Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
46
NOVEMBER 1, 1919
ARMOUR & CO. TREBLED OUTPUT
WEYMANNS SELLING STRINGS
VIOLIN AN ANCIENT INSTRUMENT
War Boomed Musical String Industry in This
Country—Many Bands and Orchestras Organ-
ized Have Increased Demand for Strings
Now Handling Many Lines of Merchandise in
Philadelphia Store — Large Orders Keeping
Sales Force More Than Busy at Present
Representations of Instrument Found in Stone
Carvings at Thicbes in Egypt
CHICAGO, IU,., October 27.—There is an increasing
output in musical instrument strings of Ameri-
can manufacture. Armour & Co., who consider mu-
sic strings as one of the most important as well as
one of the most interesting of their products, have
trebled the capacity of that department since it was
started in 1912.
"Our business was given a tremendous impetus
during the war," said H. O. Gable, manager of the
department. "The manufacture of all musical in-
struments in this country was stimulated during the
war by patriotic sentiment. Bands and orchestras
were in frequent demand and many new musical
organizations were started. Increasing prosperity of
the working people caused hundreds of thousands
of them to buy musical instruments. This was es-
pecially true in violins and other stringed instru-
ments.
"It was a fortunate thing for the American musical
instrument industry that producers of musical strings
had reduced their manufacture to such a stage of
perfection, for it was impossible to secure musical
strings from Germany or Italy during the war. If
it had not been for the output of Armour & Co.
many manufacturers of violins, banjos, ukeleies and
other stringed instruments would have had to go out
of business, but as it happened we were able to
supply this trade and as a consequence many new
factories were started in the Eastern states, and in
fact in nearly every large city of the country."
An amusing story is related of an Eastern expert
on music strings which establishes the excellence
of the American products. A violin string manu-
factured by Armour & Co. was placed in a foreign
envelope. A foreign music string was placed in an
Armour & Co. envelope. The expert was asked to
pass an opinion upon the respective merits of the
strings. Without hesitation he selected the Armour
string which had been placed in the foreign envelope
and said: "This is the better string" and began to
tell why. Music strings are made from the intestines
of sheep, which are also manufactured into surgical
ligatures, which were sold in great quantities during
the war.
W. R. RINGEN TO OPEN STORE
Was Formerly in Charge of Small Goods Depart-
ment of Sherman, Clay & Co., on Coast
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., October 27.—Another new
music store is to be established by W. R. Ringen,
who has had charge of the small goods and band
instrument department for Sherman, Clay & Co.
Mr. Ringer has handed in his resignation to take
effect on November 1, and on that date he will
start for the East to secure goods for his store.
He intends to confine his stock entirely to band
instruments and small goods, and while he has
not yet announced the location of his store it is
understood to be in the neighborhood of Stock-
ton and O'Farrell streets.
RONQ
A. BURDWISE
WHOLESALE MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
BALTIMORE, M D .
BEST STRINGS
JOHNFRIEDRICH&BRO.
Victor Distributors
Established over half a century
BOSTON MASS.
AND
Manufacturer*
I m p * r t m and Sehhen ml
STEWART
Largest Wholesale
Musical Merchandise
House in America
Buegeleisen & Jacob son
NEW YORK
WEYMANN
Superior Quality MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
1108 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
OLIVER DITSON CO.
DURRO
113 University Place
The origin of the violin dates back to a very re-
mote age. It ranks among the most ancient of in-
PA., October 27.—The i a Bril-
struments in use at the present day. As to the prin-
liante violin strings, Italian finished gut, are being
ciple of construction, it has been found that its
sold by H. A. Weymann & Son, to all their trade. earliest form was not very unlike the modern. It
The Weymann factory, making the Keystone appeared both with and without the frets. On some
State instruments, is being worked at full force, of the representations seen in stbne carvings at
but they are finding it most difficult to catch up Thiebes, in Egypt, there were some with and without
and they are unable to get ahead any reserve stock holes in the top, some with three, some with five and
upon which they can fall back However, most of some with eight strings. These strings were made
their dealers are well-protected by having placed sometimes of sheep's intestines, sometimes of linen
their orders several months in advance. Charles thread and sometimes of wire. The neck resembled
Bahls is in full charge of the Weymann Victor a guitar. The ancient name was kinura. The Per-
department and is doing most excellent work, as sian kinura was played in the manner of a bass viol
is H. Power Weymann, who has charge of the with a bow resembling a shooting bow. None of the
Q R S roll department.
old violins had such an accompaniment as a chin-rest.
The Grecian lyre had seven strings. As it was
IMPROVEMENTS IN CLARINETS
very small it was held in one hand. The Egyptian
flute was only a cow's horn with four holes. The
WASHINGTON, D. C, October 27.—Peter Sciarra, Jewish trumpets which shattered the walls of Jeri-
Benld, 111., was last week granted Patent No. cho were ram's horns. The Jews had no other in-
1,319,625 for a clarinet, which he has assigned to struments but percussion instruments. They used a
Conadi Compagmicci, same place.
small triangular harp which was struck with an iron
This invention comprehends improvements in needle. The timbrel was the tambourine; the dulci-
clarinets and has for its particular object the mer was a horizontal harp.
elimination of the difficult pass between "A" in
the second space and " B " on the third line or any
PATENT FOR GUITAR
other pass between "A" and any other note:
The way to get the "A" on the clarinet of today is
Patent No. 1,317,830 has just been granted to
to open the key with the first finger of the left Reuben A. Sivard, Oklahoma, Okla., for a guitar,
hand by pressing, and then slide the finger to the object of which is to provide an instrument
close the hole to get other notes. In the im- on which harmonic chords may he easily played.
proved construction, the use of the first finger for
the key of "A" is eliminated and the third finger
is used to open the key and the thumb is used for
closing it, thus overcoming the difficulty of sliding
the first finger as is necessary with the common
type of clarinet.
The invention also aims to generally improve
clarinets by making certain fingering more easy
T H E OLDEST AND
of accomplishment.
LAROEST MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE HOUSE
ROSS WITH SHERMAN, CLAY & CO.
IN AMERICA
George Ross, who was formerly with the band
Bxclustvefy- WhoJ^amle
UTAMJtHCD
instrument and small goods department at the
Kohler & Chase store, San Francisco, Cal., before
C.BRUNO $SON,INC.
he entered the navy during the war, has become
361-53 PWKTH Avt NEwYojffiCnr
connected with the same department at Sher-
man, Clay & Co.
We tor Distrihutora
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
Attractive SpcdaltiM
M o d i r n Service
ESTABLISHED ISM
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
National Musical String Co.
New Brunswick, N. J.