Music Trade Review

Issue: 1907 Vol. 44 N. 24

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THE
14
avenue. One of the principal features of the new
Ditson building is a recital hall, which will be-
come a part of New York musical history next
season, of that we may be sure.
There is always something in the windows at
Aeolian Hall to make the passer forget to pass.
Now it is a series of superb photos framed in a
manner fitting the picture, and beyond this—the
autograph expressing a personal interest in the
Weber piano. Needless to say that the hand-
somest one is that of Moriz Rosenthal, which
carries his autographed letter concerning the
Weber piano. There have been pictures of Ger-
aldine Farrar, and Louise Homer, as well as
many of the other operatic artists, and the auto-
graphs have been even more interesting than
the photographs, handsome as they are. The
Aeolian Co. are accentuating their second-hand
pianolas for the summer trade, and the likeli-
hood is that. they will clear out most of this
stock in hand.
The clang of the hammer is still the loudest
music heard around the Everett warerooms, but
there is no doubt that when they will have fin-
ished the game will have been worth the candle.
The hammer clangs foretell a new show window
that promises to be most attractive.
An incident of passing interest reaches The
Review concerning Carreno, whose tour with the
Everett piano will be one of the events of the
season. A pupil of that gifted artist, who has
just returned from abroad, tells the following:
A few weeks ago Carreno played the Grieg con-
certo in London, and played it—well, she played
it in such a manner that at the close of the per-
formance the audience refused to calm down, and
among the most excited was one old man who
called "Brava! brava! I have never heard it
played better!" Carreno graciously acknowl-
edged this compliment, and when she was called
again before the footlights, again he called, "No
one has ever played that concerto better than
you have played it now!" Again she responded
and after it had happened three or four times
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
she began to show signs of annoyance at his
persistent compliments, when he called out, "I
ought to know—I wrote it myself!" Grieg it
was himself. This was no longer a compliment,
it was a tribute, than which none could be greater
or more spontaneous.
ORIGINATED THEONE PRICE SYSTEM.
J. Henry Ling, of Detroit, Is Entitled to That
Distinguished Honor.
(Special to The Review.)
Detroit, Mich., June 11, 1907.
J. Henry Ling, president of the Detroit Music
Trades' Association, and one of the oldest piano
men in Detroit, in point of service, claims to be
the originator of the "one-price" system in his
business. He employs no agents, doing nearly
all of his own soliciting, and he makes capital of
this fact.
Notwithstanding that Mr. Ling is about to oc-
cupy new quarters, he will forego the opportunity
of a "removal sale," so eagerly grasped by most
piano dealers. "I can move my pianos for fifty
cents each," said Mr. Ling, "and I am not going
to try to gull the public into the belief that I am
willing to sacrifice twenty-five or fifty dollars
apiece on them just for the sake of a little busi-
ness. I think it is better business to deal with
perfect honesty with the public."
The only pianos that Mr. Ling will offer for
sale at reduced prices are sixteen slightly shop-
worn and used instruments. His line of Webers,
Newby & Evans, Krakaiiers, Crowns, Schillers
and Regals will be moved at fifty cents apiece.
Although the business conducted by Mr. Ling
was established by his father, Conrad Ling, forty-
seven years ago, this will be only the third time
it has been moved. It first was located in a
building on the site of the Temple Theatre, where
it remained from 1860 to 1864. Then i t went to
67 Monroe avenue, and its third location is the
present one at 18-20-22 Gratiot avenue. Mr. Ling
acquired the business from his father in 1889,
although he practically was the manager of it
from his fourteenth year. He went into his
father's store at that age and after learning the
rudiments of the business took his father's place
much of the time.
In Mr. Ling's new location, the second and
third floors of the Cowie building, at Gratiot ave-
nue and Farrar street, he will have 9,000 square
feet of floor space, 2,000 more than he has at
present. This will give him an opportunity to
spread out in several directions. He will in-
crease his piano stock and also will open a player
department, in which he will handle the Newby
& Evans, Simplex player, the Lyraphone and
possibly the Krakauer player. He has signed a
lease for the new place for a term, of years.
McCLINCHIES' CLEANING COMPOUND.
Piano manufacturers and dealers will find that
McClinchies' Champion Cleaning Compound
brings out the real hard, dry finish, removes
grease, finger marks, dust bloom, etc., and what
is most important leaves the polished surface
equal to the first finish from the factory. On old
or shop-worn instruments, it works wonders and
the dealer who will but give it a trial will have
no other. The fact that it has been used by all
the leading piano manufacturers and dealers in
the country for over eleven years, should be
positive proof to the most critical that it is par
excellence, and gives entire satisfaction. A trial
order will surely win your patronage, and hold it.
