Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE MANY ADVANTAGES OF GUARANTEED PLAYER-PIANOS
A Timely Presentation of the Benefits to Be Obtained From Handling Players That Are Guar-
anteed, Written by J. A. LeCato, and Published in the Standard Player Monthly
[The following article on guaranteeing players, reprinted
from the November issue of the Standard Player Monthly,
is the last contribution from the pen of J. A. LeCato, whose
death was reported last week. The idea advanced therein
is entirely sound, and though written with specific refer-
ence to the Standard player action, the idea of guarantee-
ing a player, and of making a player that can be guaran-
teed, is worth the serious attention of all those interested
in the progress of the player-piano. The article shows Mr.
LeCato's keen understanding of the problems existing in
the player field to-day, and indicates the deep interest he
had in the advancement of the player-piano as a musical
instrument of worth and service.—Ed.]
The National Association of Piano Tuners has
suggested that player-piano manufacturers of
the United States agree on a standard form of
warranty and has compiled such a warranty for
the consideration of the industry. This form
of warranty leaves the time to the option of the
maker and makes the entire guarantee condi-
tional upon the owner of the instrument securing
the services of a competent tuner and repair-
man at least twice a year. In other words, if
the owner of the player-piano does not engage
the services of a competent tuner and repair-
man at regular intervals the warranty will in
effect be null and void.
Of course, the responsibilities that the manu-
facturer of a player-piano incurs when he guar-
antees the instrument depend almost entirely
upon the character of the player action within.
And, of course, the dealer, being the one who
most directly incurs the displeasure of the cus-
.tomer in case of dissatisfaction, assumes his
share of the responsibility for the player ac-
tion.
While it is entirely unreasonable to assume
that any mechanism with movable parts subject
to friction will remain perfect indefinitely with-
out attention, yet we are square up against the
fact that people will neglect to obtain the serv-
With the Dawning
of a Brighter Day
and the opening of an era of unparalleled
economic expansion and prosperity, the
makers of the
M. Schulz Company
Player-Piano
rendering the due measure of thankfulness
and gratitude, face gladly and cheerfully
the great and worth-while task of taking
their share in the coming re-adjustment to
new conditions.
The demand for our Player-Pianos, for
some time beyond our capacity to fill, may
now soon be satisfied to an extent which
will please our large and ever-growing
• family of SCHULZ representatives.
If you want to have something "extra good"
for the 1919 demand, write to-day to
NOVEMBER 30, 1918
ices of an expert tuner and repairman at reg-
ular intervals and there probably will be a cer-
tain number of people who always will neglect
to do so. Therefore, while manufacturers, deal-
ers and tuners are perfectly justified in going to
almost any length to persuade people to keep
their instruments in tune and repair, we must
not attempt to avoid responsibility for imperfec-
tions if they do not give their instruments proper
attention.
An inherent defect in principle or construction
probably will show itself even though an expert
repairman does go over the player twice a year,
so that we must not confuse fundamental de-
fects with a certain natural deterioration that
may come from neglect. In other words, the
responsibility for the durability of the player
action must always rest squarely upon the manu-
facturer thereof and not upon the owner or the
tuner or the dealer.
We know of no other article manufactured of
a multiplicity of parts, many of which move
when the device is operated, that is guaranteed
so broadly and unconditionally as is the Stand-
ard player action. Yet this guarantee does not
assure that a player-piano containing the Stand-
ard action will always play at its highest stand-
ard of efficiency if neglected. In the first place,
the piano will get out of tune and the piano ac-
tion out of regulation. Those two factors alone
are sufficient to vastly reduce the efficiency of
the whole. And then the player action itself
requires some attention, such as lubrication and
occasional adjustments.
This is no reflection
upon the quality of the piano or the player
mechanism, any more than it is a reflection upon
the quality of a watch that it requires cleaning
at certain intervals.
A guarantee means just what it says and no
more.
Its language should be easily under-
stood by anyone with an adult mind, yet it is
undoubtedly true that some owners of pianos,
player-pianos, or watches, miscontrue the guar-
antee and expect it to include the few simple
attentions that all these articles must have if
they are to give efficient service.
Therefore,
if the warranty proposed by the tuners' asso-
ciation brings to people a realization that they
should obtain the services of an expert twice a
year, to care for their player, its adoption would
be well worth while. It would be most valu-
able, however, in serving to keep the instru-
ments in playable condition so that the owners
may obtain from them a full measure of pleas-
ure in the ownership. Certainly, a half million
player-pianos maintained in a high state of ef-
ficiency all the time would be of great value
to the player industry as compared to the same
number neglected to the point that they are not
mediums for the production of good music.
The Standard player action is already covered
by a guarantee so broad and unconditional as
to relieve its users of the necessity of giving
much consideration to the question.
But we
are heartily in favor of any proposition that will
serve to keep all player-pianos in better condi-
tion and will encourage people to keep their
instruments in tune so that they may always find
• them paying good returns in pleasure on the in-
vestment. Every piano should be tuned twice
a year and every player action should be exam-
ined by an expert at the same time that the
piano is tuned. But no amount of tinkering on
the part of a repairman can make a good player
action out of a poor one. On the other hand,
a good action will require very little attention.
G. H. DAVIS WRITES SONG
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
More Than 135,000 Instruments
General Offices
Established 1869
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3 Factories in
711 Milwaukee Are.
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CHICAGO
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Produced
Southern Wholesale Branch
ATLANTA. GA.
G. Howlett Davis, president of the Standard
Music Roll Co., of Orange, N. J., has taken on
an entirely new role, that of song writer and
composer. The December bulletin of Arto and
SingA rolls contains a recording of Mr. Davis'
new song, "Now That the War Is Over," which
is written in the form of a toast, and is along
timely and patriotic lines. The music is ex-
cellent, and the song, both as an instrumental
number and as a vocal selection, should find
wide popularity.