Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1912 Vol. 54 N. 4

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
PLAYER SECTON
NEW YORK, JANUARY 27, 1912.
Again, the musical people, the people with in-
telligence, with leisure, with money to buy, are
precisely not the people who are rushing to buy
Has Been the Weak Spot in the Player Situation in Recent Years—Too Many Dealers Treat player-pianos. Why not? Simply because those
the Player-Piano Indifferently—This Is Evident in Their Advertising, in Their Demon- people cannot see where the pleasure arises in
stration, in Their Methods of Selling—Manufacturers Also to Blame for Handing Over a "pumping" at a machine and getting from it noth-
ing but monotonous noise. Why do they th;nk
Complex Situation to People Lacking Knowledge of Conditions.
this?
Because the average dealer cannot show
The year 1912 marks the fifteenth anniversary of
terms they are selling; and you will be lucky it
them anything better, and himself does not know
player mechanism. Beginning as a crude exterior you find a substantial agreement among twenty-five
how to put people in touch with the secrets of
attachment, the genius of inventors, designers and of them on any one of these points. Then go to a playing the instrument. The kind of people who
mechanics has transformed it into a highly refined, similar number of persons who have bought
should buy players—women of the leisured culti-
considerably standardized and markedly efficient player-pianos and find out what is the reputation vated class, for instance—are buying motor cars.
engine for the playing of pianos. The exterior at- of these instruments in the home. Find out how Why, again? Because they can learn easily and
tachment is dead, and the mechanism built into
many of these already-purchased player-pianos pleasantly to master their cars. They can get out
the piano has by this time been long enough on give steady satisfaction, how many are usually in
of the car what they cannot get out of the player-
the market to be considered as a staple commod- normal playing condition, how many people are piano ; the ability to master it and control it to suit
ity-
still enthusiastic over them after six months' use, themselves. Why again? Because nobody is at
The first great stage in the development of the how many continue to buy music. And you • will hand to show them the secrets of the player-piano,
while there are hundreds to show them all about a
player-piano may thus be said to have come to an again be lucky if you find a substantial number
end. The instrument has been definitely created. giving satisfactory answers to any of the above im- motor car.
Its general forms have, in all human probability, plied questions.
Then consider the matter of advertising. What
been settled forever. Constructional development
The object of this article is to help, not to dis- is the sense in repeating over and over again the
in the future will busy itself with refinement of
old stale stuff about "a child can play this instru-
courage, and so perhaps there is little to be gained
the forms already in existence, rather than with by trying to point out exactly where lies the re- ment like a master." Nobody believes it, nobody
the creation of new forms. We are ready to enter
sponsibility for this state of things. And yet, it ever did believe it. You cannot answer this by say-
upon the second stage.
may be worth while to note the very plain fact that ing that people are incapable of judging. For,
Obviously, the principal feature of the second the primary responsibility, in the very beginning of
whether incapable or not, they do judg.e At least
period will be found in the solution of the prob- things, for planning the campaign of exploitation
they pronounce judgment, and their judgment is
lems of distribution. We have created an efficient should have been assumed gladly by the manufac-
that the player-piano is a machine like, unmusical
engine for performing a useful and potentially pop- turers. They had no business to hand over a com-
thing.
ular function. We should now have leisure and in- plex proposition like the player to the retailer and
Mistakes That Must Be Remedied.
clination alike to consider what we are going to tell him to make a success of it, even though he
Somehow or other all this must be remedied.
do with it.
For if it be not remedied, the second great
knew less than nothing about it, and had small op-
What we are likely to do in the future might portunity ever to learn. Or, again, one might period of player development will also be the last.
perhaps be considered as deducible from what has point out that even now it would pay the player
If the player-piano were fundamentally incapable
been done in the past. Yet, for a variety of rea- manufacturers in hard money to organize a com- of doing what lias been claimed for it, then that
sons, it is to hope that this is not so. The retail mon campaign of exploitation and education, un- would be a horse of another color. But, in fact,
development of the player-piano during the last der competent direction, for the purpose of creat- it is not incapable of so doing. On the contrary,
fifteen years,'upon'which has been spent millions ing that genuine pubic demand which is now so it can and will do everything that its makers claim
of dollars in one or another form of publicity, has sadly lacking. Hut we all know the futility of
for it. But somebody must know how to make it
indeed resulted in creating a very definite public urging anything like this.
do these things, and then must be able to show
feeling toward the instrument.
