Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JUNE 16,
1923
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
GULBRANSEN TO BE KNOWN AS THE REGISTERING PIANO
Announcement Made at the Gulbransen Breakfast During the Convention in Chicago—National
Announcement to Be Made in the July Issue of the Saturday Evening Post
CHICAGO, III,, June 12.—Concluding a week of
unparalleled convention activity, the Gulbran-
sen-Uickinson Co. made several news announce-
ments of widespread interest and importance to
the music trade and industry.
At the Thursday morning breakfast at the
Drake Hotel, at which Gulbransen dealers were
the guests, a new name for the Gulbransen
product was made public. It is "Gulbransen
Registering Piano."
For some time the company and many of
its dealers have felt that the term ''player-
piano" has fallen short of describing the Gul-
bransen, which is not alone a "player-piano,"
as the term is generally understood, but which,
further than that, actually, "registers" one's
touch, "registers" one's time, "registers" one's
expression and individuality.
When the name was announced at the break-
fast by John Martin, the Gulbransen dealer at
Los Angeles, it was received very favorably,
and, in fact, it might be said that the dealers'
attitude was one of feeling that they had at
last been given something that they had long
felt the need of, to distinguish the Gulbransen
from othef player-pianos.
The first announcement of the new name in
a national publication will be made in a July
issue of The Saturday Evening Post.
The Gulbransen-Dickinson Co. also announces
that, as soon as practicable from a manufactur-
ing standpoint, Gulbransen player-pianos will
be furnished, so as to play all music rolls—
whether cut for player-pianos, reproducing or
expression pianos. The value of offering a
piano that "plays any roll" will be quickly
realized.
The Gulbransen breakfast was attended by
about 200 dealers and their wives. The feature
attraction was the playing of "La Cinquantaine"
and "Valse Coquette" on the Gulbransen by
'•.-Mr. Martin. It is seldom that a manufacturer
is privileged to have a dealer so enthusiastic
that he will gladly devote his own time to ac-
quainting his fellow-dealers with his method of
presenting a product to the public. Such, how-
ever, is the case with the Gulbransen and Mr.
Martin.
All week long, scores of dealers sat along-
side of Mr. Martin and got from him hints and
practice in the correct musical presentation of
the Gulbransen; heard him explain the things
that can be done On a Gulbransen—the things
that appeal to practically every prospect at once
and that make even the most competent pian-
ists sit up and take notice.
A large number of dealers visited the Gul-
branson exhibit at 770-772 Drake Hotel. All
four models of the Gulbransens—the White
House, Country Seat, Suburban and Community
Models—were shown. It showed colored jumbo
ads which were hung on the walls, the panel
displaying advertising matter, the plaster babies,
the cut-out letter design "Easy to play."
The exhibit also showed the new 22-karat
gold window design that the company showed
for the first time at the convention.
Also on the floor on the/right-hand side was to
be seen one of the new four-light-change elec-
tric flashers—shown for the first time at the
convention. A two-light-change flasher was
also displayed.
In the advertising display of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce at the Drake
Hotel,, two panels were devoted to the Gul-
bransen national advertising, showing copy and
mediums used, as well as the monthly circula-
tion of the publications.
Aside from , the interest which the Drake
Hotel held for Gulbransen dealers, many of
them visited the big Gulbransen factories at
Chicago and Kedzie avenues, and every morn-
ing and afternoon parties of dealers went
through the plant. The Gulbransen salesmen
who were in Chicago to greet the dealers from
their territories were W. J. Eden, Jay G. Hob-
son, W. G. Karmann, T. W. Perkins, and J. J.
Healy.
11
The Gulbransen dealers in the Chicago terri-
tory united in inviting delegates to visit their
displays of the Gulbransen. In the windows of
about forty music stores appeared a card read-
ing:
"Welcome—Visitors to the Music Trades Con-
ventions, June 4 to 8, Gulbransen Player-Piano
Convention Models on exhibition at this store."
BUSINESS GROWING BETTER ON THE NORTHWEST COAST
Music Houses Unanimous in Their Satisfaction With Present Conditions—Local Sherman-Clay
Branch Preparing Opening of Music Merchandise Department—Other Local News
PORTLAND, ORE., June 9.—lousiness here continues
to increase. This is conclusively shown by the
statement of the Portland Clearing House As-
sociation for May, which shows that the bank
clearances for the month amounted to $158,-
524,239, compared with $126,209,541 for May,
1922, a gain of $32,314,698. This is attributed by
the business men as partly due to the develop-
ment of Portland as a port and the rapid de-
velopment of the lumber industry.
