Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
PRODUCTION IN 1931
U. S. Census of Manufactures for 1931 Indicates Average
Decline of Over 50 Per Cent in Units and Values
T
HE value of musical instruments and
of parts and materials produced last
year in the United States was $30,-
148,751, a decrease of 60.8 per cent
from the 1929 total of $76,829,338, accord-
ing to information from the Census of Manu-
factures made available as of Nov. 11 by
the Department of Commerce.
The complete figures are presented here-
with, in table form, for the information of
the trade.
The 1931 production figures and the de-
creases as compared with 1929 are as fol-
lows: Pianos, 51,370, valued at $12,780,746,
a decrease of 60.8 per cent in number and
of 66.4 per cent in value as compared with
130,973, valued at $37,998,695, reported for
1929; 2,196 organs, $5,451,275, decreases of
51.2 per cent and 52.7 per cent; 73,650
wind instruments, $2,813,521, decreases of
42.8 per cent and 49.3 per cent; 408,155
stringed instruments, $1,945,534, decreases
of 3.2 per cent and 36.6 per cent; other
musical instruments, $1,842,076, a decrease
of 36.8 per cent; musical-instrument parts
and materials made for sale as such, $5,-
316,099, a decrease of 66.3 per cent.
For purposes of comparison the members
of the trade may be interested in comparing
the 1931 figures with those of 1927, when
the value of all musical instruments, parts
and materials was given as $127,350,987.
This is made up of 218,140 pianos valued at
$67,210,775 of organs valued at $17,167,408,
wind instruments totalling $8,394,785, and
stringed instruments amounting in value to
$4,201,013. In the matter of stringed instru-
ments it is interesting to note that although
the value of the products showed a decrease
of 36.6 per cent during the two years from
1929 to 1931, the number of instruments de-
creased only 3.2 per cent, indicating a distinct
trend toward lower-priced products in that
field. This may be compared with the
piano valuations which decreased only 66.4
per cent as compared with 60.8 per cent in
units.
Thirty-one piano makers went out of
business between 1929 and 1931, leaving
only 50 in the industry. Only 4,737 work-
ers were employed by piano makers last
year, less than half as many as two years
earlier, and wages were only $5,156,909,
nearly two-thirds smaller than in 1929.
The cost of materials, fuel and pur-
chased electric energy for the industry
declined 68.8 per cent, from $18,866,437 in
{Please turn to page 8)
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
TABLE 5.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, PARTS AND MATERIALS—PRODUCTION, BY KIND,
NUMBER AND VALUE: 1931 and 1929
[The figures for 1931 represent production; those for 1929 refer to sales (shipments or deliveries) by manufac-
turers. The differences between the values of the several classes of products as given in this table and in
Tables 1 to 4, inclusive, are due to the fact that the figures in this table cover the entire output of the
respective items, regardless of the industries in which they were manufactured, whereas those in Tables 1 to 4
relate to the establishments engaged primarily in the manufacture of the products from which the industries
derive their titles. For example: The value of pianos made as secondary products in industries other than
the piano industry is not included in the "Pianos" items in Table 1, but is included in the corresponding
items in Table 5.]
1931
Kind
Musical instruments, parts and materials, all industries,
aggregate value
Made in the musical instruments Industries
Made as secondary products in other industries....
Pianos, total
Upright
Upright, player
Upright, player, reproducing type
Grand:
Baby
Baby, player, reproducing type
Parlor
Parlor, player, reproducing type
Concert
Other (baby grand, player; parlor grand, player;
and coin-operated and similar types) 1
Organs, total
Pipe
Reed
Wind instruments, total
Cup-mouthpiece instruments
Saxophones
Woodwinds
Stringed instruments, total
Banjos
Guitars
Mandolins
Ukuleles
Violins
Other
1
Number
....
1929
Value
Number
$30,148,751
29,529,341
619,410
Value
$76,829,338
73,082,681
3,746,657
51,370
18,329
1,692
146
12,780,746
2,580,124
273,975
34,217
130,973
49,039
17,336
1,445
37,998,695
7,869,761
4,116,29i4
459,668
24,712
168
5,517
311
68
7,013,460
94,419
2,378,117
259,928
44,404
36,929
5,905
7,767
2,165
234
12,851,376
2,672,047
4,159,979
2,135,268
154,821
427
102,102
10,153
3,579,481
2,196
917
1.27!>
5,451,275
5,283,331
1(!7,!I4-1
4,502
1,799
2,703
11,528,667
11,153,383
375,284
73,650
41,166
13,750
18,728
2,813,521
1,291,442
849,897
672,182
128,696
71,594
33,196
23,906
5,544,747
2,459,763
2,085,910
999,074
408,155
33,181
150,308
17,310
203,116
3,130
1,110
1,945,034
463,908
903,323
127,135
293,863
124,902
31,903
421,638
80,471
162,764
28,490
142,896
4,127
2,890
3,067,231
1,192,408
1,040,810
244,625
310,776
219,235
59,377
Percussion instruments
Other instruments
Piano and organ parts and materials for sale as
such, total
1,531,003
311,073
Piano parts
Organ parts and materials
Perforated music rolls
Parts and materials for musical instruments other
than pianos and organs, for sale as such
2,826,252
457,897
428,186
9,295,902
1,094,746
2,555,544
1,003,764
2,830,451
Combined to avoid disclosing data for individual establishments.
November,
1932
3,712,335
2,184,832
728,523
.....
12,946,192