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THE
ArRiL 13, 1918
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
53
WIRE STRINGS FOR THE VIOLIN
Owing to Their Imperviousness to Moisture,
Wire E Strings Are Sometimes Almost Indis-
pensable to the Violinist in Damp Weather
87-101 Ferry Street
Jersey City, N. J.
OSCAR SCHMIDT, Inc.
ESTABLISHED 1877
When wire E strings for the violin were first
invented a howl went up from the better class
of violinists, who maintained that it was a dis-
grace to even think of using them. They ad-
mitted that wire E strings might do for a fiddler
playing for the drinks in a dive, but for an edu-
cated violinist, never.
However,' for certain
classes of work the wire E has come to stay.
People whose hands are clammy and whose
fingers drip with perspiration at all times sim-
ply have to have them. Then they commend
themselves to dance players who play in the
overheated, moist air of dance halls, or at the
seashore when the air is very damp. In the
tropics and in some of the tropical spells of
weather we experience in our American sum-
mers, with a combination of fierce heat and
almost daily rains, it is almost impossible for
many violinists to keep gut, or even silk strings
on their violins. At such times many of them
turn to the reliability and strength of the steel
E strings. Not long ago one of our leading
American solo violinists created quite a little
sensation by putting in a plea for the use of steel
strings on some occasions.
She stated that
there were spells of weather in which she
turned in desperation to steel strings.
Not long ago the concert-master of one of
our greatest American symphony orchestras,
and a violinist of international fame, confessed
that there were many times and occasions when
he used steel E strings, owing to their relia-
bility, and ability to stand climate changes and
any amount of perspiration. This violinist said
that he- preferred to use a mandolin steel A
string, for a violin E, instead of the wire E
strings usually sold for the violin. He found
the mandolin A gave a better quality of tone
when used as a violin E, and that it was not
so shrill. This violinist, of course, uses gut E
strings in all but exceptional cases, like a long
spell of hot, damp weather, etc.
PATENTS PIANO VIOLIN BOW
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 8.—Patent No. 1,-
256,900 for a piano violin bow was last week
granted to Gustav Karl Hennig, of Bohlitz-
Ehrenberg, near Leipzig, Germany, assignor to
the firm of Ludwig Hupfeld Aktiengesellschaft,
same place.
This invention relates to mechanically-oper-
ated stringed instruments whose strings are set
into operation from a bow, and has for its ob-
ject to prevent the continuous bow from de-
viating from its proper path, and also the pro-
vision of means to tilt the bow with respect to
the instrument for playing any one string or any
pair of adjacent strings.
Manufacturer of Musical Stringed Instruments — Celebrated Stella and
Sovereign Guitars, Mandolins and Banjos, Violins,
Menzenhauer Guitar Zithers, Mandolin Harps,
Gultarophones, Symphonettes and other musical novelties
SPECIAL GUITARS FOR CHILDREN
AMERICAN VIOLIN FOR HE1FETZ
Chas. H. Ditson & Co. Make First Display of
Latest Addition to Their Line of Musical In-
struments—Some of the Details
Famous Violinist Secures Instrument Made by
Edward Schmidt
The musical merchandise department of C. H.
Ditson & Co., 8 East Thirty-fourth street, dis-
played for the first time during the past week
their new line of guitars for children. These
guitars are made expressly for them by one of
the leading guitar makers of this country.
They are produced in one-eighth, one-half and
three-quarter sizes.
Although this line was primarly produced for
children it has strongly appealed to many
"grown up" musicians that have seen it. Promi-
nent among the adult enthusiasts was Kilani-
Peterson, the celebrated Hawaiian guitar and
ukulele player. He expressed himself as being
delighted with the small guitars and is arrang-
ing for vaudeville purposes an ensemble of those
instruments.
These will be "steeled" in the
Hawaiian manner and Mr. Kilani-Peterson pre-
dicts a beautiful effect.
Harry L. Hunt, manager of the department,
expects the guitars to be very popular. Al-
though they have been shown for only a few
clays their sales have been very brisk.
VALUABLE VIOLIN STOLEN
Louis Siegel, a violinist of this city, reported
to the police last week that on March 16 a
Stradivarius violin, formerly the property of
Wilhelmj, a Hungarian violinist, had been stolen
from his apartment, 22 East Thirty-third street.
The instrument was valued at between $15,000
and $20,000, said Mr. Siegel.
BEST STRINGS
JOHNFRIEDRICH&BRO
2
OLIVER DITSON CO.
BOSTON. MASS.
35I-53FOURTH AYE. NEWYORKCIT*
VIC for Distributors
DURRO
Attractive Specialties
Modern Service
ESTABLISHED 1134
WEYMANN
Largest Wholesale
Musical Merchandise
House in America
Buegeleisen & Jacobson
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
ESTABLISHED 1034
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 8.—William B.
Farmer, New York, was last week granted Pat-
ent No. 1,260,171 for a banjo attachment, the
object of which is to provide a new and im-
proved attachment for a banjo or similar musical
instrument, arranged to enable a player to pro-
duce an exceedingly sharp, clear, yet melodious
tone. Another object is to permit the owner of
a banjo to conveniently and readily apply the
attachment to the banjo without the aid of a
skilled mechanic.
In order to produce the desired result, use is
made of a resonance ring engaging the under
side of the banjo, and adjustably supporting
means engaging the said ring to hold the latter
in place independently of the rim of the banjo,
the said adjustable supporting means engaging
the attaching member used for connecting the
rim of the banjo with the neck thereof.
STEWART
Importers and Jobber* of
Exclusively Wholesale
NEW BANJO^ATTACHMENT
AND
Manufacturers
THE OLDEST AND
LARGEST MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE HOUSE
IN AMERICA
KALAMAZOOJ MICH., April 8.—When Jascha Hei-
fotz, the latest violinist sensation, left this city
after his recent concert here, he carried witli
him a new violin made by Edward Schmidt, of
this city. Mr. Schmidt has spent his lifetime
making line violins, and when Mr. Heifetz visited
this city he made a special point to meet the
young violinist, and showed him one of his
latest instruments.
Heifetz tested the violin
and was enthusiastic in his praise of it. Mr.
Schmidt was deeply impressed with the enthusi-
asm of the artist and asked him to accept the
instrument as a gift. Very likely in the future
many audiences will be regaled with beautiful
melodies produced on this violin made by the
Kalamazoo manufacturer.
Manufac-
turers of
Superior Quality MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Victor Distributors
;1108 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
Established over half a century
113 University Place
NEW YORK
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
National Musical String Co.
New Brunswick, N. J.