Music houses are unanimous in expressions
of good business. The G. F. Johnson Piano
Co., according to Mr. Johnson, closed the week
with the best day's business since the opening
of the establishment. On that day the sales
in the piano department alone amounted to
$13,600. Sales included three Chickering with
the Ampico grands among the six instruments
sold that day.
The G. F. Johnson Co. gave a recital to the
student body of the Washington High School
recently, in which the Chickering with the Am-
pico was used. The assisting artist was Miss
Leola Green, manager of the Ampico roll de-
partment of the company, who is gifted with a
fine soprano voice. The recital was received
with enthusiasm.
The Music & Photo. House, of Grants Pass,
Ore., owned by Stanton Powell, has moved into
its new home in that place. Mr. Powell, who
was a recent Portland visitor, says he has one
of the most up-to-date and complete music
stores in southern Oregon. He handles the
Gulbransen line of pianos and the Brunswick
and Victor phonographs and records and has a
complete line of musical merchandise and sheet
music.
Musical appreciation will move a step forward
by the extension work that is offered to the
musicians of the Northwest by the School of
Music of the University of Oregon. Courses
in school music, advanced music and choral
directing, appreciation of music, musical history
and music and its fundamentals will be pre-
sented.
E. J. Meyers, manager of the musical mer-
chandise department of the Bush & Lane Piano
Co., has received a shipment of the new metal-
lined mouthpieces for the Holton saxophone, of
which the Bush & Lane Co. is the Oregon dis-
tributor. Mr. Meyers says that the attachment
fills a long-felt want and the users of the Hol-
ton are greatly pleased with it. Mr. Meyers is
a very busy man these days, as he, in addition
to his department, is assisting in preparing the
sixty-piece saxophone band, an exclusive Holton
organization, for its initial appearance June 12,
13 and 14, during the annual Rose Festival. The
band has been engaged by those in charge of
the Festival to give concerts in the various
parks of the city during the festivities.
The local branch of Sherman, Clay & Co. are
pushing ahead their preparations for a grand
opening of their musical merchandise and sheet
music departments, and if everything goes ac-
cording to schedule June 18 is the day. T. G.
Towner, of the musical merchandise depart-
ment of Oakland, Cal., is in Portland directing
the preparation of the musical merchandise end
of the affair. Mr. Towner has just finished in-
stalling a similar department in the Seattle
branch of the firm. They will feature the King
band instruments, Vega, Bacon and Orpheum
banjos, Martin guitars and mandolins, Leedy
and Ludwig drums, Robert, Penzel-Muller and
Buffet clarinets, Haines, Christcnsen and Pen-
zel-Muller flutes and Christensen oboes, etc.
The location of the store is ideal and that they
will get a large volume of trade in both the
musical merchandise and sheet music depart-
ments goes without saying.
The Seiberling-Lucas Music Co. is staging a
June sale in all the departments of the store.
All lines are offered at very attractive prices
and a good volume of business is being ob-
tained. The management states that the. pur-
pose of the sale is to clean up old stock and
get ready for new stock for the Fall trade.
May 27 G. F. Johnson, of the G. F. Johnson
Piano Co., in coming to the store, found that
someone had been there before him and when
an inventory was taken four Martin saxophones
and two pairs of pliers were found missing.
The police promptly located two young men as
suspects and the pliers were found in their pos-
session. They soon confessed and led the of-
ficers to the cache, and the saxophones, valued
at over $500, were returned to the store un-
damaged.
The Kimball line of pianos has been added
to the stock of the Laraway Music House, of
Eugene, Ore., according to announcement of
Seth Laraway, who was a recent Portland visi-
tor. Mr. Laraway says that business in the
University City is very good.
Catherine Dresser, who has been the cashier
of the Sherman, Clay & Co. local branch, has
resigned so as to join her mother in California.
The firm has added Margaret Bridge and Vera
Stone to the sales force.
GEM MUSIC STORE OPENS
MONTGOMERY, W. VA., June 13.—The Gem Music
Store is the name of a new music establishment
which has opened in the Montgomery Building
on Ferry street. The store is run under the
management of Delaney & Black.
The True Test
Compare the new Jesse French & Sons Piano
with any other strictly high grade piano in tone,
touch and general construction, and you will be
convinced at once that they offer the most
exceptional values to be found anywhere.
Write today for catalog and prices
Jesse French & Sons Style 103
"They are the one best buy on the market"
JESSE FRENCH & SONS PIANO CO.
NEW CASTLE
INDIANA