KNABE PIANOS FOR COMMENCEMENT.
During the recent commencement season, Will-
iam Knabe & Co. furnished instruments for the
following educational institutions in Washington,
D. C, and vicinity: Washington Seminary, Na-
tional Park Seminary, Gunston Institute, the Mac-
Reynolds-Koehle Music School Martha Washing-
ton Seminary, Academy of the Notre Dame, St.
Cecilia's Academy, Virginia Bestor's recital and •
Glen Gorrell's Studio, and others.
A. F. Denny and J. J. Stuck have opened a
talking machine store in the Denny Building,
Britton, S. D.
(][ The value of trademarks is conceded in all lines, and in the piano plate industry, the KELLY
TRADEMARK is associated with the highest grade plate product created in American foundries.
Piano manufacturers who have used the KELLY PLATES for years have not hesitated to speak
enthusiastically concerning their merits. An accurate knowledge of all branches of metallurgy
which enables the scientific blending to produce the perfect plate has been one of the marked
features of the KELLY business.
{j| The KELLY PLATES stand, and their finish makes them at once an attractive part of the piano.
• It is easy to tell the finish on a KELLY PLATE from others on account of its excellence, even
when the Trademark is not apparent, but you may rest assured that whenever our Trademark
appears on any piano plate, that you have got as good a plate as modern skill, combined with
ample capital, can produce.
THE
O. S.
KELLY
Foundries: SPFtlNGFIELD,
COMPANY
OHIO
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Conducted and Edited by Wm. B. White.
"Just how Mr. Newton gets his impression that
My friend, J. C. Miller, of Lincoln, Neb., has
not been content to remain idle and silent under I "scorn such trivial matters as tests of thirds
the criticisms that have been leveled at his tun- and sixths,' I do not understand. It was my pur-
ing methods by Mr. Newton, of Kansas. He re- pose to be rather explicit on what thirds and
turns to the charge in the following interesting sixths were to be doing as the work progressed,
rejoinder, which is committed herewith to the and I must leave that decision to other readers
attention of all readers who have followed the of the department. Taken to task as to whether
I ever 'tried the experiment of laying the tem-
controversy thus far:
perament with one wire only of each note and
"Editor Technical Department.
"Dear Sir:—Mr. George N. Newton makes out then beginning and laying it again with another,'
a case against me. First by misquoting me, and etc., I confess I have never done exactly that.
then by assumptions of his own, he sets in judg- Unless a group of wires contains one that beats
ment and convicts me of going around tuning upon itself, it usually'serves my purpose when I
pianos at the rate of one in fifty minutes! Now have brought its members to practical unison.
any one who reads the article from which Mr. As to Mr. Newton's plan of 'trying the tempera-
Newton draws his conclusions, will find a state- ment by chords after he is through,' I have only
ment to the effect that about ten minutes is a to say that when I am 'through' I am through.
fair estimate of the time I usually consume in —J. C. Miller."
laying a temperament. Added to this was the
I would like to call attention here to one par-
statement that it takes no more time than the
tuning of an octave of octaves. It appears from ticular thought expressed in the above letter.
my own estimate that I should consume about When Mr. Miller speaks of a "small personal
seventy-five minutes to finish the work at this error" he introduces us to a most interesting
rate of speed, which may be considered diligent. question in psychology. Every man's nervous
"This presumes reasonably favorable condi- system reacts from received impressions in defi-
tions and does not provide time for much regu- nitely individual manner. One man shows signs
lating or adjusting, but since we are on this of receptivity much more quickly than another.
subject of rapidity, it may be said that under the The very exact tests that have been made in
conditions of a good pin block and smooth tract- anthropometrical laboratories have shown, quite
able upper bridge bearings, a skilful man may indubitably, with remarkable dissimilarity the
do the work in 'fifty minutes,' a more skilful one nervous systems of different individuals respond
in forty minutes and a still more skilful one in to the sensations impressed upon them through
thirty or even less, to meet an emergency. This the medium of the senses. A man whose "nerve
is probably approaching the limit and might reaction time" is below normal is therefore in a
justly be termed 'strenuous work.' The man fortunate position, and this advantage is doubled
who achieves it must have a level head, an un- when his nerve susceptibility is not only rapid,
flinching muscular and nervous equipoise, a defi- but accurate. Every piano tuner who has taken
nite knowledge, a quick perception, a small per- the trouble to analyze his sensations is aware
sonal error and a determined purpose. Besides that his "reaction time" and the accuracy of his
this combination of qualifications he must know received impressions continually vary. Now it
is quite within the bounds of practicability for
how to tune a piano.
any of us to increase the value of all factors con-
tained in our "personal equation." Due atten-
tion to health, cultivation of mental calmness
and deliberation, healthy thoughts, all these as-
sist wonderfully in building up the reserve of
nervous energy and consequently in decreasing
the "personal error" arising from sub-normal
nervous susceptibility.
