Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
36
The Music Trade Review
DECEMBER 4, 1926
The Technical and Supply Department—(Continued from page 35)
scale. Although the prick marks occupy space,
and the drill holes for the bridge pins still mpre
space, yet it is found in practice that the ap-
proach to calculated accuracy is always close in
proportion as the figures are carried to the right
of the decimal point. One only has to look at
a carefully calculated scale to note the lovely
curve of the treble bridge and the graceful
sweep of the agraffe line, usually far surpassing
in good looks curves obtained by non-mathe-
matical methods.
Therefore the answer to the first question is:
the more accurately the string lengths are cal-
culated, the more accurate the resulting work is
likely to be.
tances and loadings will have been worked out desire to put their own high personal skill be-
in advance, and any defects in the completed hind the execution of the foundational design.
piano will first have to be sought in other parts The architect's drawings, be it remembered, or
of the construction. The first thought in fact the architect's figures and specifications do not
will be "has the design been carried out faith- constitute the dwelling house or the skyscraper,
fully?" The second thought will be "if it has but even a bungalow put up haphazard is al-
been carried out faithfully, then our materials ways a sorry specimen of work, while a sky-
are not up to specification; or else our work- scraper put up by chance or guess is a sheer im-
manship is poor." And through such self-criti- possibility.
cism the men responsible for the result will
quite probably be guided into the right direc-
tion.
A Directing Force
is solicited and should be addressed to William
In other words, the mere fact of a scien- Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago.
tifically worked out design will act as a direct-
Scale and Piano
ing force. If it be known by those who are
The answer to the second question is more responsible for the construction, that the de-
complex. In effect it might be stated as: "How sign is correct from an engineering and acoustic
large a share in the final result is fairly to be standpoint, they will do all in their power to
awarded to the scale design?" In either form follow it faithfully throughout. Moreover, what
the question has been often controverted, and mistakes they do make will be referred by them Course Opened at Hotel Imperial, on Novembe :
my own answer to it, although it may not sat- to the design and thus corrected. On the other
22, With Approximately Seventy Enrolled
isfy every one, should at least be interesting.
hand, if the tonal result fall short of expecta-
And I would answer that, other things being tions, it will not be necessary to waste time in
The Danquard Player School, which is spon-
equal, I had rather have a first class scale with blind experiment, for the next experiment will
sored by the Standard Pneumatic Action Co.
second class workmanship and materials, than be at once indicated. It will necessarily, in fact,
and the Auto Pneumatic Action Co., New York,
a second class scale with first class workman- take the shape of a check-up on the design, to
as a traveling institution for piano repair men
ship.
discover where, if anywhere, the work has is back in its home town, having begun it-
The statement calls for explanation. The deviated from the latter. Only after that
sessions at the Hotel Imperial, Broadway and
scale is the acoustic plan. If it be drawn un- may it be necessary to take steps to discover
Thirty-second street, on Monday, November 22.
scientifically, that is to say by following the whether the design can be improved.
About seventy men have enrolkd for the New
draughtsman's own experiences as developed
York sessions, which will be held up to De-
Last
Considerations
during previous designs, or by copying the
If will, of course, be pointed out that good cember 10 and possibly for an additional week
work of another draughtsman, then inevitably
pianos
have been made from designs many if the attendance warrants it. As is usual with
the results will be incalculable. It will be im-
years
old
or which have been permitted to most of the stays of the school, many men have
possible to guess correctly what will be the
deviate
in
many
directions from their original come a great distance to attend it, one of them
tonal result in any portion of the scale. When
lines.
To
which
the
answer is that these pianos having come to New York from Minnesota and
the work has been done and the iron plate is
would
be
still
better
if their foundation work several from Ohio.
ready to be fitted, the men responsible for the
Interest is centering on the player-piano play-
were
grounded
upon
ascertained
and ascertain-
construction will be unable to say why they
ing
contest to be run during the last two days
able
data.
The
perfect
piano
will
be
the
piano
have chosen these specific string lengths, or
whether the loadings which they are planning of which the scale has been designed by an of the Danquard School's visit in New York,
to use are actually suitable. They will then engineer who is also both a practical acous- under the auspices of the Standard Pneumatic
be obliged to work out by slow trial and error tician and a practically experienced piano- Action Co. All men enrolled for the short in-
the details of the loadings and the lengths. They maker, and carried out by men who honestly structional course are eligible to compete in the
will have to experiment with the striking dis-
tances, with the hammers and with other im-
portant things. Not only will they therefore
be very likely to waste a great deal of time,
but still more, they may be tempted to regard
as satisfactory results which, in reality, do not
at all exhaust the possibilities of their design.
And all this will be because these men will not
LIGHT—COMPACT—SERVICEABLE
have been in possession of previously ascer-
tained scientific data upon any of the disputable
Weighs Only 6 Pounds
points of their work. No matter how fine their
workmanship, they will have to treat each sep-
When closed the aluminum
arate piano as a separate problem. Therefore
such an occurrence as a change of skilled
trays nest together over the large
worker at some vital point may at any time
compartment, which measures
mean a hiatus in the orderly course of manu-
137/ 8 '' x 6" x 4". The two lef: hand
facture.
Advantage of Scientific Design
trays measure 137 8 " x 2 l / A " x U/g"
On the other hand a first-class and scientific
and the two right hand trays 137/ 8 "
scale can hardly be made the basis of a very
bad piano. Even though the material and the
x 334" x \y 8 ". The partitions in
workmanship be relatively second-rate, the ex-
right hand trays are adjustable cr
Outside measurements 15J4 inches long, 7
istence of a scientific design will always make
may be removed. Case is fitted
inches wide, 8 inches high.
for accuracy and security. The lengths, dis-
No. 150—Covered with seal grain imitation
with a very secure lock and solil
leather. Each $13.00
brass, highly nickel-plated hard-
No. 200—Covered with genuine black cow-
ware.
hide leather. Each $20.00 F.O.B. New York.
Correspondence
Danquard School Holds
Sessions in New York
Tuners Carrying Case
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Standard of America
Alumni of 2000
Piano Tuninc, Pipe and Reed Orsao
and Player Piano. Tear Book Free.
27-29 Gainmboro Straet
BOSTON, MASS.
Tuners
and Repairers
Our new illustrated catalogue of Piano and
Player Hardware Felts and Tools is n«w
ready.
If you haven't received your copy
please let us know.
OTTO R. TREFZ, JR.
2110 Fairmount ATC.
Phila., Pa.
We have a separate Department to take care of special requirements
of tuners and repairers. Mail orders for action parts, repair materials,
also tuning and regulating tools are given special attention.
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co.
Piano and Player Hardware, Felts and Tools
New York Since 1848
4th Ave. at 13th St.