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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Concensus of Opinion of the Wholesale Trade Regarding the
Player-Piano as Brought Out at the Convention in Chicago Last
Week—Demands of the Retail Trade—Various Types of Actions Shown.
Although we call it the National Piano Manu-
facturers' Association, the senior of our trade
•organizations might almost as well be called the
National Piano and Player-Piano Manufacturers.
For everybody knows that every piano factory is
also a player-piano factory, or, at least, every
known piano is associated somewhere or some
time with some player. Hence, the annual meet-
ings of the association nearly always display, not
only oratory and good fellowship, but also player
news and novelties. In short, many go to conven-
tions to see the new players that are exhibited as
much as to see anything else. We may not admit
it, but that is partly, at least, the truth.
Now, the convention of last week did, indeed,
indicate the presence everywhere of interesting
ideas in the way of players; and. what is more to
the point, it indicated that certain very definite
conclusions regarding the whole player proposi-
tion are coming to be regarded by the manufac-
turers as axiomatic, if not inevitable.
During the meeting of last week the writer of
the present article took upon himself to talk with
as many manufacturers of pianos and of players
a.* would talk with him. By dint of making him-
self a general nuisance during the two days of
the convention, he succeeded in obtaining enough
information to enable him to set forth with some
approach to accuracy what may be called the point
of view of the wholesale trade as regards the
player-piano.
thusiastic thought on the whole proposition. In
fact, a decided lack of an enthusiasm was char-
acteristic of the attitude adopted by the vast ma-
jority of the manufacturers whose views we under-
took to obtain.
About
Improvements.
We took pains to seek from a number of player
men some information concerning their general
attitude towards the questions of improvements.
It would not be in the least unfair to say that
the majority of the views we obtained expressed
the general notion that the retailers are not
clamoring for improvements in anything except
maintenance of qualities. They recognize the
player of to-day as a mechanical wonder. They
want a player fool-proof, and one that cannot give
trouble, even if every ignorant tuner within ten
miles meddles with it. But they are not clamor-
ing for new expression devices, except they be
(1) automatic and (2) available without any in-
crease in price.
As regards the general trend of progress in the
ni?chanical development of the player, it was plain
that those whose players have already made a
good record are simply standing pat, while tltfc
newer men are all hustling to turn out something
of the very lat.st with new and extreme develop-
ments in construction. All the new players we
saw had some special difference in them from
what we call the "standard type."
Metal Actions.
There is no doubt whatever that there is a dis-
What the Retail Trade Wants.
Tn the first place, "not to put too fine a point tinct tendency this way among player men. Piano
manufacturers are naturally attracted, if they are
on it." as the law stationer in Bleak House used
to say, there is a very general idea prevailing making high-grade instruments, by the appearance
of something that looks exclusive, and they are
throughout the wholesale trade to the effect that
the dealers want electric-driven players. It can- often willing to pay a high price for it. But it
remains to be proved whether the metal action
not be said for a moment that there is any en-
thusiasm among the wholesalers over the pro- will justify the faith put in it. On the face of
position, but the demand is there just the same, what could be seen exhibited during the conven-
ft is plain that the retail trade is demanding the tion the thing ought to work out well, and it is a
fact that most of the piano men present confessed
electric motor player-piano, and every effort is
themselves greatly interested in this development.
being made to supply the want.
The Fifty Dollar Player.
Tf you arpproached one of the player or player-
It was actually there at last, a player sold
piano manufacturers whom you might have found
in Chicago last week at the Congress, the wholesale, in given quantities, of course, at some-
thing around this figure. Be it understood this
Auditorium or the Stratford hotels, and had asked
player is not intended to compete with actions of
him whether he liked the idea of putting electric
motors into player-pianos, he would have answered high-grade and proved excellence. It appears to
you in all probability that he did not like it at all, be candidly put forth as something made to fit a
but that it had to be done. If you had then per- price. And yet, it is really very good, considering
everything. It is much better than the average
sisted in seeking information further, and had
asked "why," you would have been told "because player of ten years ago, and even better than
many players were five years ago. And that is a
th? dealers were yelling for it"
fact. Of course, it is the idea "player" reduced to
Why are the dealers yelling for the electric
lowest terms, but it works, and works not at all
motor players? They say that people would rather
buy talking machines than players, simply because badly, with the probability that it will have a place
you don't have to pump the talking machine. of its own in connection with pianos of parallel
Hence they argue that if you give the public a grade.
The Music Roll Situation.
pumpless flayer, they will like it. The manufac-
Curious to ?ay, we were unable to discover that
turers seem to think almost anything except en-
anybody in particular felt greatly exercised over
the general situation of the music roll business.
All the music roll men were on hand, but although
they went so far as to erect the foundation for
an association of their own, no one could observe
that they were bothering with any specific prob-
lems. The ten-cent roll seems to have concluded
to die quietly, while the various other difficulties
that have arisen within the year declined to show
their heads. Nor did one hear much about hand-
played versus straight-cut rolls, except that the lat-
ter seem to be in less favor for the moment than
the former. Music rolls, however, were not among
the really live topics.
Attachable Players.
Players intended to be attachable to any piano
were in evidence in two exhibits, with rumors that
others were to have been shown. But it may be
said that there was no enormous amount of in-
terest in them anywhere displayed. For some rea-
son or oth T this proposition does not take hold,
and the various piano men to whom we talked
were somewhat inclined to pooh-pooh it. Perhaps,
though, this is because the attachable player i;
really a retail and even a tun:r's proposition. Yet,
it one stops to think of it, what a solution of the
trade-in question can be found here! Convert the
trade-ins into player-pianos at a low figure and
sell them off that way! Sounds alluring, doesn't
it?
We asked some piano men about this, but they
presented one and all a variety of objections to
the idea. Yet, the attachable play TS we saw were
very good, one of them especially so, and it really
seemed as if something quite practical had been
devised.
What They All Thought.
One thing we can say that they all thought.
They all thought that the piano business was doing
mightily well and that the player would be a bigger
factor this year than ever before. Nobody was
very fervid, but everybody was calm and apparently
ready to face the coming year in confidence. There
was little repining over the past but much inten-
tion to push for the future.
One other thought we heard expressed every-
where among 'the wholesalers, and it was this:
"THE RETAIL PLAYER TRADE NEEDS
MORE INTELLIGENCE. AN EDUCATION
CAMPAIGN AMONG THE DEALERS AND
TUNERS IS EVER MORE IMPORTANT
THAN AMONG THE MEMBERS OF THE
GENERAL CONSUMING PUBLIC."
Fine; but who is going to start it? Don't all
sj eak at once !
IN HIS OLD LOCATION.
II. E. Bell, piano dealer, Cameron. Mo., is again
at his old location on East Third street. Mr. Bell
is boosting the Ilobart M. Cable and Schiller lines.
The Master Player-Piano
is now equipped with an
AUTOMATIC TRACKING DEVICE
Which guarantees absolutely correct tracking of even the most imperfect music rolls
W I N T E R & CO., 220 Southern Boulevard, New York City