Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 24,
1923
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
The Bases of Piano Standardization
Problem Has Thus Far Been Approached in Piano Industry From Point of Details Rather Than From
Fundamentals—Justus Hattemer, Vice-President of Premier Grand Piano Corp., Outlines a
Standardization Plan, Practical and Comprehensive, to Meet Present Conditions
Discussion of the important question of stand-
ardization in the manufacture of the piano has
been usually futile thus far, due to the fact that,
to a great extent, it has been devoted largely
to details, instead of to the broadly fundamental
factors which must be settled before any prog-
ress can be made. The problem in its relation
to economy and speed in manufacturing is but
little advanced by this procedure, nor is it likely
to be in the future, unless it is considered as a
whole and a definite program worked out by
men who are willing to place their practical
knowledge of manufacturing at the disposal of
the entire industry. If this should be done—
and the time is coming when it will have to be
done—the benefit would be one in which every
member of the industry, be he either dealer or
manufacturer, would share.
Standardization and Standardized
There is a difference between standardization
in manufacturing and a standardized piano.
Standardization in manufacturing relates en-
tirely to the dimensions of those parts of the
instrument which can be the same without im-
pairing its individuality—in this example, in-
dividuality of tone and individuality of style,
that is case ornamentation. But this is no handi-
cap in working towards an end which would
simplify the manufacturer's problem to a con-
siderable extent and at the same time decrease
his manufacturing overhead.
It was with these conditions in mind that Jus-
tus Hattemer, vice-president of the Premier
Grand Piano Corp., New York, recently dis-
cussed this problem with The Review. Mr.
Hattemer is also superintendent of the Premier
Grand Piano Corp. and has a long and varied
experience in piano manufacturing.
"In considering the problem of standardizing
the upright piano," said Mr. Hattemer, "the
first step, in my opinion, is to discover the size
of piano we want to standardize. At the present
time, practically every manufacturer who makes
uprights has different sizes for his instruments.
That which is his largest size may differ from
similar instruments only one-half to three-quar-
ters inch both ways, but it is this difference that
is the important thing to eliminate. The same
condition exists in reference to the other sizes
in the lines of different makes. In discussing
this, I am taking the measure from the bottom
of the side to the top of the side, not from the
floor to the top of the side. For the time being
we can forget the caster entirely. If there
were three definite sizes of uprights decided
upon by the industry as a whole, say for the
purpose of discussion four feet five inches, four
feet seven inches and four feet ten inches, three
sizes which surely meet every purchaser's re-
quirements, a long step toward standardization
could be made without impairing in the slightest
the individuality of the manufacturers' instru-
ments.
"Furthermore, if we should all use or adopt
an Empire top, we could make the back short
enough to allow for a finished panel on the top
of the back, whether it is one-quarter inch,
three-eighths inch or one-half inch.
"If we could make them all the same size, and
I see no reason why it cannot be done, it
would be an immense help to the back maker
and also the case-maker, for then he could plane
all his stock the same thickness.
The Width of the Piano
"Now let us talk about the width of the piano.
Here you find exactly the same condition as
with the height. Some manufacturers have their
pianos one-half inch, one-quarter inch, or three-
quarters inch wider than other manufacturers'
pianos, or narrower as the case may be. Of
course, we know that some pianos have wider
divisions in their scales and therefore the pianos
are wider, but you will agree with me that
home of these pianos are made wider than
necessary. Let us take the instrument of a
manufacturer which has a wide scale and who
produces in quantities and make that as narrow
as possible. Then let us take pianos that are
narrower and make them wider. In other words,
arrive at an average in the over-all dimension.
In this way, I think it perfectly feasible to
arrive at a standard width without disturbing
the scale at all. I might suggest in doing this,
it would be advisable for the piano manufacturer
to consult the player-action maker, for this in
turn would aid the latter in standardizing the
length of his action. He would be glad to let
the piano manufacturer know which side to cut
off—bass or treble—or to which side it would
be necessary. It would not make much differ-
ence to the manufacturer which side would be
cut off or added to.
Depth of the Piano
"We now come to the question of depth. In
my opinion, taking the largest upright we have
under discussion and considering what has
been proposed, it would be perfectly possible
to standardize depth, that is, if the manufactur-
ers adopted the same falls, the same thickness
of back, and then make the same distance from
front of keybottom to back of side. When this
is done, and I see no reason why it cannot be,
we would all use the same length of key and
same centers, which would standardize key-
making to a certain extent. The key-maker
could at least get out the same length of stock
for his keys and a one-size key frame.
