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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Relative Importance of Both Factors in the Complete Player-Piano
Discussed—Value of the Piano Name as Compared with Quality of Player
Mechanism—Much Expected of the Player-Piano No'Matter What Its Grade.
I
N what follows it is conceivable that there may be cause for
considerable difference of opinion. It is even possible that
some perfectly good friends of The Player Section of The Review
may feel altogether in opposition to the views here laid down.
Rut as these view r s are entirely personal, the reader will perhaps
forgive their utterance here. In any case it would be well to have
a new light on what is really a difficult and in many respects an
irritating question.
Which is relatively the more important in the combination of
instruments known as a player-piano: the playing mechanism or
the piano? And what effect will a general accepted decision as to
this question have upon the policies at present approved in the
player trade? These two questions form the subject matter of
the present article.
Now, of course, it is perfectly obvious that the main question
must be considered under two aspects. A piano of the very high-
est grade, no matter with what player mechanism it be associated,
is mainly to be considered as the "
" Player-piano. In other
words, the name is the really important thing. People will buy the
player-piano made by the house just as they would buy the straight
piano, because they have perfect confidence in the name. That
much may be considered at the start.
But when we come to consider the general run of pianos, we
have a horse of another color. Beyond the very highest grade
pianos we have an army of instruments ranging all the way from
those which are next to the highest down to such as are frankly
cheap and made simply to sell. It is, of course, obvious that each
of these pianos will require to be associated with some sort of
player irechanism, and the point we wish to make here is, that
excepting the player-pianos which will sell readily on their names,
the player mechanism is the overshadowingly important element,
in comparison with which the piano itself is of relatively slight
importance. The statement is likely to cause dissent. It shall
therefore be set forth with all the arguments which can be adduced
in its favor.
The whole matter is based, we conceive, upon the simple and in-
contestable proposition that the player mechanism has to perform
precisely the same work no matter what be the grade or kind of
piano with which it is associated. In other words, whether the
piano be of high grade and capable of standing by itself on its own
merits, or a merely commercial proposition which sells on its price,
when it becomes a player-piano the mechanism added to it must be
capable of doing everything that can possibly be demanded in the
process of piano playing.
It is clear that the situation is entirely different as between
the piano and the player mechanism, for the piano is not expected
to give tone, touch or color outside of its general grade—if we may
use the expression in this sense. No one expects a bad piano to
sound as well as a good one. But if an artist plays a p : ano, he is
expected to play well whether the piano be a concert grand of his
favorite make or a commercial upright. And, without stretching
the truth, we wish to point out that within reasonable limits the
same fact holds good in regard to the player-piano. No matter
whether it be cheap or dear, good or indifferent, it is expected to do
any sort of pi:no playing acceptably.
TheCall from Piano Manufacturers for
STANDARD P1AYER ACTIONS is more
That being the case, it becomes fairly obvious that the choice
of a player mechanism is narrowed. We simply must have a
mechanism that will at all times do the work and do it rightly.
We cannot afford, no matter how cheap the piano, to monkey
with a player which is not absolutely reliable. Everybody knows
which are the reliable player mechanisms, and nobody has any
excuse for using any others.
It will readily be observed that, from a trade point of view,
the adoption of this idea would gradually result in wiping out grade
distinctions in piano playing mechanisms. Such distinctions we
believe to be highly undesirable, simply because they inevitably tend
to gravitate downwards instead of upwards. So long as player
mechanisms are made to suit a demand for something at a price,
so long will the tendency be to patronize the cheapest mechanism
that can be made to do. The tendency is inevitable and can only,
in our personal opinion, be corrected by the adoption of the idea
set forth in the test.
It will also be observed that the gradual unification of grade
which would result if this idea were taken up, would finally throw
the burden of player-piano satisfaction upon the piano once more.
Whereas, the recognition of the overwhelming importance of the
player mechanism is a matter of trade consciousness, the results
therefrom flowing would have an opposite effect upon the public
at large. For the public would then be buying the "So and So
Player Piano" and not "A Player-Piano with the So and So
Player." The distinction is obvious and vital.
The public is not as yet, and very probably never will be, suf-
ficiently familiar with the technical peculiarities of the player mech-
r.nism to exert anything like the same judgment as between the
conflicting claims of one or another. Tn the present bewildering
condition of affairs when the men of the whole trade are at logger-
heads concerning even the most fundamental and elemental prin-
ciples, at this time when we cannot even make up our minds
whether a sensitive or non-sensitive bellows-system is to be pre-
ferred, is it not absurd to invite the ignorant and still more be-
wildered public as a party to the quarrel? Is it not the greatest
of absurdities to insist upon talking about technical points which
most of us really do not comprehend ourselves ? Ought we not to
forget—at least publicly—that there are such things as difference of
opinion as to the construction of players, and sell the whole player-
piano outfit, not as two separate instruments joined together, but
as one complete whole backed by the reputation of the piano manu-
facturing house?
With all due respect to everybody concerned, we truly believe
and again assert, that the player is the more important of the two
elements in a player-piano and that—for this very reason—its
controversial possibilities should be eliminated by adopting one
grade of mechanism and selling the player-piano to the public on
the theory that it is a So and So player-piano, without reference to
any other element.
We are aware that numerous objections can, and will, be made
to this view. We only hope that those who disagree with us will
tell us why they do so, and will set forth the bases of their beliefs
as fully as we have here announced ours. Meanwhile, we hope we
have hurt no one's feelings.
STANDARD
PNEUMATIC
^ACTION CO.
('than double that for any other player action. 1 L Q r g e 8 t Manufacturers of player actions in
STANDARD PLAYER ACTIONS areSTANDARD.In t the world.
Annual output 25.000.
Mechanical Principles, Quality and Popular Use.
JALeCato.Ptm 638-652West52d.St.NewYoriiCi$y.
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