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THE: MUSIC TRADE
T
HE progress in popularity of the player-piano has brought
about many striking phenomena in the way of trade develop-
ment. One of the most interesting of these has been the accept-
ance by one section of the theory that a pneumatic action is best
made by specialists who design a standard type and provide with
it all who wish to use it, while the other holds that the house which
makes a fine piano and desires for its player product the same repu-
tation that the original instrument had should produce, no matter
at what cost in time, labor and expense, a mechanism entirely indi-
vidual in itself.
It is not our place to compare the relative excellence of the two
schools, but rather to mention their existence as a fitting prelude
to some comments on one of the most remarkable of the individual
pneumatic developments, the Artistano, of the A. B. Chase Co.,
Norwalk, O.
It was the recent privilege of the Technical Editor of this
newspaper to inspect the plant of the A. B. Chase Co., at Nor-
walk, O., and there to see something at first hand of the actual
making of a mechanism for piano playing which had long been
familiar from its musical side and as a complete structure, but
which was now to be inspected, for the first time, in process of
building.
The Artistano player mechanism has always had a fascination
for the technical observer, if only because of its utterly individual
and unique character. It is not at all like any other mechanism.
It stands quite by itself in all the essentials of construction and
design. There is nothing just like it elsewhere.
These considerations alone would mark as exceedingly inter-
esting any mechanism built in accordance with them. And when
we add that the musical results therefrom proceeding are also in
certain ways almost unique, we have said enough to prepare the
reader for something more than ordinary.
Leaving aside further consideration of the Artistano itself,
however, for the moment, it is proper to remark that the plant of
the A. B. Chase Co. is in most respects quite a model. He who is
accustomed only to the cramped quarters and poor light of factory
buildings in crowded sections of great cities is at once struck with
the abundance of space, the excellent light and the remarkable
cleanliness that one perceives throughout the whole plant. Not
only is this so, but it is safe to say that at least one-half as many
men again could be provided with bench room without crowding
the plant beyond the limits generally assigned.
This is, of course, a very great advantage, since it renders
possible the turning out of delicate work in the most advantageous
conditions. The men, too, appreciate the abundance of light and
room which in itself is an exceedingly important thing. In fact,
the A. B. Chase Co. is noted for the high class of mechanics
attracted to its works and for the loyalty and contentment of these
men, who not only take a genuine pride in what they are doing,
but almost invariably settle down to become permanent citizens of
the town.
A further important and noteworthy feature of the factory is
seen in the very excellent arrangement of departments, whereby
one principle of scientific management—economy in the procession
of work—is strikingly emphasized. From the moment that the
lumber takes its place in the mill room the work makes a steady
progress from floor to floor, from department to department, grow-
ing in complexity at each step, but never being turned back, and
never doubling on its tracks.* It might be added that a spur of
the Lake Shore Railway comes up to the doors of the plant, so that
no transshipment of boxed pianos or supplies is necessary, every-
thing being unloaded from the freight cars right on to the factory
floors.
One is likewise struck with the general appearance of order
and cleanliness. The floors are always clean; so are the workmen
themselves. Such details as the aggregation of women workers in
REVIEW
the player department within a separate room, the provision of
excellent factory arrangements, and the general breadth and sweep
everywhere apparent, are further admirable features. A visit to
the A. B. Chase plant is an eye-opener in more senses than one.
The A. B. Chase piano has been known for what it is these
many years. Its high rank among the artistic musical instruments
of the country, no less the lofty purposes which have inspired its
makers, have more than once furnished themes for description and
appreciation. And it is therefore not only interesting, but apposite
that the Artistano should prove to be a mechanism of precisely the
same rank, or, rather, of .exactly parallel rank; a mechanism
entirely worthy of the piano in which alone it is placed.
It is unnecessary to go into minute detail regarding the con-
structional features of this instrument for playing the piano. It is
sufficient to say that in principle it is of the double valve type, with
sensitive bellows. Its control consists of two levers operating a
divided action, the exhaust chest being in two compartments and
the levers operating tension switches through the medium of ex-
pression governors. The motor is of unusual design in that its
units connect with the crank shaft through rolling contact, without
bearings, while its slide valve covers are of glass.
But the most interesting thing about the Artistano mechanism
lies in the manner of its housing within the piano. In the uprights
the whole mechanism is disposed below the keybed in unitary form.
Not only is the whole pneumatic action thus kept entirely distinct
from the piano itself, but it is fastened on a hinge in such a way
that when desired the whole structure may be swung outwards.
In this latter condition the action remains an unit, no part of it
being dissociated from the rest. Thus foi purposes of examina-
tion or test, the action may be operated as it stands outside of the
piano. The value of this to the tuner, whether for the rapid loca-
tion and remedying of trouble or for access to the bottom board
and trap-work of the piano, need hardly be mentioned. When we
add to these facts the further fact that the tracker box, containing
the control levers, slips easily forward in front of the key-slip, with
the same motion that brings forward the foot pedals and that no
part of the piano above the keybed is in any way required to house
parts of the player mechanism, we have said enough to make it
understood that the Artistano mechanism is indeed quite different
from anything else of the kind.
Equal ingenuity characterizes the disposition of the mechanism
in the grand. In this case the same features are preserved in the
housing of the tracker, while the rest of the mechanism is disposed
on a frame which slides below the posts of the piano frame and is
adequately concealed by a two-inch moulding. The pedals fold
into the lyre and the whole action may be removed by the extrac-
tion of a few thumb nuts and a gentle pull forward.
In the end, of course, the things that a player action will do
are the important things. It was the privilege of The Review's
Technical Editor, after his inspection of the plant, to spend some
time in the warerooms playing an Artistano grand. It was not his
first experience with the instrument by any means. But one always
turns back to the Artistano grand with a sense of delighted antici-
pation. The perfect intimacy of the union between piano and
player pianist, the easy position in a comfortable chair, the mar-
velous delicacy and responsiveness of the mechanism; all these
elements go into the making up of an experience which is always
delightful and which one remembers for long afterwards. The
Artistano is an instrument for the master player-pianist. It is the
eternal honor of its makers that they have never been lured by the
fascination of commercial aggrandizement from their steady pursuit
of the straight path of continual struggle to attain that goal of ideal
perfection which is ever in the vision, if not in the realization of all
true workers in art. To voice an appreciation of a house like this,
and of its wonderful work, is not merely a" duty; it is the highest
of pleasures.