If this feeling
What the Dealer Can and Ought to Do.
the public what he knows and make them wise, too.
were what it ought to be, no. one could object. But
The question, then, that we.have to discuss and That is the biggest part of the problem.
the fact is that all this money, all this labor, all the answer relates to the conduct, present and future,
. And it is also the first of the matters that must
time of these fifteen years have been expended in of the retail trade. The dealer, for better or for be taken up if we are to put the retail player trade
producing a public state of mind in the highest de- worse, has taken, the player-piano to spouse, and
where it belongs. Sane and skilful exploitation is
gree unfavorable to the player-piano, whether con- it is up to him to do something about it: What
the first great requisite. And it should be noted
sidered as a means for the reproduction of artistic can he do, what ought he to do, and what may he
that this can far better be brought to a flower of
music, or as a mere vehicle of entertainment.
accomplishment by direct demonstration than by
hope for?
, . •
.
.
any mere printed advertising. . People want to hear.
-Yes'; the truth, however painful, is just this: W r e
The most obviously accurate criticism is that the
If you can show them that a player-piano actua'ly
have succeeded, after ail our efforts, in making dealer has utterly failed to adapt himself to-the
many people believe that the player-piano is actually new conditions which the player-piano has brought does sound right, and if thereafter you can show
worthless as a musical instrument. We have done with it. In the matter of prices and terms, for in- them how they may at least approximate to a sim-
just that, and we have done little more.
stance, there might have been, and should have ilar mastery themselves, then you have them. Anrl
not otherwise.
Plainly, we have here anything but a firm basis been, something done toward a general agreement
That, then, is the first task for the retail trade
wherefrom to launch ourselves into the great sec- as to the manner in.which this proposition should
ond stage of player development; the period which be handled. The player-piano is the sort of propo- in its work of regeneration. Good demonstration.
That means good salesmen, carefully written ad-
is to be devoted to popularizing the instrument and
sition that should absolutely not be forced on a
vertising copy and a centralized player department.
giving it its rightful place. And it behooves us to public unable to buy it outright. To sell player-
But it also means something else. The average
consider with some care just what is the present pianos to poor people at the terms that they must
dealer is afraid that if he admits that the player
situation with regard to the popularizing of play- necessarily require, is the height of stupidity.
can only be played by those who learn how no one
ers, and what we are going to do about it.
Every player sold .on instalments practically, im-
will buy. Hence he does not mlinit it; and yet just
An accurate description of the present retail sit- plies a player which is going to impose a fixed
as few buy. The wis.e dealer will recognize the
uation is found in the single word "chaos." Go to maintenance charge on. the- seller until the last
dollar, has been paid o n . i t . And, with prices.as truth and will deliberately make-his strongest, point
Jim sele:ted dealers and find out what they think
of the player, business, how they handle it, how they necessarily, are, this means a.period o 1 " from of what appears to be .the-weakest.. He will- dwell
on the fun, the pleasure, the delight, of learning
many salesmen they have who can demonstrate, three to. five years. . Where is the profit-in that
{Continued on page 4.)
kind of business?
what they do about music-rolls, on what prices and
STATUS OF RETAIL TRADE IN PLAYER-PIANOS
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue. New York
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage). United States and
Mexico, $3.00 per year; Canada, $8.50; all other coun-
tries, $4.00.
Telephones—Numbers 4677 and 4678 Gramercy
Connecting all Departments
NEW YORK, JANUARY 27, 1912
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
and who does not actually control his own retail
distribution has always been chary of interfering
with what, as he has contended, is not really his
business. Actually, of course, the manufacturer
of a complex product like the player-piano is pre-
cisely the person who should have from the first
controlled the retail selling. For if he cannot best
advise and plan selling methods, how can it be ex-
pected that the dealer shall do so? It is not like
selling pianos.
Selling player-pianos, as every
dealer knows, is a far more complex and difficult
matter. And so, in the article above mentioned,
the question of the manufacturer's neglected duty
is also touched on. Nevertheless, it must be borne
in mind that, as things are at present organized in
the industry, the dealer has the primary responsi-
bility for the matters under discussion.
cation with the pneumatic which actuate the track-
er bar.