"Now, let us go into the question of the height
of key-bottom. Different makes to-day have
their keyboards at different heights from the
floor. There is no reason at all for this. I
think that the proper average height for the
average player could be arrived at, and that all
manufacturers could make their keyboards the
same height from the bottom of side. Then, if
any manufacturer should want to make his key-
board one-half inch lower from the floor than
is the standardized measure, he could do this
by sinking his caster one-half inch more or
less, thus making up the difference.
"If the manufacturers got together after
adopting the above suggestions and would
standardize the distance from the top of the
back and from the striking distance to the top
of the key-bottom and make their plates and
backs this way, it would be a great aid for the
piano-action maker, for he could use one or
two sizes of action brackets and could make the
extension on the action standard as well.
Advantages for Case-maker
"Let us go back to the condition which con-
fronts the case-maker again. If the above sug-
gestions were adopted widely he could pro-
duce cases at a lower price and with greater
speed of production, for he would be able to
cut his core lumber regardless or not of whether
he had orders on his books for delivery. He
could cut his sides to length and width; toes
to length and width; styles to length and width;
bottom frames to length and width; foot rails
to length and width; falls all the same, if Boston
falls were used; top frames to length and width,
and tops to length and width. His ornaments
and mouldings could be made to any design
the manufacturer might specify, thus preserving
the individuality of style in the piano case.
"This would also help the back-maker. We
all know that the number of posts in backs
differ—some have four, some five and some six.
Why not adopt a standard back by making
the sizes the same and make, say, a five-post
back? I think it would be possible to get a
five-post back at the same price at which a
four-post back is sold now, if we were to stand-
ardize backs so their makers would not have
so many styles to contend with, which is always
a clog on production and the source of increased
manufacturing overhead.
"There are two questions left open regarding
the back. They are the thickness and width
of the wrestplank. We know that no manu-
facturer uses a tuning pin that is more than
two and one-half inches in length, so what is
the reason that we cannot adopt a standard
thickness wrestplank? We could also adopt a
standard width for this by getting together and
measuring from the top back of shoulder of
plate and make this distance standard by having
the plate-maker move the back shoulder of the
plate up or down to the manufacturer's require-
ments. Thus, all manufacturers of a one-size
piano could use the one back, or what we might
term the standard back.
Individuality Not Impaired
"All of this could be done without impairing
in the least the individuality of the instrument
which the manufacturer makes. We cannot
standardize tone. We cannot standardize case
styles. But there are any number of parts in
an instrument which we can standardize. Once
we do that we find our manufacturing overhead
is decreased considerably by the greater speed
made in the forwarding processes. We simplify
the problem of the supply manufacturers and
gain two advantages thereby—first, when we
want supplies we can get almost immediate de-
liveries upon them, and, secondly, we lower their
costs of production. These advantages, I know,
are great enough to warrant a piano manufac-
turer giving up an odd quarter inch here or
there which, in the final analysis, has nothing
at all to do with the individuality and quality
of the piano he makes."
BETTER BUSINESSJN BIRMINGHAM
Industries Active and Corporations Increase
Wages—Good Piano Sales Being Made
BIRMINGHAM, ALA., March 19.—Piano business
in this section of the country is showing steady
improvement, and although sales have been
lather hard to make since the first of the year,
the situation is growing better each week. The
various local industries are active and it is an-
nounced that several of the coal and steel cor-
porations have increased wages 10 per cent.
H. L. West, of the E. E. Forbes & Sons
Piano Co., which handles the Kranich & Bach,
Mehlin, Steger, Stultz & Bauer and other
pianos, as well as the Brunswick phonograph
here, recently went out and sold four pianos
in one day for cash. With conditions as they
are this is not so much out of the ordinary as
it might appear.
The warerooms of the Forbes & Sons Piano
Co. have recently been entirely redecorated, the
improvements including the laying of hardwood
floors throughout the store.
M. MAX ON SOUTHERN TRIP
Morris Max, head of the piano and phono-
graph department of Gimbel Bros., New York,
is enjoying a month's vacation traveling through
the South. Last week he spent a few days in
Havana.