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THE
SEPTEMBER 13, 1919
MUSIC
TRADE
47
REVIEW
ELEVENTH CONSTRUCTION CO. BAND
DRUM=HEAD TENSION DEVICE
JAZZ BAZOOKA BOOMS RECRUITING
Air Service Band Equipped With Ditson In-
struments Does Good Work in Winchester—
Instruments Stood Up Under Hard Service
Patent Granted on Apparatus for Regulating the
Tension in Drum-heads
Marine Corp Jazz Band Sergeant Makes Own
Bazooka Which Makes "Melody Six" a Hit
WASHINGTON, D. C, September 8.—Patent No.
The band of the Eleventh Construction Co., 1,293,599 was last week granted to Tom Wilson,
Air Service, which returned to this country Chicago, 111., for a drum.
last spring, was equipped with Ditson instru-
This invention relates to drums, and particu-
ments purchased from Chas. H. Ditson & Co.'s larly to improvements in the means of adjusting
the tension of the heads of drums. The inven-
tion is of particular value in connection with
snare drums, for instance, in which it is desir-
able to prevent too great a tension in the snare
head. In certain forms of drums now in use the
opposite heads of the drum are adjusted simul-
taneously by the operation of a single adjust-
ing means instead of adjusting the heads of the
drum separately, as was the common prior prac-
tice. Although it is a great advantage to be able
to adjust the heads of a drum simultaneously
by adjusting means, located preferably at one
side of the drum, it will be seen that.the opera-
tion of the adjusting means on the two heads of
The Eleventh Construction Co. Band
New York store. This band was under the lead- the drum simultaneously ordinarily tends to pro-
ership of Sgt. J. K. Walsh, former chief of duce a greater tension in the snare head than
police of Fittston, Pa., and among the members in the beater head because the snare head is
was George C. Roth, now with the musical in- usually formed of thinner material and stretches
strument department of the Ditson New York more readily under the influence of the adjusting
store. The Eleventh Construction Band spent means. In order to secure the best operation
eight months in England where it toured the of the drum it is desirable that the tension of
country in and around Winchester, playing for the snare head be not greater than or perhaps
the Red Cross, hospitals, and other organiza- slightly less than the tension of the beater head.
tions, being especially popular for its dance It is therefore the principal object of this inven-
tion to provide means for limiting the move-
music, which made a hit with the Britishers.
This band was organized in the United States ment of one of the heads so that the tensions of
at Camp Mills on July 5> 1918, and sailed over- the opposite heads of the drum may be varied
seas one month later. During the eight months and controlled, and although the improvement
in Winchester many concerts were held at Guild of the present invention is especially adapted
Hall, a favorite spot for soldiers and civilians for drums in which the heads are adjusted
as well. Mr. Roth played the tuba and brought simultaneously, it will be apparent that the im-
his instrument back to this country with him. provement may be used with advantage in con-
All the pieces in the band showed hard service nection with other forms of drums. A partic-
as the stories told by the members show. The ular object of the invention is to provide ad-
weird jazz effects secured by the big saxophone justable controlling means for use in a drum
were often caused by stray socks, bits of am- in which the heads are adjusted simultaneously
munition and many other foreign articles which, whereby the movement of one of the heads, such
when discovered in the mouth of the instru- as the snare head, may be limited or controlled.
ments, fairly brought down the house.
INCREASING TONE VOLUME IN BANJO
WASHINGTON, D. C, September 8.—Lawrence
Yosco, New York, was last week granted Pat-
ent No. 1,289,999 for a banjo-resonator, and has
for an object the provision of an improved.con-
struction which will cause the banjo to have a
clear tone in rainy or wet weather.
Another object of the invention is to provide
a banjo with a resonator formed with compart-
ments and a pair of rings so constructed and
arranged as to provide spaced supports for the
head. A further object of the invention is to pro-
vide a banjo with means for forming different
compartments and thereby producing better
carrying qualities.
RUNO
T H E OLDEST AND
LAROEST MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE HOUSE
IN AMERICA
Exclusively Wholesale
ESTABLISHED 1034
JOHNFRIEDRICH&BRO
DURRO
AND
STEWART
NEW INCORPORATION
The National Harmonica Co., Elmira, N. Y.,
has been incorporated to deal in musical instru-
ments. The capital is $25,000 and the ircorpo-
rators are G. B. Dusinberre, H. M. Reardsley
and M. D. Marks, of Elmira
Largest Wholesale
Musical Merchandise
House in America
Buegeleisen & Jacobson
113 University Place
NEW YORK
A. BURDWISE
WHOLESALE
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
BALTIMORE, MD.
OLIVER DITSON CO.
BOSTON. MASS.
Manufacturer*
Importers and Jobbers •»
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
Attractive Specialties
Modern Service
ESTABLISHED 1834
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
National Musical String Co.
Nev Brunswick, N. J.
WEYMAHM
Superior Quality MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Manufac-
turers of
Victor Distributor*
Yictor Distributors
In the company of two violins, a banjo, a
piano and a drum, the bazooka, which is the
only one of its kind in captivity, may be heard
any day on its recruiting m ssion for the Marine
Corps in New York C.ty. Gunnery Sergeant
Robert Burn is responsible for the latest jazz
device, and it is with this musical instrument of
home design and construction that the sergeant,
who is leader of the Marine Corps' "Melody
Six," noted for its syncopated tunes, does most
effective patriotic work.
The sextet is attached to the recruiting office
of the* Marine- Corps at No. 24 East Twenty-
third street, where the members were at once
pressed into service after a year in France and
Germany. Lieutenant Harry W. Miller, who is
in charge of the work of bringing the marines
up to full strength, keeps the jazzers busy, so
busy, in fact, that Sergeant Burn sometimes
fears for the future of his bazooka, which, he
says, he contrived out of two pieces of gas
pipe, a tin funnel and a few odd pieces around
the house.
According to the musical and inventive ser-
geant he and his men have tackled every kind
of music from Berlin to Beethoven and they
haven't played a funeral march yet, and they
hope they never will.
1108 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. ^
Established over half a century
I WILL BUY
FOR
CASH
Sheet Music and Small Goods
Peate's Music House
Utica, N. Y.