Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1925 Vol. 80 N. 8

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
FEBRUARY 21, 1925
41
REVIEW
SUPPLY BRANCHES OF THE INDUSTRY
Thirty-five Years of Progress in the
Manufacturing of the Piano Action
George F. Abendschein, of the Staib-Abendschein Co., Inc., Tells of the Policies Which Have Al-
ways Guided This Firm in the Production of Its Product
it
Tf
OR thirty-five years we have been mak-
ing piano actions—thirty-five years of
specializing on one thing, the making of what
we believe is the most important element in
the piano. Yet we devote just as much study
to improvement when improvement is possible
that the tuner or repairer in after years is not
called on to supply deficiencies in design or re-
pair the constant troubles that always arise
from the use of inferior materials.
"One great advantage of a lifetime of ex-
perience in making piano actions, such as we
in our new grand action for reproducing pianos
a mechanism that has won the commendation
of the manufacturers and factory men who have
installed it. The future will, undoubtedly,
evolve types of piano, either with talking ma-
chine, radio or motion picture elements, but in
any event, it will call for a piano action and we
intend to maintain our one standard of building
a piano action of the best quality.
"We think that is the way to progress, for it
is the way to build up a permanent and in-
creasing business with the reputation and sat-
isfaction obtainable from putting out only a
product that gives lasting satisfaction, which
is no small job on such an intricate mechanism
as a piano action of any type/'
Lumber Used in the
Production of Veneers
| | |
| j |
I I I
Staib-Abendschein Action for
as when we started business," said George F.
Abendschein, of the Staib-Abendschein Co., Inc.,
to a Review representative last week.
"From the square to the upright, to the play-
er, and to the modern grand, public taste has
changed, but the action maker's responsibilities
have increased. The reason is simple. The
public demands more and more from the piano
and its action is to the piano what the nervous
system is to the human being. Some have
called it the stomach of the piano, but, call it
what you will, if the action isn't perfect the
piano's performance is poor or worse.
"This is so evident, so undeniable, that it is
equally undeniable that the important thing
about a piano action is not its first cost, but
how it stands up. Making piano actions of the
first quality demands infinite care, constant ad-
herence to the highest standard of construction
and a rigid patience in putting it together so
The man who uses Behlen's Varnish
Crack Eradicator can afford to figure
lower, yet makes more profit on a re-
finishing job, than the man who does
not use it.
The reason-—he saves the time, trouble
and expense of scraping off the old var-
nish and shellac and the finished job is
just as satisfactory, too—if not more so.
Send for a sample can today and
try it.
H. BEHLEN & BRO.
Anilines
Shellacs
Reproducing Grand Pianos
have had, is that we long ago found out what
is good material and what is poor. You can
cheapen your action by using poor material
or by speeding up the workmen to a point where
they haven't time to do their work accurately,
but then the troubles of the maker, dealer or
the tuner begin. The action 'doesn't work,'
that's about all the average pianist knows about
it, but he or she knows that thoroughly, and
isn't happy nor able to use the piano with sat-
isfaction until the action is repaired.
"Often this is a troublesome and expensive
business if the action is not of good quality,
both in material and workmanship. Our con-
stant thought is not alone how perfect is our
action when it leaves the factory but how it
will stand up; in other words, how complete
satisfaction it will give to the pianist twenty
or twenty-five years later as well as how little
trouble it gives the factorvman in originally
installing it.
m
"This is also an important point because if
it is properly adjusted when it leaves the fac-
tory the piano itself is not delayed in process
of manufacture and the increase in output as
well as the decrease in the labor cost per year
is not an imaginary but a very substantial item,
as many manufacturers have found out by ex-
periment with both kinds of actions, those made
to last, such as the Staib-Abendschein, and those
made for a price.
"We have kept pace with all the changes in
piano construction; in fact, have anticipated
some. When the player-piano in upright form
won public appreciation, we introduced the Mas-
tertouch action, which saved space useful in
player-pianos, for the reducing the depth of the
case or gave proper room for the piping of
the player mechanism.
"Now the reproducing player mechanism has
made a great hit with the public and we have
THE
Piaivo Bervekes
and Musie Cabinets
10-12 Christopher St., New York
Near «tb AT*., and 8th St.
