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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEATURES OF SUMMER TRADE
Noteworthy Increase in the Demand for Mando-
lins, Guitars and Banjos Reported.
The development of the summer season has occa-
sioned a noteworthy increase in the demand for
mandolins, guitars and banjos, particularly the
first-named. A number of prominent dealers in
musical merchandise have reported the closing of
many substantial sales of these instruments to va-
cationists, and in several instances club orders for
mandolins and guitars have been filled by dealers
during the past few weeks.
Those dealers who appreciated the possibilities
of developing a profitable business with these in-
struments at the opening of the summer season
have found no reason to complain of the results
they have received from their efforts, and it seems
to be the consensus of opinion among musical mer-
chandise dealers that this summer trade is well
worth cultivating. By the insertion of forceful and
interesting advertising copy in his local newspapers
the dealer who exploits his mandolins, guitars and
similar summer musical instruments will undoubt-
edly secure a substantial amount of business, in
addition to securing the names of many live pros-
pects for the fall.
The mandolin has for many years been recog-
nized as the ideal instrument for summer use, and
the pictures of summer vacationing featured by the
railroads and summer resorts, where canoeing is
one of the sports, almost invariably show a night
scene with a mandolin as one of the factors of
amusement. The guitar is another popular instru-
ment for summer use, and with campers these two
instruments are prime favorites.
The musical merchandise dealer who makes en-
ergetic and consistent efforts to interest his possi-
ble patrons in the completeness and extent of his
mandolin and guitar stock will soon find that the
summer months afford an opportunity for the clos-
ing of an excellent business that will net him a tidy
sum before the season is over.
FAVORS AMATEUR BANDS.
Mayor Gaynor Speaks a Good Word for the Or-
ganization of Amateur Bands—Incidentally
This Should Be a Tremendous Aid in the
Sales of Band Instruments.
Mrs. Isaac L. Rice, who started the crusade
against noise in this city several years ago, wrote
to Mayor Gaynor a few days ago congratulating
him on the successful celebration of trie safe and
sane Fourth. The Mayor in a reply said in part:
"On last Friday (Independence Day) I went from
my house through the Borough of Brooklyn and
through the Borough of Queens to the city line.
What I saw gave me the greatest pleasure. I did.
not hear the sound of an explosive anywhere. But
every few blocks my imotor car was stopped at the
crossing and I got out and saw a local procession
go by. These processions were made up mostly of
school children, but there were in them also a good
many grown-up people. What delighted me was
that they had their own local bands of music.
"The number of these bands seems to be growing
all over the city. Boys come together, each one
furnishing a musical instrument, and practise music
and make up regular musical bands. This always
has been so all through the country districts, and
even up into the edge of the Adirondacks.
"It has always seemed to me that we should en-
courage the forming of such bands here. Some
people want the city to hire bands and put them
everywhere to play music. I think it is much bet-
ter to encourage the forming of these volunteer
bands. They are an education to those who belong
to them and a delight to the whole neighborhood.
It is not everyone who can understand classical
music. Very few understand it. But, of course,
the city should furnish public music also in the
parks and at the principal centers.
"Yes, it makes everyone rejoice that the crippling,
blinding and killing of children and grown people
by explosives on Independence Day is a thing of
the past."
MAKING BAND INSTRUMENT BELLS.
Some Interesting Facts in This Connection Set
Forth in J. W. York & Sons' Catalog.
In the new catalog recently issued by the band
instrument manufacturing house of J. W. York &
Sons, Grand Rapids, Mich., the section devoted to
the presentation of a number of unusual factory
views is attracting much attention. Many dealers
have accepted the invitation of the company to
visit the plant and see at first hand the detailed
The Bell of York Bass Being Spun to Exact
Size on a York Spinning Lathe.
processes incident to the manufacturing of York
products.
In the section featuring the construction end of
the company's business is an excellent article on
the manufacturing of bells. This is a very im-
portant phase in the making of band instruments,
and the York story of their methods of making
bells is of real interest. It reads in part as follows:
"The punching and hammering processes for
making bells may appeal to some manufacturers,
as these methods require less skilled labor and less
time for making, but the result of either of these
ways is usually an imperfect bell. When made by
the punching process, the grain of the metal is
broken or torn apart, leaving the metal dead and
non-responsive in vibratory qualities, which means
that all resistance is lost. And if the bell is ham-
mered, both the inside and outside are rough, and in
smoothing up the outside the high spots are filed
off, leaving the metal of varying thickness and
naturally susceptible of cracking easily. Neither
o f these methods is at all dependable, so—even
though the process is more expensive and requires
the very best of skilled labor—we spin our bells.
Spun metal is more responsive and of uniform
temperament, giving more power and greater re-
sistance, and resistance is the life of vibration. By
spinning, the metal is worked in the most natural
way, not hammered, distorted, punched or strained,
but gradually shaped to steel mandrels of exact
size, insuring «accuracy and perfect quality."
HOHNER PROSPERITY.
First Six Months of 1913 Ahead of Last Year
While the Outlook Is Most Pleasing.
"We have every reason to feel gratified at the
substantial increase in our first six months' business
over last year," remarked William J. Haussler, ad-
vertising manager of M. Hohner, 114 East Six-
teenth street, New York, in a recent chat with
The Review. "This is especially pleasing in view
of the fact that 1912 was a splendid year, and the
first half of that year was far ahead of the corre-
sponding period of 1911. The outlook for our fall
trade at the present time is very encouraging, as
our summer business continues to run far in ad-
vance of 1912.
"Up to the 19th of this month our July business
equaled the entire month of last July, leaving the
last part of the- month to show a clear gain over
last year. This is certainly a pleasing report for
a summer month when business is popularly sup-
posed to be at a standstill; and, moreover, our
traveling men are all optimistic in their predictions
for the rest of the year."
VIOLIN LABELS NOT DEPENDABLE.
Commenting on a letter sent by E. H. James,
of Pans, France, to the New York Times in refer-
ence to the labels on violins—Stradivarius, Guar-
nerius, Amati, or whatever they may be—Victor
S. Flechter, of New York, says:
"It would be a sorry state of affairs if the owner
of any violin depended upon labels, and anybody
familiar with Cremona violins knows that many
of these labels are not authentic. In fact, many
violins of these great makers did not contain any
labels. A Stradivarius violin should be known
immediately by the model, tone, varnish, etc., and
anybody who is considered an expert should have
no trouble in recognizing the authenticity of any
of these instruments, especially a Stradivarius.
Yes, I agree with him that there is a great diffi-
culty which besets the authenticity of these vio-
lins, and such a question should always be left
to experts who are known to know these instru-
ments on sight."
A new music store will be opened in Lomax, 111.,
by Mrs. Alva Bergman.
H. SCHINDLER & CO.
Silver Plated Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass Strings
Pure S i l v e r Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass Strings
14 Karat Gold Violin G Strings
Aluminum Violin D Strings
All made either Old or New Process
Gut Cello and Bass Strings
E
Micrometric
A D Q
VIOLIN
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String Gauges
STRING MAKERS SUPPLIES
121 LAMARTINE STREET
JAMAICA PLAIN
Boston, Mass., U. S. A.