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THE M U S I C TRADE
REVIEW,
August, 1931
FINE PIANO MAKERS FOR
NEARLY SEVENTY YEARS
RECOVER PIANOS IN LOOT
TAKEN BY SWINDLERS
WEAVER PIANO CO. MAKES
AN EXTENSIVE LINE
With full confidence in the future of the
well-made piano produced by manufacturers
of recognized standing, the house of Kranich
& Bach, New York, is still operating its busi-
ness in the same factory in which the com-
pany has been making pianos of quality for
sixty-eight years.
Kranich & Bach have always been recog-
nized as a progressive house but with con-
servative ideas in matters of production, the
question with them having always been how
good the piano, rather than how large the
output. The Tesult has been that when busi-
ness slowed up some time ago the company
found itself in the enviable position of hav-
ing a moderate inventory, a small overhead,
no standing liabilities and some very substan-
tial assets not subject to great depreciation.
As the result of this situation Kranich &
Bach have been able to carry along without
the necessity of maintaining a heavy produc-
tion, to carry a heavy overhead which almost
invariably leads to ruinous price reductions.
In short, the company has maintained con-
sistently the high quality of its products and
adhered strictly to sound merchandising
practices. The result has not been measured
in terms of large sales but rather by moderate
sales that have carried their proper propor-
tion of profit.
Jacques B. Schlosser, president of the com-
pany, is the strong directing force in its
operation, and has at his command over
thirty-four years of active experience in the
piano business with the house of which he
is now the head, in which time he familiar-
ized himself with every department.
At the present time Kranich & Bach make
an extensive line of grand pianos in various
sizes from four feet eleven inches to seven
feet three inches in length, together with a
nine foot concert grand that has won much
praise. The company has long specialized
in unusually fine period models of genuine
artistic merit, a number of them being in-
cluded in the company's regular line and
others being made to special order.
Pianos valued at $5,000 were recovered in
Peoria, 111., by Frank O. Wilking, president
of the Wilking Music Co., of Indianapolis,
who assisted detectives in trailing a gang of
nation-wide furniture swindlers whose thefts
may amount to $50,000. Large amounts of
pianos and furniture bought in Memphis,
Tenn.; Columbus, O.; Milwaukee, Wis.;
Gary and St. Louis, Mo., were hidden in a
house in Peoria. The gang were charged
with purchasing furniture on payments and
later selling the property in other cities at
low prices before completing the instalments.
A particularly comprehensive line of pianos
is that manufactured by the Weaver Piano
Co., of York, Pa., which in its own factory
makes two sizes of Weaver grands, 5 feet 3
inches and 5 feet 10 inches, respectively, in
various designs and finishes, together with a
5-foot 3-inch grand reproducing piano, four
upright models from 4 feet 7 inches to 4 feet
10 inches high, and a reproducing upright.
In the York line the company makes a 5-foot
1-inch grand, five uprights from 3 feet 7
inches to 4 feet 8 eight inches high, and two
upright players. In the Weaver factory also
are made uprights, players and grands bear-
ing the Livingston and Mercer names under
the Weaver guarantee, as well as radios and
piano benches.
At the present times the company has a
cash reserve of $100,000, has no indebtedness
beyond current bills, and has a stalwart
financial structure enabling it to give finan-
cial co-operation to dealers. The owners of
the business and officers of the company have
been affiliated with it for periods ranging
up to forty years.
The Weaver Co. maintains a local retail
department in York which not only takes
care of local trade but provides the means
for extensive experiments in retail piano sell-
ing, the results of which aTe passed on for
the benefit of dealers in other localities.
Buy Pelletier Stock
The" Schmoller & Mueller Piano Co., with
headquarters in Omaha, Neb., and branches
in a number of other cities, has purchased
the entire stock of the music department of
the Pelletier Co. in Sioux City, Iowa, includ-
ing pianos, players, records and radio. The
stock will be disposed of at a special sale.
Monarch Grand Folio
The Baldwin Piano Co. has just issued a
most attractive folder featuring a Monarch
grand manufactured by that company. This
is an attractive instrument four feet seven
inches long and finished in mahogany or
walnut.
the benefit of music teachers and the general
results have been distinctly encouraging. The
Federation has secured the services of Major
HE spread of group instruction in piano Bavin of London, who has developed a system
playing throughout the schools of the of group teaching that has served to impress
United States was not only most gratify- those who have watched the various demon-
ing to the trade and to the music profession strations. The many teachers who have at-
generally in this country, but has attracted tended the' demonstration, there being over
much attention abroad, particularly in Eng- 120 in Burnley alone and more in the larger
land, where the Federation of British Music cities such as London, Liverpool and Glas-
Industries, modeled after our Music Industries gow, showed much enthusiasm and in many
Chamber of Commerce, has worked to pro- cases started immediately to advise the
mote various movements that have proven public that they were in a position to give
elementary instruction in classes with the
successful on this side of the water.
Bavin method.
Following the announcement made in
The adoption of group instruction in
January of this year that group piano teach-
ing was in operation in 880 cities of the Great Britain on such a large scale reflects
N. B. C. TO OFFER PRIZES
United States, representing an increase of 280 directly to the credit of the work of the
cities
during 1930, the Federation made a National Bureau for the Advancement of
FOR ORCHESTRAL WORKS
strong plea to the members of the British Music in America and those associated with
A series of awards, aggregating several trade to launch a group instruction campaign that organization in promoting the movement.
thousand dollars, for the best orchestral in Great Britain with results that have, to In fact, the work has attracted attention in
many other parts of the world and the
works written by American composers is to date, proven very encouraging.
be made in the near future by the National
Although no general organized movement Bureau has sent information on group in-
Broadcasting Co.
has been launched various manufacturers and struction methods to the Philippine Islands,
Preliminary announcement of the awards, dealers have begun to experiment with South Africa and other parts of the globe.
designed to encourage musical composition in group instruction and in most cases very
this country, was made recently by M. H. successfully. The piano men have naturally
Aylesworth, president of the National Broad- had to face the problem of overcoming the
casting Co., during the final broadcast of the objections of the school authorities and a
Deems Taylor NBC musical series. The con- number of them report headmasters who are
ditions under which they will be made, he quick to declare that the advocates of group
piano instruction were not so much interested
added, will be announced on October 4.
in improving education as in selling pianos.
It has been urged that the educational
BENCHES
authorities be induced to adopt piano teach-
ARE BUILT
ing by the class method as a part of the
on quality Standards
regular school curriculum so that the head-
To Match any Piano
Prompt Shipments
masters and instructors will have to carry
finotvn for Tone"
Write for folder and price list.
out their instructions.
COWEN Furniture Company
In London and a number of other cities MATHUSHEK PIANO MFG. CO.
415 W. Superior Street
Chicago
79 Alexander Ave.
NEW YORK
demonstration recitals have been given for
AMCO
GROUP PIANO INSTRUCTION
INTRODUCED IN ENGLAND
T