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The Player and Reproducing Piano
Exhibits Before the Tuners
Coin-Operated Instruments Make Their First Appearance This Year at the Tuners' Meeting—Exhibits of
the American Piano Co., the Kohler Industries, the Aeolian Co., the Baldwin Piano Co., the
Gulbransen Co. and the Starr Piano Co. — Large Attendance at Showings
T
HE player-piano and reproducing-piano
exhibits at the tuners' convention consti-
tuted the principal source of interest
among the two dozen displays of all sorts which
the occasion brought forth. This, of course, ha.s
always been the case, from the very beginning
of the practice of making such exhibits. It was
to bring to a large number-of tuners gathered
together in one place short and practical lessons
(crowded into three or four days) in player and
reproducer construction, regulation and repair,
that the first exhibits were made; and this has
been the predominating aim ever since.
The Coin-Operated Comes Through
The most interesting of all the displays in one
sense were of the coin-operated instruments.
For some years past efforts had been made by
friends of the tuners and of the player industry
to persuade the leading manufacturers of coin
instruments and the like to exhibit their lines
at tuners' conventions; but for one reason or
another nothing materialized until this year. It
was at once apparent, however, that the tuners
in general wanted to know anything and every-
thing about coin-operated mechanism, for the
rooms of the Seeburg and the Nelson-Wiggen
exhibits were crowded day and night. Factory
experts were on hand to answer questions, and
they were kept very busy doing so.
This was all to the good, and only shows that
the general body of tuners throughout the
country is poorly equipped in technical knowl-
edge of this particular branch of the player in-
dustry. There were certainly about a thousand
visitors to the second floor of the Hotel Sher-
man in Chicago during the week of August 9,
and the vast majority of these were tuners, who
came from all over the United States, from
Canada and even from Hawaii, so that the gath-
ering constituted a very fair sample of the feel-
ings and the ideas, the technical knowledge and
the technical skill of the tuning business. The
great interest shown in the coin-operated ex-
hibits was therefore doubly significant, and one
hopes that the fact will not be lost upon the
manufacturers concerned.
Ampico Again
The reproducing piano exhibits were as usual
very fine. A special word of praise must again
be given to the service department of the
American Piano Co. for doing things so very
completely and well. Werolin and his assistants
are nothing if not thorough and they work out
their plans to the end. Their exhibit this time
occupied six rooms and they had seven men on
the job. Mason & Hamlin, Chickering and
Knabe pianos with the Ampico graced the
rooms and gave out beautiful music. The
arrangements were so made that visitors to the
technical classes were not disturbed by music,
while those who wished to hear what the Am-
pico can do rather than how it does it were
able to listen to their hearts' content. All the
arrangements in fact were admirable, but per-
haps the most admirable part of them was to
be found in the class rooms. Here were com-
plete working actions of the Ampico installed in
skeleton grand piano rims and mounted to show
the precise method of installing an Ampico
action in a grand piano. These models are the
best things I he present writer has yet seen for
teaching reproducing piano construction.
Another word of commendation must be had
for the grand piano action classes which Mr.
personally taught. Nothing in the
whole technical realm is more needed among
tuners than better knowledge of grand action
work. One personally witnessed incident will
serve as an illustration. A class was at work
on the action models, regulating them after
each had been dismounted and put ovit of regu-
lation. The instructor said to one of the
learners: "Now, regulate the jack." "All
right," replied the student, who immediately
began to bend the back-check! One hopes that
this gentleman is not a "qualified tuner."
Danquard
Due mention must also be made of the fine
exhibit and school conducted by the Danquard
Player Action School for the Kohler Industries.
The central feature of course was the Welte-
Mignon (Licensee) reproducing action, which
was exhibited and explained to crowds of tuners
throughout the four days of the convention. As
a matter of fact the Danquard School started its
work a week before the convention opened.
This was in order to give the local men a chance
to get their instruction before the visitors
arrived. Milton Cheek, of course, was in
charge, which is only another way of saying
that the classes were very well conducted and
the instruction very well given. The famous
traveling expert Van Norstrand was also there.
