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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
11
Will the Upright Piano Be Superseded Entirely by the Player-Piano, or Will
the Demand for Both Styles of Instruments Continue in Its Present Ratio?
This Question Argued Pro and Con by a Manufacturer and a Retail Dealer
The year now opening up to us will perhaps
not pass over without bringing great and even
decisive events; the sequences whereof may
have enormous influence upon the future course
of American business. In our own trade there
is no doubt, however, that forces are at work
which must ultimately revolutionize the whole
current of trade affairs, and that these forces
will continue to operate no matter what may
be the political events of the immediate future.
One way or another, their influence is working;
and we could not, if we would, escape them.
One of the most important of these forces is
bound up with the growth of the player-piano.
Most of the predictions made about it have been
long ago forgotten, for they have been wholly
or almost wholly erroneous. The player-piano
has not yet superseded the earlier manually
played instrument; neither has it been merely a
fad.
The progress now being made is all in
the direction of substituting electric for foot-
power, and hand-played for straight-cut music.
The result of this progress may or may not be
advantageous to the player-piano; but that the
future of this instrument is now being complete-
ly determined, one cannot doubt.
Will the result of the present progress and
development be the supersession of the straight
upright piano? Or, if not, what proportion may
be ld'oked for between the sales of the two types
of piano during 1917? What does this portend?
These questions are at present of the utmost
importance, and we herewith present two di-
verging views of them, originating from sources
equally authoritative and specially obtained by
the Editor of the Player Section for the pur-
pose of the^present discussion:
DROP THE STRAIGHT UPRIGHT
By a Manufacturer
"At the present moment, if we were not
obliged to fill orders for straight upright pianos,
we could concentrate on player-pianos entirely,
and still could not fill the orders we are now
receiving. In these plain words I answer your
question as to the proportion I should like
to see between the two types. If it were left
to me to decide, the straight upright piano would
soon disappear.
"I am aware that there is still a certain de-
mand for the manually played upright piano;
but the truth is that, as far as I am able to dis-
cover, the demand for the straight upright arises
mainly among those who need the instrument
for professional purposes, but cannot afford the
room or the money for a grand, or among those
who do not understand the player-piano and are
afraid of it. Now, I know that there are plenty
of these people at the present time, and that
there are as many straight uprights as players
being made and sold; but that does not alter
the fact as T see it; namely that the best inter-
ests of all will be subserved when every up-
right piano is made with a player in it.
"To speak from the dealer's point of view,
it is certain from what our dealers tell our
travelers, and from what I myself learn direct-
ly in the same way, that those who are making
an effort to sell player-pianos principally, are
on the increase, and their efforts are successful
in exact proportion to their energy. In fact,
it is plain Jhat those who are going chiefly after
player-business are getting what they go after;
so that if a dealer ever makes up his mind to
keep player-pianos only, he will sell just as
many of the one type as he did of the two com-
bined. And, of course, the profit is greater.
"Not only is it more profitable for the deal-
er to specialize, but we should prefer such
a policy. There is getting to be less and less
of real profit in manufacturing the straight up-
right piano, for the reason that the rise in
costs of material together with the competition
of different makes in the same grade, has forced
down prices and forced up costs to the point
where profits approach complete extinction.
The player-piano is in a different case, for what
with the individual talking points, the higher
prices and the other features, competition is
not of the same nature. It is keen, but not
cut-throat, for the dealer can sell a player-piano
on its technical merits much quicker than he
can sell an ordinary high-grade straight piano
in competition with several others.
"Of course, among the pianos and player-
pianos that sell entirely on price, these remarks
don't apply. But these are on a different basis
altogether, and no argument save the- one has
any weight in connection with them. But out-
side of this class, pianos sell on their name and
reputation, and my point is that reputation and
name alike are losing their old-time power in
the case of the straight upright piano, while it
is fair to believe that the individual character
of the player-piano will protect it in this way
for a long time yet to come.
"I say, therefore, from my point of view as a
manufacturer, that I wish the proportion be-
tween players and straight uprights might be
one to naught, all players, none others.
"In my judgment the coming representative
of the straight piano is the small grand; and T
wish that this instrument might be preserved
for this purpose forever. As for the straight
upright, it has served its purpose; let it go!"
FIFTY=FIFTY
By a Retail Piano Merchant
"At the present time, my stores sell about
thirty-five players and sixty-five straight pianos
out of every hundred uprights we have on our
floors. In my opinion the proportion ought to
be even—fifty-fifty—and I think it can be made
so without any particular change in methods.
Grands I count separately, and I can say that
grand sales run 10 per cent, of our totals, at
least since the introduction of the small grand
suitable for apartments.
"I certainly think that we could and should
sell one player-piano for every straight upright,
and there is no question that if we put the right
amount of energy into doing it, the results
will be all we can ask for.
There is more
profit in the player-piano if it be rightly han-
dled; and that means, of course, that the prac-
tice of advertising player-piano bargains at $300
or less is not one to be encouraged. In fact,
it is wholly wrong from every point of view.
If the player-piano be treated rightly and sold
at something like a fair price, there is good
profit in it. Again, it should always be re-
membered that every player-piano sold means
the sale of music rolls. The owner of the play-
er-piano must get rolls somewhere, and if he
does not get them free from us or else buy them
elsewhere, then he, must pay us real money for
them. As for giving them away, that is some-
thing we do not do. With each sale we give,
as a bonus, music rolls to the amount of 4 per
cent, of the contract.
As for buying else-
where, we see to it that our customers shall
find it profitable, and pleasant as well, to come
to us.
"So, I am all for the player-piano, but yet I
do not think we can get along without the
straight upright just yet, or even for a long
time yet. It will be a long time, in my opinion,
before the straight upright goes out, for there
is still a prejudice against the player in people's
minds here and there, quite strong enough to
defeat many attempts at making player sales.
Still, I think it would be a very good thing if
we were all to make a rule to try anyhow, to
sell a player-piano in every case, only desisting
when it becomes certain that the attempt is
not being regarded by the prospect with very
great favor.
"Meanwhile, our house is making strenuous
endeavors to sell on the fifty-fifty basis, and I
hope that before the end of 1917 we shall have
reached that point. I am strong for the player-
piano and want to see it on top."
DEMAND FOR PLAYER GRANDS
The Helming Piano Co.'s retail warerooms at
425 Fifth avenue report an ever increasing de-
mand for the Behning player grands.
Two
sales of these instruments were made last Sat-
urday. One of them was sold to Henry Young,
the treasurer of the Globe Theatre, for use in
his Richmond Hill home.
Mark Connelly, of Columbia, Mo., has been
appointed manager of the music department of
the John N. Taylor Music Store, Moberly, Mo.,
and has taken up his new duties.
AMERICAN BRASS FORGING CO., INC
Manufacturers of
PIANO AND PLAYER-PIANO HARDWARE
SUCCESSORS TO THE
168-172 Southern Boulevard
N e w York Piano Hardware Co.
New York City