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MUSIC TODE
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PLAYER SECTON
NEW YORK, APRIL 27, 1918
The History of the Piano Trade Shows That There Has Been a Constant Prog-
ress Towards Higher and Better Forms of Musical Instruments, and the
Present Tendency Towards Players and Small Grands Is Proof of This Fact
The saying "History repeats itself" may not
be wholly accurate, but we can usually assume
that every course of events is somewhat re-
lated to some other closely enough to give color
to the assertion. The history of the develop-
ment of the piano trade in this country shows
a curious series of repetitions. The square piano
and the reed organ grew up together. The
square piano finally gave way to the upright.
Then the upright conquered the organ. Then
came the player-piano. By degrees the player-
piano has been superseding the upright, but now
appears a new conqueror in the shape of the
small grand.
Those who are wise and far-sighted enough to
see what is going on and prepare for it in ad-
vance can be in no manner of doubt as to the
destiny of the straight upright piano. The sub-
ject is one of the greatest importance to the
player trade and therefore is briefly discussed
here.
Birth of the Upright
The cost of making pianos has risen so stead-
ily during the past two years and shows so little
sign of coming down to anything like a lower
level again that the straight upright piano is
losing favor.
The moderate-priced upright
piano gave to the piano trade its first great ex-
pansion. The work of such men as J. P. Hale,
beginning some fifty years ago, first showed the
possibility of making pianos in large quantities
at popular prices; first, in fact, began the
"manufacturing" as against the mere "making"
of pianos. When the upright piano came into
existence in the United States after the Civil
War, it came in response to a growing demand
for something that would take up a relatively
small space in a city parlor. The size and shape
of the upright eminently fitted it for exploita-
tion by the newly rising class of piano "manu-
facturers" and the era of that instrument then
began in real earnest. The invention of the in-
stalment system of selling, as first put into oper-
ation in England by an American, in connec-
tion with sewing machines, put the piano into
the fast selling class, and made the ordinary
upright the foundation of a trade that grew
by leaps and bounds and soon actually outran
the capital available in the industry for its right
support.
Twenty Years Ago
When the writer entered the piano trade some
twenty years ago upright pianos selling for
seventy-five dollars to ninety wholesale were
becoming common and there were even cheaper
ones to be had in plenty. The cheap upright
was made on a very close margin, and al'.o-
gether was by no means an admirable product. dealer will be he who will see the necessity of
Yet it might have survived, if it had not been rearranging his plans for the future to get rid
killed by the operation of natural causes. The of the emphasis which has hitherto been placed
Nelson failure in Chicago three years ago on the cheap upright piano, put that instru-
showed plainly that rising costs were killing ment in the third place and concentrate his en-
off the cheap upright. Since that time the ergies on selling player-pianos and small grands.
process initiated some years back with the en-
To do that is merely to use good business
trance of the player-piano has continued to a sense. The development is inevitable and is
point where it is conceded by many manufac- proceeding much faster than some people may
turers that there is no longer any money in the think.
manufacturing of a very low-priced straight up-
Of course the straight upright piano will con-
right.
tinue to exist. But the point is that the cheaper
The Player
piano of this style is being forced out of exist-
The coming of the player-piano has, of course, ence by economic conditions while the high-
had everything also to do with the present posi- priced one is losing much of its attraction.
tion of the ordinary straight piano. The player- There remain the player-piano and the small
piano can now be made to sell, in reliable forms, grand. How shall they figure up?
at a price which is not so much in advance of
The idea we have on this can perhaps be
the price asked twenty years ago for a good best expressed by saying that, in our opinion,
quality of straight upright piano.
the best chance a man would have if he were
Now of course the selling power of the player- going into manufacturing to-day would be in
piano is so much greater that there is no longer building only small grands, with a line of
any particular reason, save in individual per- player-pianos to go with it. In other words,
sonal prejudice, against buying it rather than the two styles should run together. A business
a straight instrument. And the history of the would be ideal if it consisted of 50 per cent,
player-piano and of its trade development shows player-pianos and 50 per cent, small grands.
that the proportion between player-pianos and Such a business would be ideal for the manu-
their straight rivals has been growing closer facturer and ideal for the dealer.
and closer till now certainly one-half the pianos
Facing a Pressing Problem -
made are players.
What with the present curtailment of produc-
The remaining one-half are composed of tion and the probable intermittent shortage
high-grade uprights, good uprights, cheap up- of metals during the year, the dealer has to face
rights, high-priced grands and popular-priced a pressing problem in getting his goods. Surely
grands. Where do the cheap uprights come in? commonsense argues steadily that he should get
The truth is they are gradually not coming the most value in the least bulk, putting his
selling energies in the goods that will produce
in at all; they are staying out.
And there you are! There is no profound the best profits. In this way curtailments of
wisdom, there is no pretense at prophetical output can be accepted cheerfully. Let us make
powers, in making the statement that the wise this a small grand and player-piano year.
Mr. Billings states that he has no financial
interest in the concern aside from his royalty
States That He Is Now No Longer Connected arrangements. The Musicnote Co. is now reor-
With the Musicnote Roll Co., of Dixon, 111.— ganizing, having reached an agreement with the
Says That Company is Reorganizing
old Rodesch stockholders, and the factory will
soon be in active operation.
MILWAUKEE, WIS., April 22.—In an interview
Mr. Billings will devote his attention to his
last week, F. C. Billings, inventor of the Music- other interests in the future, and reports that
note Song Rolls, now owned and controlled by he is now perfecting a new invention of impor-
the Musicnote Roil Co., of Dixon, 111., where tance that will be announced to the trade in the
he and his son, Henry, have spent some months due course of time.
working out a practical method for printing both
words and notes on music rolls, stated that all
Charles H. Pfeiffer, formerly manager of the
experimental ideas had been worked out to the Gennett Theatre, Richmond, Ind., has been ap-
satisfaction of all concerned, and that having pointed assistant sales manager of the Starr
finished his part of the work, he will be no Piano Co.'s offices in New York, and has already
longer connected with the company.
taken up his new duties.
F. C. BILLINGS FINISHES WORK