Music Trade Review

Issue: 1921 Vol. 72 N. 13

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 26,
THE
1921
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
The Installing of Player Actions in Uprights and Grands Is Again Being Done
by Several Prominent Manufacturers and a Wide Field of Operation Is Now
Ready for Exploitation Along This Line—Pros and Cons on the Subject
The recent announcement by a great manu-
facturing house that it has resumed the installa-
tion of player actions in upright and grand 1
pianos not originally intended for such pur-
poses, coupled with the fact that at least three
other houses are doing more or less of the
same work, leads one to ask what are the pros-
pects for this kind of business during the year
1921. tt is obvious that those who are going
in for this sort of business have persuaded
themselves that the present is an appropriate
time for their activities. What about it?
Not a Substitute
Now, in the first place, let it be plainly
said that there is no possibility of the installable
or attachable player action, whatever it may be
called, competing on equal terms with the regu-
lar player-piano. No matter how ingeniously
that action be devised there is always some-
thing about the piano into which it goes which
subtly modifies the efficiency of the pneumatic
work. But apart from this fact, and from the
many other reasons which will at once occur
to anybody who has ever practically worked in
the piano business, there is very much that is
interesting and important at the present day
about the installable player and its relation to
the piano industry.
Where the sale of regular players is slow the
principal reason at the present day must be
found in the question of price. If men and
women find themselves facing reduced incomes,
or are in fear that they may have to face such
conditions shortlj', they may hesitate to enter
upon a new player deal. In such cases the
dealer has a very effective comeback, now that
the attachable player is,once more readily avail-
able. He can say in effect:
"You tell me that you cannot afford to pay
$100 down and $25 a month just now. Well,
suppose you let ine sell you this fine upright
piano of the same make, paying $50 down and
$15 a month. You will have it all paid for in
two years and meanwhile you will have for your
children's benefit the use of a really fine, worthy
instrument, instead of a cheap or wornout one.
At the end of this time everything will be in
better shape for you and you can then turn the
still fine and perfect piano over to us for the
installation of one of these installable player
actions. This can be done without the slight-
est damage to the instrument. Thus you will
get the benefit of the new piano and can look
forward to the day when it will become a
player."
That is one argument which will at once occur
to the dealer who cares to take an interest in
installable player actions.
Every dealer knows, and has often cause to
regret, the feeling of sentimental interest which
leads the owner of a good piano to put an
oaggerated valuation upon it and to imagine
that its tone, during years of use, has remained
superior to that of any other instrument in
town. During ordinary times no one need
have a good word to say for such mistaken
ideas, but at the present time, or, in fact, when-
ever the trade is looking out somewhat anx-
iously for new ways of getting business, it can
actually be turned to good account.
The Case of the Grand
For, especially where grand pianos are con-
cerned, the sentiment against exchanging good
family treasures of tone and touch for any piano,
player or non-player, is very strong with those,
and they are many, who are disposed to sen-
timentality in this direction. Yet there are
very many who would consider a player if they
could also keep the fine grand which has stood
for so long in the living-room and whose tones
sound so sweet. Here the installable player
action comes in most .happily. Given an ac-
tion which can be rightly installed in a grand
piano without spoiling the appearance of the
case there will be many prospects for installa-
tion among those who can pay the price, but are
not willing to make an exchange.
All of which leads us to the serious consid-
eration of a practical question. Is there a
thoroughly satisfactory way of handling this
installation into uprights and grands? It is ob-
vious that, from the point of view of perfected
workmanship and result, the right place for
installations is a factory devoted to just such
work. In fact, the factory where the actions
(Continued on page 8)
There's a little book
about a little town where s o m e t h i n g of
mighty big importance to every dealer in
player-pianos is being done. You will be
glad you wrote for that book—it's free.
HENRY
G. JOHNSON
PIANO
CO.
BELLEVUE
IOWA
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
8
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
one house which has made a real success in this
class of work insists that all pianos be sent to
the factory and that all the work be done there.
arc made is, without doubt, the best place. But This, in our opinion, is absolutely essential for
this means, in the greater number of cases, a grand piano work if the owner of the instru-
real difficulty. To send in to the factory from ment is to be satisfied.
all over the country every piano which is to be
Thus it will be perceived that whatever may
converted in this way is in some cases greatly be its merits in times like these, especially, the
to increase the expense and the time require- installable player-action has many peculiarities
ments. It would, of course, be better if the when viewed in its trade aspect. The dealer
