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THE
THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
Marked Improvement Reported by the Musical
Merchandise Men as Compared With the
Early Days of the Month—Market Continues
Extremely Firm in the Matter of Prices—
European Goods to Cost More—The Situation
Reviewed by a Trade Expert.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
of ease of execution, splendid tone quality and
ease of operation. Their cornets and trombones
have especially met with favor of soloists on this
account, and the fame of "the house of York" is
steadily spreading.
Within a comparatively short time we will be
entering on the Presidential campaign, or mak-
ing preparations for it, and bands will be actively
in demand. This is the time for dealers to con-
sider the handling of band instruments as a good
side line. It would not be a bad plan to look up
J. W. York & Sons in this connection.
Business with the small goods houses is mov-
ing along in grooves to their entire satisfaction.
The week shows a marked improvement over
the preceding ten days, so much so that it now
looks as if the buying will keep up to a normal
A GREAT GATHERING
stage until the warm months come around. The
representatives of foreign houses are mak- Of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists Meet
ing ready to go abroad to get in touch with
in
Philadelphia—Manufacturers
Exhibit
matters in the musical merchandise line, and
Their Wares in the Wanamaker Building—
buyers who usually go to Europe to place their
Some of the Interesting Papers Read.
orders are also arranging their affairs with the
same end in view. It is believed that while it is
(Special to The Review.)
every one's intention to purchase goods on a
Philadelphia, Pa., March 26, 19.07.
liberal basis, at the same time there will be a
The small goods business in this city has been
marked difference in price on next season's good in March. Particularly in the last week has
lines.
there been a very big spurt in this line. This
The market, generally speaking, is extremely in a great measure was due to the holding in
firm, and no one appears to be in a position to Philadelphia last week of the sixth annual con-
say just what may occur next in the way of
vention and festival of the American Guild of
prices. Every house of any note is speaking very Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists. A spe-
guardedly about their selling figures, and cata- cial feature introduced in this connection was
logues going out still continue to be revised on the first national exhibition given by the society,
a higher plane to cover the many advances which which was held in one of the spacious unfinished
have been made before and since the opening of rooms of the Wanamaker new store. Members
the year. The advices from Markneukirchen, of the Guild from all over the country were pres-
Trossingen, Vienna, Paris, London and other ent. President Myron A. Bickford, of Spring-
small goods centers in Europe are far from re- field, Mass., presided over the sessions. One of
assuring on the matter of 'prices, with the atti- the leading discussions brought out by the con-
tude of manufacturers and factors far from pleas- vention was the adopting of the English system
ant when the future is under consideration. By of writing for the banjo, which was adopted, so
the same token shipments are not coming in that hereafter the banjo will be uniform in nota-
quite to the satisfaction of importing houses. tion. I t was also decided that the suggestion
This means, of course, that exporters are hedging be made to manufacturers of musical instru-
all they possibly can until the cost of production ments to tune mandolins one octave" lower, that
is once again stable and within bounds.
they may harmonize with the viola in orchestra
Commenting on conditions and prospects a work.
prominent importer said to The Review Tuesday:
On Thursday evening, March 21, a big concert
"So far as trade is concerned it is excellent. was held in Witherspoon Hall, presided over by
Orders have been coming in from our travelers Thomas J. Armstrong. The Festival Orchestra
and by mail in great volume, so that we are sat- of 150 performers, directed by Carl Tschopp,
isfied the spring will pan out immensely, not- played a number of selections, and solos were
withstanding our fears at first that the increased played by Emma Schubert, Alfred A. Farland, the
cost of goods might lead to a curtailment of or- Albrecht Mandolin Club, George C. Krick, the
ders. The contrary has occurred, whicn may be Philadelphia Quintette Club, led by O. H. Al-
credited to the pronounced prosperity through- brecht; Richard L. Weaver, and the Guild Club
out the country. You know, when general busi- of 50 players, directed by Myron A. Bickford and
ness is good the musical merchandise men al- Thomas J. Armstrong.
ways get a share."
