Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JULY 6,
1918
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
11
Pianos in Dull Finish Grow in Favor
The Second Instalment of a Symposium Wherein Piano Manufacturers and Dealers Express Opinions in Favor of Dull
Finished Cases for Pianos and Players—Instruments With High Polish Are Extremely Liable to Damage, Require
More Labor to Produce, and Do Not Harmonize With Modern Furniture of the Better Grade
The movement to bring about the general
adoption of the dull finish for all pianos has
proven of general interest to the trade through-
out the country, and following the publication
of the symposium of views from both manufac-
turers and dealers in The Review last week, this
office has received numerous communications,
practically without exception favoring the idea.
It might be said that those who have not fully
endorsed the adoption of the dull finish have
nevertheless admitted the desirability of that
finish.
Certain manufacturers, including Chickering &
Sons, as already noted, have notified their deal-
ers that their pianos will be supplied in dull fin-
ish exclusively in the future. Even though this
finish may cost almost as much to produce prop-
erly as the highly polished case, it still has
enough other advantages to make a considera-
tion of it worth while. There is no question
but that the merchants who generally are in
favor of the dull finish feel that it gives, and
will give them, a minimum of trouble and that
any question regarding the demand for polished
cases may be overcome if proper steps are taken
to educate the public along the desired lines.
On the subject of the dull finish The Review
presents herewith some further opinions of man-
ufacturers and merchants on this particular sub-
ject:
Edmund Gram, Milwaukee, Wis.
"I am very glad to see the revival of the very
important question of the proper finish of pianos.
Briefly, in my opinion, the dull or satin finish
is the correct one, and should be considered as
regular. But if the high polish should be de-
sired, it could be so ordered as 'extra,' whereas
it is now just the opposite. At present, the
very high grade pianos are being finished in the
satin, as well as the best high-class furniture,
and generally speaking, it stands in very high
favor with the discriminating public. I heartily
and conscientiously add my unqualified endorse-
ment of it."
George W. Gittins, Estey Piano Co., New York
"We heartily endorse your efforts to have
piano manufacturers dull finish as many instru-
ments as possible during the period of the war.
There is no question about a dull finish piano
being very much more artistic than the high
polish, and I am pleased to say to you that the
Estey Piano Co. supply all of their instruments
and have for the past several years in art fin-
ish only."
Paul B. Klugh, Autopiano Co., New York
"I have discussed with Wm. B. Armstrong,
of the American Piano Co., the matter of chang-
ing the bright finish now used on pianos. Mr.
Armstrong's reasons are convincing. Perhaps
the most important reason will ultimately be a
compelling one, and that is, that there is very
little, if any, gum coming into this country, and
no likelihood of any during the war.
This
means that sooner or later varnish will not be
procurable unless conditions change. The piano
trade would be immeasurably benefited by
changing our method of finishing. I am in
favor of this method, and trust it will be a
success."
W. B; Marshall, Krakauer Bros., New York
^'Krakauer Bros, have agitated for years the
benefits of the dull finished case, in fact, have
for quite a little time charged extra for bright
finish on all goods shipped to our wholesale
trade, on account of the extra cost involved both
in material and labor.
"The dull or satin finished case requires much
less care to keep looking well in both the home
of the owner or in the warerooms, will show
very few. signs of varnish checking even after
years of use, while the highly polished case will handled in dull finish, and this season we have
invariably show defects along this line in only ordered all of our factories to supply us with
a few years after completion. The uncertainty pianos in dull finish only. The dull finish ship-
and delays in delivery of goods by railroad last ment is not only a time saver for the manufac-
winter gave to all dealers a particularly good turer, but likewise expedites delivery to the
reason for having pianos shipped in dull finish, dealer, and we find it more in harmony with the
because the dull finished instrument arrived in finish to be found on other furniture in the
first-class condition while the bright finished average home."
piano had, to say the least, some very disagree- Clark Music Co., Syracuse, N. Y.
able experiences.
"Relative to finishing all pianos in dull fin-
"Piano merchants can help this movement ish we would say that we are heartily in favor
very materially by exhibiting dull finished goods of the idea, both from a practical and artistic
entirely apart from pianos that are polished, a standpoint."
fact fully proven by many of our valued repre- John H. Parnham, Milton Piano Co., New York
sentatives. Krakauer Bros, believe thoroughly
"1 have been unable to understand the con-
in this movement and will do everything they stant demand for high polished pianos, leaving
can to further its complete adoption, for they out any consideration of the advantages in favor
t h i n k ' i t is of decided advantage to our in- of the dull finish, as practically all furniture to-
dustry."
