wm
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
VOL. XXXIX. No. 16.
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, Oct. 15, 1904.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
KRANICH & BACH PUBLICITY
A. B. CHASE SMALL GRAND
GROSS MISREPRESENTATION
A Very Attractive Publication Issued by Wood
Bros., of Pittsfield, in Honor of Their Silver
Anniversary.
Will Soon Be Ready for the Market—Will Be
Up to the Tone Standard of the Instruments
of This House.
Contained in One of the Department Store Ads.
This Week-.—An Insult to the Intelligence of
the Public and the Trade-
"Value of Experience in Pianos" is the title of
an attractive booklet in colors issued by Wood
Bros., Kranich & Bach agents at Pittsfield, Mass.
It is put forth to commemorate the arrival at the
quarter century mark of the Wood's business.
From small beginnings the Wood firm have devel-
oped until they now conduct the largest piano
business in western Massachusetts. They an-
nounce that their place of business was the first
one-price piano store, the first fair-price piano
store, also, according to the best of their belief,
the first piano store where instruments could be
bought on small payments at the cash price by
simply adding interest at 6 per cent, for such
time as is taken.
A considerable part of the booklet, which is on
tinted paper, most artistically printed, is devoted
to the jnerits of the Kranich & Bach products.
"Our complement of pianos," says the introduc-
tory, "is headed by the Kranich & Bach, that,
stands without a peer in the world of music."
On the pages following this dedication the qual-
ities of the Kranich & Bach pianos are empha-
sized. Here is an example:
The A. B. Chase Co., of Norwalk, O., have been
working for some time past on a new small grand
which they will soon have ready for the market.
Those who have had the privilege of testing this
grand are enthusiastic over its wonderfully bril-
liant tone and the evenness and beautiful quality
of the scale. It will be a fitting companion to the
baby grand, which is so highly esteemed. Busi-
ness prospects with, the A. B. Chase Co. are ex-
ceedingly bright, and President Whitney is veil
pleased with ihe situation.
KRANICH iL BACH PIANOS.
THK PIANO THAT MEEDS NO COMMENDATION OR IN-
TRODUCTION FROM ANYBODY.
Musical people long ago became convinced of Its ab-
solute artistic worth.
It is made for people who appreciate the higher forms
of music and whose knowledge demands the highest
type of musical Instrument for the Interpretation of
such music.
The Kranich & Bach has fairly earned its name as n
piano. When a man buys a Kranich & Bach he prac-
tically invests his money in gilt-edge security because
not only does the piano give him the fullest enjoyment,
but its specific worth always makes it a first-class In-
vestment.
Many splendid indorsements are given of the
Kranich & Bach instruments by customers of
Wood Bros., including professors of music and
prominent citizens. A list of purchasers of the
Kranich & Bach pianos in the Wood territory
shows nearly 200 in Pittsfield alone and as many
more in other cities and towns. Altogether the
booklet presents an unanswerable argument in
behalf of the "Kranich & Bach." The time has
long gone by when lengthy dissertations favor-
able to the "K. & B." were necessary in order to
bring about a sale, but such contributions as the
Wood booklet strengthens the cause and brings
many hesitators promptly into line for business.
HORACE WATERS CO. ON 42D STREET.
The Horace Waters Piano Co. have decided to
invade 42d street, and have leased for a term of
years the store and basement at 127 West 42d
street, where they will open a branch store.
SOLD 18 PIANOS IN THREE WEEKS.
August Peters, Kimball Dealer in Benton Har-
bor, Breaks All Previous Records.
(Special to The Review.)
Benton Harbor, Mich., Oct. 11, 1904.
August Peters, the agent of the Kimball Piano
Co. in this city, has just broken all records in
the sale of pianos. Three weeks ago he an-
nounced a special sale and has sold eighteen
pianos and ten organs—one piano for each work-
ing day and ten organs thrown in for luck.
Several years ago the Kimball Co. established
an agency here and sent some of its best sales-
men in the field. They did a big business but it
did not compare with the business Mr. Peters has
done. Mr. Peters has on the way a number of
the finest pianos made by the Kimball Co.