ARJNOVELTYCO.
exclusive manufacturers Stains
Fillers
GOSHEN
Writ* for catalog and. details
INDIANA
American Walnut Represented 3.7 Per Cent of
Total, Imported Mahogany 2 Per Cent and
Circassian Walnut .3 Per Cent
Records showing the quantity of wood used
in the manufacture of veneers in the United
States during 1923 have recently been made pub-
lic and contain some interesting data relative to
the trend of the veneer industry since the war.
Veneer consumption in 1923 was 682,172,000
feet, log scale, showing an increase of 70.4 per
cent over 1921. Because of the business depres-
sion in 1921 a comparison with the consumption
in 1919, 576,581,000 feet, brings out more clearly
the actual trend in this industry. The rate of
increase from 1919 to 1923 was 18.3 per cent.
The leading State in the industry in both 1921
and 1923 was Arkansas, with a consumption of
9.4 per cent of the total quantity in 1923 and
13.1 per cent in 1921. Washington showed the
greatest increase, advancing from fourteenth
place in 1921 to second in 1923.
Of the total for 1923, red gum continues to
be the most important wood, supplying 32.4 per
cent of the total consumption, with yellow pine
second with 9.5 per cent. Percentages of the
principal veneering woods used by the piano,
phonograph and radio (cabinet) industries are
considerably smaller in the national consump-
tion table.
For example, the consumption of American
walnut for veneers in 1923 is 3.7 per cent of the
total; white oak, 2 per cent; red oak, 1.8 per
cent; imported mahogany, 2 per cent; Circas-
sian walnut, .3 per cent, and other rare im-
ported woods less than one-tenth of 1 per cent.
These woods would naturally take a higher
place in a table of relative values than many
woods of wider usage.
Tattersill Opens Branch
CAMDK.N, N. J , February 16.—A branch of the
Tattersill Music House has been opened here
at 2629 Westfield avenue. John Tattersill has
been appointed manager of the new store, which
will handle a complete line of pianos.
WHITE, SON CO.
Manufacturers of
ORGAN AND PLAYER-PIANO
LEATHERS
530-540 Atlantic Arc, BOSTON, MASS.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
42
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
FEBRUARY 21, 1925
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Will Inclusion of Saxophone Arrangement
in Popular Sheet Music Create New Market?
Ukulele Arrangements Increase Sales—Popularity of Saxophone With Youth of Country Should
Make Feasible Inclusion of Saxophone Arrangement in Near Future
' I * HK inclusion of ukulele arrangements in
the piano copies of popular music is now in
vogue with most publishers. Only a few of the
newer issues fail to carry such arrangements
and these do not lend themselves readily for
such purposes. The darce folios also now in-
variably carry these ukulele additions. All this
is done not only to sell more music but to give
greater value to the purchaser. A couple of
years ago one popular publisher for a short time
added to his piano copies the arrangement for
the saxophone. This appeared on the back page
of his popular piano copies. The idea did not at
that time meet with much success and this may
have been due to the limited popularity of these
particular issues. At any rate, the saxophone
arrangement was discarded after a short trial.
It has been estimated that there are close to
a million saxophones now in use and while this
does not compare with the number of ukuleles
that have been sold during a score of years, the
continued interest in the saxophone will un-
doubtedly make more feasible, at a not-too-late
date, the inclusion of an arrangement for saxo-
phone renditions in all piano music.
It has often been said, and there is no evi-
dence to disprove it, that most of the popular
sheet music is sold to girls. Naturally, it is the
youth of the country who are interested in the
latest dance steps, the novelty and the comedy
songs. While the girls do not buy all the
music, most of it is bought for them.
The saxophone, however, while an instrument
of the newer generation, is confined mostly to
boys and herein undoubtedly lies a market for
several hundred thousand sales of sheet music,
at least of the best dance numbers, which would
hardly otherwise be sold. The young saxo-
phone player is an enthusiast and the fact that
he has purchased such an instrument shows
that he is quite modern and wants to be up-to-
date, so there is every reason to believe that he
will purchase the latest dance tunes.