Another very interesting feature of this exhibit
was the new small size Standard player action
intended for installation in short uprights from
three feet six to four feet in height. This action
is the result of experimental and inventive work-
on the part of A. K. Gutsohn, factory manager
and secretary of the Standard Pneumatic Action
Co. It is a beautiful piece of work which de-
servedly attracted much attention. The arrange-
ment of the pneumatics and the method adopted
to bring them into contact with the piano action
represent some of the neatest mechanical work
we have yet seen in the player field.
Duo-Art
The Aeolian Co. had evidently concluded from
its first year's experience at Detroit in 1925 that
the Duo-Art mechanism was likely to be even
more sought after by the tuners in 1926 than
it had been the previous year. The Duo-Art
display was in fact well thought out and well
managed. The working models were good and
had been skilfully arranged. A fine Steinway
grand equipped with the Duo-Art mechanism
was the center of attraction. Particularly at-
tractive was the mounting of the Duo-Art
models, both for the convenience of the learner
and as a matter of display for the casual visitor.
Baldwin
The Baldwin exhibit, which last year also was
seen for the first time, made likewise a very
favorable impression upon the technical
visitor. The Baldwin player mechanism was of
course featured and was displayed with much
skill so as to exhibit all its workings at a glance.
Gulbransen
The reader will hardly expect to have the
record closed up without mention of the Gul-
bransen exhibit. This was not so much tech-
nical as commercial, in the sense that the real
interest this time lay in the very remarkable
display of sales helps for tuners which the
advertising department of the company has
worked out. The showing was certainly unique
and one hopes that the tuners generally appre-
ciated it. Certainly there were hundreds look-
ing at it.
The Cristofqri pictures were also at the Gul-
bransen rooms. One hopes, too, that their sig-
nificance was duly appreciated, which hope
would be stronger if one did not have to realize
that the Gulbransen people, like their confreres
of the American Piano Co., have done a vast
amount of forward thinking for the tuners,
thinking perhaps of higher quality than its bene-
ficiaries are generally able to comprehend or
fairly appraise.
And, Lastly
This notice must not close without some men-
tion of the Starr exhibit. This company has
always made its own player action and this year
showed its own reproducing mechanism in a
Starr grand. Likewise among the exclusive
houses the M. Schulz Co., faithful as ever to
the tuners, and with the inimitable Gustafson
on hand to explain his ideas, showed the exclu-
sive Schulz reproducing mechanism. The
Straube exhibit also featured this company's
own player action to excellent advantage. And
of the Pratt-Read exhibit it is only necessary
to remark that Charles Leiser was there as
usual, and that the Pratt-Read mechanism is just
as fine a piece of clean workmanship and skilled
design as it has always been. And the working
model of key, action and player, all Pratt-Read
made, was unique.
The 1926 exhibits at the Tuners' convention
were up to standard. One can hardly say more
than that.
Gluett & Sons to Move to
Larger Quarters in Albany
Work to Start Soon on Remodeling of Four-
story Building on Broadway, That City, to
Be Occupied Early Next Year
ALBANY, N. Y., August 23.—Cluett & Sons, the
old-established piano house, for forty-five years
located at 49 State street, plans to move early
next year to larger quarters on Brodaway ad-
joining Stanwix Hall. The building leased by
the company will be entirely remodeled to meet
the special needs of its business at a cost of ap-
proximately $50,000. Four floors will be avail-
able at the new address and the plans call for a
number of studios to be occupied by music
teachers. The Broadway building will be ready
about November 1, but the lease on the State
street store does not run out until next year.
Hardman Heard at Musicale
An interesting musicale, featuring many
popular artists and entertainers, was given at
the Orienta Beach Club, Mamaroneck, N. Y.,
on Sunday evening, August 15, through the
courtesy of Hardman, Peck & Co., New York.
The program was arranged by Stephen Czukor,
manager of the Hardman concert department,
and included selections by the double quar-
tet from the "Vagabond King" and piano solos
by Vee Lawnhurst. Another feature of the pro-
gram was the use of the Hardman Welte-
Mignon (Licensee) reproducing piano in com-
parison selections by Miss Lawnhurst. The
affair was invitational and was attended by an
interested group of the club's members.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review.