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——-^— —•• —•—•—•"—^-_
LAUTEK
PLAYERPIANO
LAUTEfc
C?
Newark^
New Jersey
We want to in-
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L a u t e r Player-
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If you need a
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you.
Particulars o n
request.
15
ried at that time, and some weeks did not aver-
age more than eight or nine dollars; but that
paid my expenses, and I stuck at it, and in three
years was making more than the stores paid. In
1884 I married, and having saved a few hundred
bought my house where I live, giving a mortgage
for part of the price. It took me several years
to pay off the mortgage and keep my family; but
I liked the tuning business and stuck at it, and
now have a good private trade. I never had a
desire to be very rich, for what is the use of a
man trying to pile up a lot of money for some
one to spend when he is gone? Now I have a
son big enough to help in business with me, and
have the orders for him to do. But I heartily in-
dorse your statement that a tuner cannot earn
over forty dollars a week, that is, if he is honest
and charges prevailing prices. And you know,
that $40 a week is very little toward amassing
a big fortune. I can recall boys of my same
age who were clerks in piano stores, and some of
them started piano factories, and are now much
richer than I am, but after all I do not think they
are any happier, and are no more Independent.
The good independent tuner can make more
money than the journeyman, yet still when the
piano tuning schools and correspondence schools
advertise that a tuner can make twenty dollars
a day they simply lie, unless a tuner is a whole-
sale fraud.
Some time I would like to write you about tun-
ers who steal their orders from their employers.
It seems to me that method of starting is a con-
temptible one, as the independent tuner should
make it a manly point to stand on his own
foundation.
It is with especial pleasure that I print the
following letter. Note that it comes from the
Far West of Canada, from the new Province of
Alberta, where the wonderful "winter red" wheat
comes from. This is evidence, is it not, of the
far-reaching influence of this department:
Editor Technical Department:
Dear Sir—It is with a keen sense of gratitude
that I am writing to you to thank you for your
helpful and interesting articles in The Review.
It is the very first part of the paper I rush for on
its arrival, and its value to me is inestimable. It
has occurred to me that you could give me your
kindly assistance in a small matter. I have had
trouble in securing good American organ reeds
since I have been up West. While in the old
country I got my reeds from Sawyer, of Leeds,
but he got them from the United States. Could
you—knowing as you do the market so well—ad-
An old and valued Philadelphia correspondent, vise me of a firm or two where really good reeds
whose communications have frequently graced are procurable? If so I should be doubly grate-
Yours faithfully,
these columns, writes me the following in ref- ful.
erence to my recent disquisition on the earnings
C. SPENCER.
of tuners. Contrary to his usual custom, my
Edmonton, Canada.
correspondent asks me this time to omit his
name, as he fears that he may be thought "ego-
I am very glad to be able to inform Mr.
tistical." His statements are particularly inter- Spencer, whom I welcome into the ranks of my
esting, since they throw light on the manner of
building up a good practice and achieving an
honorable career.
Editor of Technical Department:
In regard to Mr. Whittemore's request for-
metal flanges, enclosed you will find one as
sample. You can get these flanges from Tuners'
& Dealers' Supply Co., Milwaukee, Wis. I think
both you and Mr. Whittemore will find them a
great convenience, as we always carry some in
our kit. This is the Billings brass flange.
Now, if I am not intruding too much on your
valuable space, permit me to say that I am glad
that you discussed the independent tuners' earn-
ings so intelligently in to-day's Review. As every
tuner should understand at the outset, if he
wishes to grow very rich, he can never attain
this by tuning pianos, even though he is success-
ful in getting a good private trade. That is, if
he is strictly honest and fair to his customers.
Permit me to give you a bit of my own expe-
rience: Away back in the year 1875 I begun to
think, "What is the use of my working for a
music store for twelve or fifteen dollars a week
when I can get my own trade?" Accordingly, in
1878, I went out to West Philadelphia and stuck
Executive Office and Show Rooms
SUITE 730, REPUBLIC BUILDING, State and Adanu Sta,
out my shingle as piano tuner. I was noj^mar-
Factory: HOLLAND, MICH.
HIGH GRADE PIANOS

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