dealer could do this in his own store, and there who goes in for the installable action must con-
arc* some actions which can be so installed, sider every point which has been adduced above
under favorable conditions. The mere installa- and must decide how best he can deal with
tion is not so difficult, so long as an accurate each in turn. If he fails to take into considera-
set of measurements is first supplied to the tion every point, each according to its impor-
manufacturer of the action, so that the parts tance, he will find himself in some sort of em-
will fit when they are received. The real trou- barrassment from the start.
ble in upright work comes with the neat cut-
What, then, is to be the exact position of
ting of panels, finishing of edges and such de- the installable action in the trade? Is it to
tails. This needs a good equipment and a have a permanent position and future when
mechanic thoroughly trained.
present emergencies have ceased to operate?
On the whole, the answer should be in the
The Grand Piano Problem
With grand pianos the difficulty of local in- affirmative, one thinks. So far as the upright
stallation is greatly increased and, indeed, the piano is concerned it is doubtful whether the
INSTALLING PLAYER ACTIONS
{Continued from page 7)
Patience!
Persistence !
Push !
make PLAYER sales to-day!
There is no way of beating that combination!
But the PLAYER must be PERFECTED and PRAC-
TICAL; PLEASING, and PRICED right.
All these qualities, to the most eminent degree,
PERTAIN to the r e m a r k a b l e PLAYER-PIANO
known as the
M. Schulz Co.
Player-Piano
Evidence in support of these
claims is contained in The
Schulz Player Book, which is
yours for the asking.
M o r e t h a n 175,000 of our
Pianos and Player - Pianos
have been made and sold.
Dealers, who want weapons for a
winning fight, can learn things
much to their advantage by addressing
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
General Offices
Schulz Building
711 Milwaukee Are.
CHICAGO
Founded 1869
Southern Wholesale Branch
1530 Candler Bldg.
ATLANTA, GA.
MARCH 26, 1921
atgumeiit for "the installable action holds good
in most cases. There are too many cheap and
more or less worthless uprights in the homes
of the people, and unless the dealer can suc-
cessfully press the argument suggested in the
earlier part of this article and sell a good new
upright with the expectation of installing a
player in it later he will probably not obtain
much satisfaction from this phase of the matter.
Intelligent Talk
But with the grand piano there is quite an-
other state of affairs. This instrument is ex-
pensive, usually very beautifully made, certain
tc hold it; tone and touch for many years and
very often, indeed, endowed with a sort of halo
of sentiment which makes impossible the ar-
gument that it ought to be exchanged. There
it,, indeed, not a little prejudice against any and
all kinds of player-actions in grand pianos, but
where it can be shown, as by a sample, that a
player action really can be installed in a fine
grand piano* without cutting the case or mak-
ing any unsightly additions there is something
to work on. There are literally hundreds of
grand pianos scattered through the great cities
alone which are fair game for any good sales-
man who can talk installation intelligently. Such
talk means an intelligent understanding of grand
piano construction, for one thing, and a real
sympathy with the feelings which animate so
often the owners of fine used instruments. There
is a real and widespread desire on the part of
many, many families for player music, when
those families for sentimental reasons will not
pa'rt with fine grand pianos. Show them that
they can get what they want without either los-
ing their beloved grand piano, spoiling its ap-
pearance or paying a very high price and they
will very often consent.
Of course, every word which has been said
here as to the value of the installable action
applies to reproducing actions, a field for which
exists without any d'oubt among the many thou-
sands of used grand pianos whose owners will
not exchange them.
REPUBLIC ROLLS FOR CUBA
Some Interesting Features of the Rapidly
Increasing Demand for Music Rolls
The Republic Player Roll Corp., New York,
reports that there has been a notable increase
in the demand for Republic rolls from Cuba this
year. H. Custin is the Havana local distributor
for Republic rolls and has difficulty in keeping
sufficient stocks on hand. The Cubans are well
posted on the latest American song hits, and
know what is what on Broadway in the way of
music. A hit, however, ages more rapidly in
Cuba than in the United States, although the
initial demand is always good.
AUTOMATIC ROLL MARKET IMPROVES
G. E. Lind Tells of Increasing Business During
Recent Weeks
CHICAGO, III., March 19.—G. Edward Lind, job-
ber of the line of automatic music rolls which
bears his name, reports the month of March
shows a marked increase in the demand for this
type of roll. "The demand for Coinola eighty-
fight-note orchestrion rolls is increasing every
month," says he. "This is accounted for by the
fact that our March list of Coinola rolls was
the best list ever issued for this style of roll.
Our best rolls for the present month are special
rolls numbers seven and nine, containing the
leading musical hits of the season. The outlook
for the present season is very promising and I
think that with a general increase in all lines
of activity the automatic roll business will
thrive proportionately."
F. H. Brown & Co., music dealers of Logans-
port, Ind., have opened a branch store in
Rochester, Ind., where pianos, players and talk-
ing machines, including the Brunswick, will be
featured.

Download Page 7: PDF File | Image

Download Page 8 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.