The same inventor was also granted patent No.
1,014,942 this week on an improvement in tracker
bars. This invention relates to certain new and
useful improvements in tracker bars for self-play-
ing or automatic musical instruments and it has
for its objects, among others, to provide a simpli-
fied construction whereby one part is made mov-
able to change the position of the bleeds in accord-
ance with the desire to adapt the player for playing
05 or 88-note music.
REWINDING DEVICE FOR STEGER & SONS.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, Jan. 22, 1912.
Steger & Sons Piano Manufacturing Co., Chi-
Attention is also directed to the article on the cago, 111, is the owner through assignment from
music-roll, which also appears in the present issue Wm. G. Betz, of patent No. 1.015,128 on a rewind-
of the Player Section. Considerable and careful ing device for pneumatic pianos, which has been
observation of actual trade conditions shows that just issued.
the economic, mechanical and commercial pos'tion
The object of the invention is to provide a sat-
of the music-roll is, at best, entirely anomalous. isfactory mechanism for the take-up spool and re-
In the article to which attention is drawn it is winding means in a pneumatic piano at the same
shown that the music-roll is actually a feature of
time alternately braking said take-up spool and re-
the most commanding interest and influence. And v/in ding means and also to provide a single means
an attempt is made to demonstrate that indiffer- for throwing said take-up spool and rewinding
ence to the music-roll, whether shown in manu- means alternately into and out of operation and
facture or retailing thereof, has had and is having a
actuating the brakes. Th : s will cause the music
great deal to do with the present not altogether sheet to be held under tension so that it will pass
satisfactory position of the player-piano. The ob- smoothly and evenly over the tracker bar, and it
ject of articles like these is to stimulate thought will also cause the music sheet to be rolled evenly.
and bring about sane consideration of the various
problems treated. No attempt is made to claim in-
fallibility. But it is urged, and urged here most STATUS OF THE RETAIL TRADE IN
FLAYER-PIANOS.
strongly, that the duty of a trade newspaper is but
indifferently fulfilled when such obvious tasks,
(Continued from page 3.)
lying so close at hand, are not courageously as-
sumed.
to do these things for one's self. And he will win.
Then, once more, what is worse needed than a
In fact, there is no end to the tasks which the reform in the manner of offering terms and prices?
Plain as this conclusion seems to be, it is a editorial writer on a newspaper like The Review
It can hardly be too strongly stated that it is almost
lamentable fact that practically no preparation has may set for himself. The player trade alone may,
a crime to sell player-pianos to those who would be
been made to meet the conditions implied in it. To and does, furnish enough problems for a lifetime
hard pushed to buy an ordinary cheap straight
be randid, the retail situation, which is apparently of thought and endeavor. We have touched on two
piano. To do this is not good business. And until
to be the one big pressing matter of the year, ap- of these above. Another, of the utmost importance,
player-pianos are entirely foolproof and entirely
pears to be regarded by those most deeply interest- is presented in the question of what is to be done
cheap it never will be.
ed in it, as something which may be handled by to improve the technical equipment of those tuners
Then, there is the music library question. It is
every man for himself. Nothing could be further and other practical men who will find themselves
worth
while asking why no systematic effort is
from the truth than to say that the piano trade from the present time onward in charge of the
has as yet come to consider the retail player prob- player-piano in the home. Some remarks on this being made to put this branch of the retail trade
where it belongs. Why, in heaven's name, can
lem in a systematic or even sane light, while there subject are to be found elsewhere in the present
we not make as much muney out of music rolls
has been yet absolutely nothing like any attempt issue, and it is to hope that trade attention will
as
talking-machine mei make out of records? We
to discuss the problems involved in a collective not be entirely lacking toward them. For the mat-
can,
in fact, and another article in this issue tells
manner. This is very unfortunate, for the final ter is important; how much so every piano dealer
some
ways bow.
fate of the piano trade will very largely hang upon
in the United States well knows. Something must
Common•
sen?e, a desire to re-create public opin-
what is done during the next year or so in the way be done about it. What may be done and how, the
of handling the retail distribution of the player. reader, perhaps, will find out by studying the ar- ion-, a careful study of the situation in all its
branches; these are the requirements for the heal-
There is no use in pretending that the player is no ticle above mentioned,
ing of the retail player trade. We have entered the
different from the straight piano, or that what suits
period
in which these things must be worked out
one will necessarily suit the other. The very sim-
TWO PATENTS FOR GEO. P. BRAND. to their conclusion. And nothing that we, as mem-
ple fact remains that the truth is the very oppo-
bers of the piano trade, can do is to be compared
site of this.