RECENT INCORPORATIONS.
Among the incorporations filed with the secre-
tary of State of New York on Monday was the
Ahlstrom Piano Co., of Jamestown; capital, $75,-
000. Directors—C. A. Ahlstrom, Claude K. Ahl-
strom, Arthur C. Wade, Jamestown. The pur-
pose of this move is to enlarge the business of
the company whose products are steadily grow-
ing in demand.
Colonial Piano Co., of Huntington, Suffolk
county, with a capital of $20,000, was incorpor-
ated this week. Directors—E. V. Nelson, T. T.
Sturdevant And W. H. Manchester, of New York
City.
Stevens & Lane Piano Co., Portland, Me., was
incorporated with the authorities of Maine on
Saturday, with a capital of $10,000. President,
Eustace Lane, Portland, Me.; treasurer, G. R.
Stevens, Portland, Me.; directors as above named
and E. E. Stone, Portland, Me.
WITTICH'S CHOICE PIANO DISPLAY.
A full line of Steinway, Hardman, Packard,
Lindeman & Sons, Schiller pianos and Cecilian
piano players were exhibited recently at the local
fair by Arthur Wittich, the well-known dealer,
of Reading, Pa. As a background to his booth
he had a clever arrangement of various
piano covers and other tapestries
THE GLOBE TROTTER OF THE TRADE.
Chas. H. Wagener, of the Melville Clark Piano
Co., who is making a flying trip to the Pacific
coast, will on his return, sail for England, where
he will make a brief sojourn. "Charlie" Wagener
certainly takes the palm as a lightning globe
trotter.
One of the department stores of New York has
been announcing in the daily papers this week a
special sale of 500 pianos at $195 on "terms of
five dollars down and one dollar a week." Tn
this connection the reader is told that these
pianos are "master pieces of piano construction,"
that they are "built to last a lifetime," that
"nothing but the best materials are used" and
that "a guarantee of ten years goes with them."
The extraordinary information is also conveyed
that these pianos "are fitted with renowned tone
lasting actions, which hold the tone deep, mellow
and resonant longer than any other actions in
the world."
These certainly must be remarkable pianos and
must contain remarkable actions that create
tone—a pointer for our acousticians.
We are also informed that these pianos "are
considered by professional people to be far su-
perior to other pianos sold by dealers at from
$350 to $400 each, so you can save from $150 to
$200 by securing a—piano. We challenge anyone
to pick out a piano selling at retail at even
double the price we ask that will in anyway com-
pare with this instrument."
The man who penned this ad. may not know
what he was writing about, but every sensible
person does know that these statements are the
worst kind of rot. If we had any such laws ap-
pertaining to advertising as they have in Ger-
many this style of work could not continue. Such
advertising is an insult to manufacturers of
standing who have spent time, money and brains
to perfect their instruments and who labor io
turn out an artistic piano which will satisfy ail
musical requirements.
It is well known that pianos offered by this de-
partment store for $195 can be procured by any
dealer at a wholesale price which would permit
him to sell them for $150 or less at retail if he
cared to handle such a class of goods.
Were our national and local associations awake
to such advertising as this it could and would
not continue, and legitimate retailers and manu-
facturers of pianos would not be open to misrep-
resentation and insult.
GERHARZ QUIT RETAIL PIANO FIELD.
(Special to The Review.)
Joliet, 111., Oct. 10, 1904.
To-day the Gerharz Piano Co. quit the retail
field in this city. Mr. Wilkins has sold all the
pianos, except the Gerharz and musical supplies
at the store in Marshall building on Ottawa
street, and removed the office fixtures and books
to the fine new brick factory on Manning avenue.
The Vance-Fitzgibbons Furniture Co. have
taken the exclusive agency in this territory for
the Gerharz piano. This will give it a good rep-
resentation.
The Will A. Watkin Co. have discontinued their
store in San Antonio and will work the territory
from their headquarters at Dallas, Tex.