. day is made in the dull finish, and the general
Jerome W. Ackerly, Patchogue, N. Y.
public seem to prefer it in preference to the
"In the matter of the polished or dull finished high polish.
piano, it is my belief this is the psychological
"The proportion of dull finished instruments
moment to put across any movement that will shipped out from this factory is increasing rap-
eliminate work and leave help free to do other idly from month to month, and with the con-
things.
certed action of both manufacturers and dealers,
"It is a time now when the public will stand it would appear to me that very little effort
for anything that can be explained to them in would be required to have the general public
the nature of economy or more modern methods. recognize the dull finish to be preferable in
"For our part, it will require no little amount every way.
of salesmanship in some cases to show a cus-
"If the manufacturers would make dull fin-
tomer the desirability of owning an art finished ished instruments the standard, only supplying
piano when the rest or part of the family wants high polish on special order, 1 believe that
one like their neighbors. However, if we can within six months the output of high polished
convince one-half of our purchasers the advan- musical instruments would be practically elim-
tages and the other half take bright cases, we inated."
will have at least made a start in the right di- Parham Werlein, Werlein, Ltd., New Orleans
rection and a saving in time and labor quite
"I see no reason why all pianos should not be
worth while.
finished dull instead of polished. Our high-class
"The keeping of these dull finished pianos the trade prefers dull finish, as it is, and while the
same as when sold is a point not to be forgot- medium-priced goods are sold almost entirely in
ten, and I wonder if The Review overlooked the polished finishes, we can sell them just as
the fact that with the average dull piano in a easily in the dull. We are decidedly in favor of
well-kept house, it is only a matter of time when adopting the dull finish if it will assist the
from frequent wipings and dustings it becomes manufacturers in any way."
bright unless wiped with vinegar? This will of
Henry Goldsmith, Columbus, O.
necessity be for the retailer to explain to all of
"Regarding the finishes on pianos it is very
his customers, whereas the bright case has to easy to sell high-grade goods such as Knabe,
be polished, so is there any saving?
Hardman and Emerson in the dull finishes.!
"Personally, I think a dull finish richer, but However, we find it a very difficult thing to sell
does the public? If in a widespread newspaper pianos and player-pianos at a lesser price in dull
campaign there was properly shown the real ad- finishes.
vantages of this finish, it seems to me readers
"We find that customers who pay from $200
would absorb the idea and accept it better than to $300 for a piano or $400 to $500 for a player
through any other method of reaching them."
are the very ones who want a high polish. When
J. Edwin Butler, Marion, Ind.
it comes to a person's likes or dislikes in the
"There is no doubt but that the movement by matter of merchandise, it is not a question of
the manufacturers to make all instruments dull what the dealer likes best, but what does the
finish would be a help to everyone. The gloss customer like best.
finish has served only as a worry to all. The
"We have tried in many cases of this kind
dull finish will save the manufacturer money, to sell the customer a dull finished instrument;
and also the merchant and will be more serv- but in my experience will say that in 75 per cent.
iceable for the customer.
of these cases you cannot switch the customer
"And indeed, the wax finish makes a hand- to a dull finished case.
somer instrument, and though the public has
"It is, therefore, my opinion that the polished
been slow to realize this, it seems only a ques- cases are an absolute necessity in the lower-
tion of education.
priced instruments."
"Personally, I would not put it as a matter Missionary Work Not Very Successful
of expediency, but introduce the change as an
One piano manufacturer who does not care
improvement, an advancement in the art of to have his name used declares that he had been
piano building. Speak of it as the new fin- talking dull or satin finish to dealers for a good
ish, show the piano as one to be more desired many years, and yet from personal observa-
than the one with the old finish, make it popular. tion found the proportion of dull and high fin-
There are many ways in which this can be done, ished pianos on wareroom floors as one to ten,
and now, if ever, is the time to start it."
which he declares does not indicate that the
S. E. Philpitt, Miami, Fla.
missionary work had been very successful. He
"Relative to prominently featuring only pianos also declared that the expense in putting a dull
in the dull finish cases to hand, we are "thor- or polished finish on a piano is about the
oughly in accord with this movement, and for same to the manufacturer, but that the advan-
your information, beg to advise that during the tage in the dull finish lay in smaller upkeep ex-
past year over 50 per cent, of our pianos were pense.