piano Co., Boston, are
building up a fine trade for their instruments
in Canada. There are substantial indica-
tions that New England trade in the Domi-
nion will be largely augmented in the
near future.
Music on Your Own Terms
THE
GRAPHOPHONE requires no skilled performer to play
it, and yet it will furnish any kind of music desired. It is vastly
superior to other so-called talking machines, because on the
GRAPHOPHONE one can easily make records of his own music, song
or story, to be instantly reproduced. Its performances are not
confined to the reproduction of specially prepared and stereotyped
subjects. It is fascinating and marvelous as an entertainer
Music dealers will find the GRAPHOPHONE a great attraction in their
stores, and more than that, a most profitable addition to their stock.
Liberal terms offered to dealers; can be learned on application. . .
Graphophones are Retailed at $10 and up.
Manufactured under the patents of Bell, Tainter, Edison and MacDonald.
quarters of the world for Talking Machines and Talking Machine Supplies.
Our establishment is manufacturing head-
Write for Catalogue M.
Columbia Phonograph Company,
NEW YORK, l\55, U57, U59 Broadway.
PARIS, 34 Boulevard des Italiens.
CHICAGO, 2\\ State Street*
ST. LOUIS, 720-722 Olive Street,
Dept. m.
PHILADELPHIA, J032 Chestnut Street.
WASHINGTON, 9J9 Pennsylvania Avenue.
BALTIMORE, U0 East Baltimore Street.
BUFFALO, 3 J3 Main Street.

Download Page 9: PDF File | Image

Download Page 10 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.