Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Musical Merchandise Section oi The Music Trade Review
35
Musical Merchandise Manufacturers in
Fretted instrument Players
West Favor One National Organization t o C o n v e n ^ Providence
' T ' H E Association of Musical Merchandise
•*• Manufacturers of the Chicago zone held a
monthly meeting at the Hotel Auditorium Feb-
ruary 6. The business meeting was preceded
by a dinner and the members present were en-
tertained by an interesting musical program by
Johnson Baine, widely known guitar virtuoso.
Among other numbers he played one of his own
compositions, "Symphonic Poem," and the tech-
nique and tone color he displayed greatly inter-
ested the members, displaying the possibilities
of the guitar as a concert solo instrument.
President Jay Kraus (of the Harmony Co.)
presided, and, in addition to Secretary H. O.
Gable, there were also present Walter Gotsch,
J. R. Stewart, A. E. Hunter, H. H. Slingerland,
Wm. F. Ludwig, H. Kuhrmeyer, B. R. Hunt, F.
W. Fackler and T. Werner.
The most important business transacted was
the decision arrived at after a general discus-
sion to go on record as evincing a willingness
to disband the Chicago regional organization, if
the Eastern regional association was willing to
take the same action. If and when the Eastern
manufacturers agree to take the same course,
the present members of the Chicago zone, in-
cluding the States of Illinois, Wisconsin, In-
diana and Michigan, will enter the national body
as individual members. A committee was ap-
pointed to put this proposition before the mem-
bers of the Eastern regional organization and
to get their reaction to the suggestion.
The present members of the Chicago zone or-
ganization are American Gut String Mfg. Co.,
Armour & Co., American Plating & Mfg. Co.,
Consolidated Case Corp., Wm. Frank Co., Geib
& Schaeffer Co., Globe Music Co., Walter M.
Gotsch Co., The Harmony Co., Ludwig & Lud-
wig, Regal Musical Instrument Co., Richter
Mfg. Co., Slingerland Drum & Banjo Mfg. Co.,
J. R. Stewart Co., Stromberg-Voisinet Co., V. C.
Squier Co., and Wilson Bros. Mfg. Co.
The annual convention of the American Guild
of Mandolinists, Banjoists and Guitarists will
be held at the Providence Biltmore Hotel,
Providence, R. I., on May 25, 26 and 27, the gen-
eral direction of the convention arrangements
being in charge of William Place, Jr., of Provi-
dence.
A particularly interesting feat of the program
will be the presentation of a musical comedy,
"Listen to Me," written expressly for fretted
instruments, and which will be given with a cast
of over a hundred at the Carleton Theatre. In
addition there will be an artists' recital in
accordance with the regular Guild custom in
which artists of national repute will appear.
Mr. Place is making a special effort this year
to have manufacturers and jobbers of fretted in-
struments not only attend and exhibit at the
convention, but to bring with them as many
dealers as possible in order that the latter may
gain a popular conception of the artistic possi-
bilities of fretted instruments and of the oppor-
tunities that are offered for their exploitation.
Prominent Artists Using
Martin Band Instrument Co.
New Maybell Guitars and
Vega Banjos and Trumpets Now Controls Pedlar & Co.
Banjos Popular With Trade
Two artists have recently been added to the
long list of musicians who use Vega banjos
and trumpets, manufactured by the Vega Co.,
Boston, Mass. One of these is Roy Pietsch,
Al Morey With Vegaphone Banjo
trumpeter in the Oriental and Uptown Theatres
in Chicago, who is shown in one of the accom-
panying illustrations with Al Kvale, master of
ceremonies, and Milton G. Wolf.
The other artist who is now using the Vega-
Al Kvale, Roy Pietsch and Milton G. Wolf
phone banjo is Al Morey, master of ceremonies
of the Michigan Theatre, Detroit, Mich., and
who at various times has been master of cere-
monies at the Texas Theatre, San Antonio;
Worth Theatre, Fort Worth; Paramount The-
atre, Omaha; Harding Theatre, Chicago.
ELKHART, IND.—O. P. Bassett, president and ma-
jority stockholder of the Martin Band Instru-
ment Co., announced recently the purchase by
that company of a controlling interest in Harry
Pedlar & Co. after several months of nego-
tiations. Harry W. Pedlar, Sr., founder of the
company bearing his name, and who held 65
per cent of the stock, sold his interests to the
Martin Co.
The Pedlar Co. was organized in 1915 and is
said to be the largest institution in the coun-
try engaged exclusively in the manufacture of
clarinets.
In announcing the deal Mr. Bassett stated
that no merger of the Martin and Pedlar com-
panies is planned, but that the latter concern
will operate as a separate entity with Harry
Pedlar, Sr., as general manager, and his son,
Harry Pedlar, Jr., as sales manager. Mr. Bas-
sett has been elected president of the Pedlar
Co.
"Both the Martin and Pedlar companies are
in healthy condition and prospects are that
1930 will prove a very satisfactory year,"
declared Mr. Bassett.
"We consider the
acquisition of the control of the Pedlar Co. a
most important move for the Martin Co." Mr.
Bassett secured control of the Martin Co. in
August, 1919, since which time the business has
increased materially.
The H. H. Slingerland Banjo & Drum Co.
has met with an unusually cordial dealer re-
sponse to their new Maybell guitars and banjos.
The Maybell guitars are made in seven models
with a retail price range from $7.50 to $50.00.
The Maybell banjos retail from $7.50 to $350.00.
Talking with a representative of The Review,
President H. H. Slingerland said, "Naturally we
are gratified by the response we have had to
these new models but I am even more pleased
to say that business has pepped up remarkably
in the last thirty days and the orders we get
from every part of the country for all the in-
struments in our line, including our drums, in-
dicate that the small goods dealer is up on his
toes and making many sales in his community."
Milwaukee Rural Schools
Plan Orchestra Contest
MILWAUKEE,
WIS.—The orchestra
contest
for
suburban schools will be held at the West Allis
high school on Saturday, March 22, and the
event has already aroused much interest through
the various suburbs. Plans are also going for-
ward for the band tournament which is to be
held at Wauwatosa on May 17.
Advanced Musical Instrument Study
Introduced in Schools of Milwaukee
X / I I L W A U K E E , Wis.—One of the most im- non-producers so far as music was concerned.
portant moves in the promotion of interest
The music department of the public schools
in production of orchestral and band music has has now arranged that these people may con-
been taken by the Milwaukee public schools, and tinue to receive instruction through the great
is being applauded by musical merchandise re- number of social centers which are established
tailers of the city.
throughout the city, so that every section of the
For some years Milwaukee schools have been city will have a place where instruction on or-
advancing steadily in the courses given in piano chestral and band instruments may be obtained.
music and in instrumental music, and the forma- These social centers are usually established in
tion of numerous bands and orchestras in public schools which are given over in the eve-
schools throughout the city. However, outside nings to the work of adult education. Under the
of the recently formed Young People's Orches- new plan music will have an important place in
tra of Milwaukee there has been no real effort adult education work in Milwaukee. The direc-
made to continue these young people in their in- tor of orchestral music for all public schools in
terest in playing in orchestras and bands after the city will also have charge of the evening
they have left school. As a result many boys orchestras. Particular effort will be made to
and girls who were making good progress in ' attract those who have played in orchestras, but
school in their instrumental work in music lost who have fallen away from their interest in
interest in playing after graduation, and became music.