If this is an added market for sheet music,
and there undoubtedly are many sales to be had
in this channel, there is hardly any obstacle
from the publisher's viewpoint in including an
arrangement for the saxophone. The present
ukulele arrangements appear on the same page
with the melody for the piano so no additional
space in the copies is required to include this
music. The outside back cover of popular sheet
music is given over to publisher's advertising,
and generally carries titles and thematics of
Music Publishers' Association Leaves
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors Unanimously Decide to Leave Body Because of Latter's Attitude on New
Perkins' Copyright Bill Now Pending Before House of Representatives
A T a special meeting of the Board of Direc-
tors of the Music Publishers' Association
of the United States, held in the offices of G.
Schirmer, Inc., 3 East Forty-third street, New
York City, it was una'nimously voted to with-
draw as a division member of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce.
The action was taken following the appear-
ance of Alfred L. Smith, of the Music Indus-
tries Chamber of Commerce before the Patents
Committee of the House of Representatives, re-
cently at a hearing against the Perkins copy-
right bill. Heretofore Mr. Smith has acted as
executive secretary of the Music Publishers'
Association of the United States.
M. E. Tompkins, vice-president of G. Schirmer,
Inc., was appointed temporary secretary of the
meeting at which the vote was taken.
The action taken by the Publishers' Associa-
tion has been anticipated for several days, owing
to the fact that a number of members of the
trade were quite outspoken regarding their
opinion that it was not exactly consistent for
the executive secretary of their organization
to appear in Washington and present arguments
in favor of opposing interests.
Mills Denies Publishers
Plan to Form Trust
I dislike to destroy its figment but must say
to you that so far he is the only one that knows
of the proposed or actual organization of a
music trust of any kind, style or sort. The
music publishers know nothing of it nor do they
contemplate any such activity, and if they did
I would have nothing personally to do with it
and would be the first one to tell you gentle-
men of it. I especially request that the con-
tents of this telegram be inserted in the rec-
ord immediately following the report of the
remarks made by Germaize. I am leaving on a
much-needed vacation, otherwise would appear
personally before your committee."
Speaking of the compulsory licensing pro-
vision of the law, Mr. Germaize had declared
in his testimony:
"We believe that the repeal of this provision,
or any amendment of it, will tend to give a
monopoly to one or two phonograph companies
now in existence, and will create a trust among
a few others and will destroy all the rest. The
music publishing industry is ready to launch a
very big combination and trust, of which the
head will be Mr. E. C. Miller."
Chairman of the Executive Board M. P. P. A.
Denies Statement Made by Phonograph Man
at Copyright Hearings in Washington
WASHINGTON, D. C, February 16.—Denial that
the music publishers contemplate the formation
of a trust as testified to by Arthur E. Germaize,
representing the Columbia Phonograph Co., is
made in a telegram received by Chairman
Florian Lampert, of the House Patents Com-
mittee, from E. O. Mills, chairman Executive
Board Music Publishers' Protective Association,
New York.
Mr. Germaize appeared before Mr. Lampert's
committee in opposition to the pending Perkins
copyright bill. In his telegram Mr. Mills said:
"Understand Germaize, of Columbia Phono-
graph Co., not only predicted the formation of
a gigantic music trust but stated preliminary
steps looking thereto were now actually under
way. Germaize has an active imagination, and
Whitney's
Production
Books aw Lyrics ly
HARRY B. SMITH
Music Adapted from
the Melodies *f
PI.TSCHAIKOWSRY
u KARL HAJOS
u
UO FEIST Inc
numbers that are being featured by the house.
This space will readily carry the arrangement
for the saxophone and there will hardly be any
additional cost to the publisher in making the
inclusion.
This country seems bent upon becoming a
great musical nation. No doubt at some later
period the homes of the country will find it
necessary to purchase full orchestrations instead
of piano copies in order to serve the needs of
the various musical members of the family.
-*
AN OPERETTA
WITH A BEAUTIFUL
WTHRILLING SCORE
MAGIC OF MOONLIGHT *I HEAR LOVE CALL ME*
*EYES THAT HAUNT M£"
NX
THERE'S A GARDEN in LOVELAND
* A LADY Who LIVES FOR LOVE"
•SHALL I TELL H I M 9 *

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