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THE
MUSIC TIRADE
VOL.
LXVI. No. 10
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., at 373 4th Ave., New York.
March 9, 1918
Single Copies 10 Cent*
92.00 Per Year
The Market for Small Grands
I
T is estimated by those in close touch with piano production that the output of small grands during the
year 1917 approached very closely, if it did not exceed, 25,000 instruments of that type, and it is believed
that the figures are not extravagant, for at least 3,000 small grands were turned out by one factory alone.
One prominent action manufacturer turned out something over 6,000 grand actions last year, and, unless all
signs fail, will come close to turning out 10,000 grand actions during 1918.
Practically every manufacturer of. standing is reporting an unusual demand for the small grand from all
sections of the country, and the big increase in the output of those instruments in the various factories during
the past year is particularly significant in that all the manufacturers of grand actions together, including
piano manufacturers making their own actions, probably did not turn out more than 15,000 such actions during
any year previous to 1916.
Those who can discern the signs of the times know that all this is simply a preparation for the coming
great successes of the small grand piano. The small grand, sold at a moderate price, promises to be the straight
piano of the coming years.
This is not fantasy, but fact. Consider the situation. The upright piano is being superseded, to a
considerable extent, slowly but steadily. It is being superseded partly by the player-piano, because the
player-piano can now be bought in good grades at a price not larger than was asked for a good upright twenty
years ago, and also because the player-piano to-day is so wonderful a refinement over that of ten years ago that
the older prejudice against it is rapidly dying out.
For those who cannot play or will not learn, the player-piano is the natural instrument of music. It is
impressive in appearance, can be played by hand if required, and is in a state of high perfection as to its
playing mechanism.
But—the player-piano is not acceptable to all. The straight piano is still in demand. We want the demand
for the straight piano to continue and to increase steadily. But with the upright straight piano we have no
weapon potent enough. That potent weapon is, nevertheless, ready to our hands. It is the small grand.
The growing army of those who are not content to be mere listeners to music, but who insist on making
their own music, does not wholly consist of player-pianists, as we may call them. It largely consists in the
steadily growing army of boys and girls who are studying piano, and numbers, in addition, thousands of
amateur pianists, especially among ladies. The country is flooded with old uprights, of a thousand and one
broken-down, cheap makes, which stand neglected, not because no one can play, but because no one will
play on them. •
Such instruments can he replaced, but it is hard to replace them with high-priced uprights, and the
owners have got a thorough dose of cheap stuff. Here comes in the small grand; something beautiful,
fine-sounding, of high and fine tradition and, in these days, of singularly moderate price. Convince the
myriad owners of these old uprights that the small grand is the fashion, is suitable in size to the modern
small apartment or house, and is reasonable in price; and the small grand will win consideration and lead to sales.
But this is only one side of it. The piano business has two sides, the technical as well as the commercial.
The war is bringing, as never before, a general searching of hearts and a re-thinking of values. To make a
sale of a piano in the future will be to submit one's claims to a more searching criticism on the part of the
prospective owner. He will demand value, as never before. Then again the people know more about mechanical
matters than ever before. They are more interested in them, and the grand piano is, mechanically, a more
interesting piano than any other.
Push the grand piano. There are grands to suit every purse that is worth while seeking. The quality
(Continued on page 5)