Large crowds were in attendance at all times
at the exposition. The following firms exhib-
ited: H. A. Weymann & Son, of Philadelphia;
DEMAND FOR YORK INSTRUMENTS. the
Vega Co., of Boston; W. C. Stahl, of Milwau-
Bands and Soloists Find These Creations Very kee; C. L. Partee Music Co., of New York; H. F.
Odell & Co., of Boston; Maulbetsch & Whitte-
Satisfactory.
more Co., of Newark, N. J.; the Elias Howe Co.,
J. W. York & Sons, the well-known band in- of Boston; A. C. Fairbanks & Co., of Boston; the
strument manufacturers, of Grand Rapids, Mich., Farland banjo, exhibited by Mr. Farland himself;
report a steady improvement in their business. Fred J. Bacon, of Chicago; the Bauer Co., of
Their products are highly esteemed by bandmen Philadelphia, makers of the celebrated S. S. Stew-
for their many individual qualities in the way art banjos and the Bauer mandolins and guitars;
OPT.
MANUFACTURER
OF THE CELEBRATED
BRASS BftND HARM©NieAS
TROSSINGEN, Germany
NEW YORK, 393 Broadway
Eagle Brand Drum and Banjo Heads; 20th Century Drums,
Rex Banjos, Mandolins and Guitars.
FACTORS
THE TRADE.
41
C. F. Martin & Co., of Nazareth, Pa.; Rettberg &
Lange, of New York, and Alfred Chenet & Co., of
Boston.
All of these manufacturers had very fine dis-
plays of practically all of their various instru-
ments, while the Maulbetsch & Whlttemore Co.
had a fine booth of leather cases, and H. F. Odell
& Co. and the C. L. Partee Music Co. devoted their
display to strings and sheet music and music
books.
Among the papers read at the convention were:
"The Music Publisher and Teacher," by C. L.
Partee, of New York; "English and American
Notation," by George L. Lansing, of Boston, and
"Plectral Music versus Commercialism," by W. J.
Kitchener, New York.
ACCORDEON POPULARITY.
This Instrument Has Won a Tremendous Vogue
in the Urvited States—More in Demand To-
day Than Ever Before in the History of This
Country—The Marked Improvement to be
Made in This Instrument and Some of the
Latest Approach the Dignity of a High Class
Musical Instrument.
Among the very many musical instruments
that are sold there are few that have reached
every corner of the globe to a greater degree
than the accordeon. It is and always has been the
organ of the wayfarer and traveler. String in-
struments become useless when the possessor is
unable to supply the broken string, and wind in-
struments are valueless as an accompaniment,
but the accordeon is always in tune, can suffer
more hardships and climatic changes than any
other music producer, and is ready for business
at the shortest notice. For this reason the accor-
deon is always in demand, and to-day more than
at any time in its history. I t is not a question
of where they are sold—everywhere is a simple
answer—but where to get enough to supply the
demand. The European factories that are turn-
ing them out by the thousands are finding their
facilities inadequate and are enlarging them at
every opportunity. The importers in this coun-
try are at their wits' end to keep their jobbers
supplied, and in many cases the shipments are
perforce divided up so that all may have a few
on hand in order to keep the retail trade at least
partially supplied.
The accordeon of the present is far superior,
both in tone and finish, to those of years ago, and
the cost of the best of them goes well up to
the hundred-dollar mark. Some of the best! are
equipped with several stops, and with the finely
toned reeds, rival in richness many of the more
expensive reed organs. The accordeon is not al-
together the instrument of the sailor or the roust-
about, but has made its way into the field of the
so-called legitimate music, and there are several
professionals that command good prices for their
Prof. Hugo Heermann
The Eminent Violinist and
BLACK DIAMOND Strings
GBNTUDMXN : —
I am sailing to Australia next week, and
shall pass through New York between the 5th
and 8th of May ("Blucher," Hamburg-Amerlka
Line).
Will you send enclosed order for Violin G
strings BLACK DIAMOND to address giren be-
low, or do you have a Dealer's shop In New
York where I might find your strings? If so
please let me know at the same address.
The strings are most excellent.
Yours sincerely,
H. HBBRMANN.
Frankfort o/M.. April, 1905.
NATIONAL MUSICAL STRING COMPANY
Raw Brunswick, New Jersey