One Is an Improvement in Tracking Devices and in importance with this one thing. For if we are
the Other Bears on a Simplified Construction going to let things go on in the same old foolish
With a clear appreciation of the very serious sit-
of Tracker Bar and Its Improvement.
way, then we are digging a pit into which our own
uation which has been allowed to develop in the
feet shall slip and which shall engulf us to our
retail trade with regard to the handling of players,
(Special to The Keview.)
own destruction. There is no gainsaying the facts.
the Review publishes in the present Player Section
Washington, D. C, Jan. 12, 1912.
But there is all the need in the world for trumpet-
an article on the retail player-piano situation. In
Geo. P. Brand, the well-known inventor of New ing them abroad* till every piano dealer, every
this article an attempt .is made to show clearly that York, was this week granted patent No. 1,014,941 manufacturer, every salesman, appreciates their
the fate of the player-piano has by now definitely on an improvement in tracking devices of that significance and dek rmines to do what he can to
passed into the hands of the retail dealer, and that character in which is employed an edge guide for
straighten things oit.
the responsibility for the future rise or fall in pop- contact with the music sheet. The invention has for
It is to desire that what has been here set down
ularity and value of this instrument must be placed its objects, among others, to provide a simple, effi- will not be entirely in vain. If it does no more
squarely upon his shoulders. If the facts and de-
cient and reliable mechanism for the automatic than stimulate thought, even hostile thought or
ductions therein- set forth be indisputable, as we movement of the tracker bar so that the perfora- opinion, then it will have fulfilled its object. For
believe them to be, then the matter is up to the tions of the music sheet and the ducts of the the greatest evil wherewith we have at present to
dealer, and up to him entirely. We do not believe tracker bar shall be kept automatically in alinement. contend is the spirit of indifferentism. That spirit
that any question can be brought against the con- Means are provided whereby the proper adjust- must once and for all be definitely exercised, if in-
clusions at which this article arrives, but if any- ment is made in order that the necessary aline- deed this second period of the player industry is
thing could be successfully urged against them, it ment of the tracker bar and perforation.', of the to be brought to the full flower of its potential
would doubtless be that the retail situation is not note sheet may be made when the sheet is first accomplishment.
the fault of the dealer at all, but of the manufac- placed in the machine. The mechanism insures
turer who has neglected to give the dealer due aid this maintenance of such relation without attention
E. M. Farrand & Sons, piano dealers of Syra-
and selling assistance.
on the part of the operator.
cuse, N. Y., will shortly move to new quarters in
The edge guide and the closely associated parts the Whitbeck block, that city.
There is something to be said for the objection. are mounted on the tracker bar. The inventor pro-
Still, in the present system of conducting the piano vides a valve actuated by the movement ot the
The Webb Housefurnishing Co., Neenah, Wis.,
business, the manufacturer who deals with agents edge guide, which valve controls ports in communi- has planned to reopen its piano department.
The student of conditions in the player industry
will he inclined to the conviction that the year 1912
is to mark the opening of the second great stage in
the development of this business. Until the pres-
ent time the atfent'on of the best minds has been
principally devoted to the problem of building an
instrument which shall be efficient and satisfactory.
The actual details of construction and design have
been presenting problems so pressing and immedi-
ate that it has hardly been possible to consider
systematically the cognate matters of populariza-
tion and distribution. We have been learning how
to make something. What to do with it when made
has been at best a secondary consideration. But
the progress of design and construction, together
with the gradual but steady development of man-
ufacturing systems in respect of systematization
and general efficiency has brought us already with-
in sight of the time when radical changes in these
matters shall no longer be sought. And the atten-
tion of the trade must, therefore, necessarily turn
towards the working out of the problems connected
with the distribution among the people of this
highly standardized product.

Download Page 3: PDF File | Image

Download Page 4 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.