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PIANO FACTORY and
PIANO SERVICING
DR. W M . BRAID WHITE
Technical Editor
The Possibilities of the
Player Piano in 1933
— Earnings of Piano Tuners
music making, for intelligent music lovers
only.
A PLAYER-PIANO OF 1933
DR. WM. BRAID WHITE
T
HE opening of a new year af-
fords an excuse to talk again about
my hobby, the player-piano. No man
I suppose has spent more time than I
have upon the playing of this instrument.
Not many have given more attention to its
design and construction. The other day over
in Great Britain they had a National Player
Piano Week, during which the British Broad-
casting Company put on a player-piano re-
cital as part of its regular radio programs.
The November number of that bright and
brisk British trade paper, The Pianomaker,
set forth no less than four advertisements of
small grand pedal-player pianos, as well as of
upright players in various styles. One could
not help asking why the British public has
managed to retain its interest in this instru-
ment of music, when the American people
have taken so opposite a course.
It is easy enough to make superficial an-
swers, based upon generalities about race and
custom; but there is little to be gained by
theorizing of that sort. The facts have al-
ways seemed clear to me. The player-piano
never could have survived more than a few
years as a mass-produced novelty for the un-
musical millions. It could have survived,
and in America, if it had remained what it
was at the start of its career, namely, a fas-
cinating means for personal expression in
The
Piano-Moth-e X
Method
Quickly—Positively doubles tuners' incomes.
Dealers—Tuners, write
THE 8CHALL LABORATORIES
Hadison Avenue
LaCrosse, VVis.
12
In view of all the facts of its history it is
difficult not to believe that the player-piano
could again be brought back to life on these
principles. For a good many years I have been
experimenting with player-piano mechanisms.
My own player-piano comes now close to
representing a possible player of the future.
In the first place it is built into a fine grand
piano. In the second place, everyone of its
non-speaking elements which calls for power
receives that power from a separate source
divorced from the foot-operated bellows. In
the third place this last-named contrivance
frees the foot-operated bellows from all its
burdens save the one which is most im-
portant, and most calls for sensitive control,
namely, the actual movements of the playing
pneumatics. In the fourth place, the re-
sponse of these pneumatics is greatly facili-
tated and quickened by coupling the primary
exhaust chamber to the source of power
aforementioned, so that there is not only al-
ways a snappy primary response, but also
through the vents (bleeds) a slight but con-
stant suction upon the secondary exhaust
chamber also. Thus, the player action will
just not quite play without the feet upon
the pedals. The response to any foot pressure
is therefore instantaneous and extremely sensi-
tive.
The fact, too, that all other power require-
ments, as for wind motor, pedal mechanisms
and so on, is furnished by a separate source
(motor-driven rotary pump), assures light
physical effort even under the most strenuous
requirements. The touch is sensitive and
•capable of many variations, the response is
instantaneous and the general effect highly
artistic.
MANY INVENTIONS
Every one who knows the story of the con-
troversies over patent rights on player ac-
tions, which filled the courts each year until
recently, knows too that there still remain
in darkness and disuse many valuable im-
provements, which were never put to com-
mercial use, but which could now be taken
up and utilized freely because the patent
rights on them have expired. I mention'"one
THE
MUSIC
only — the Necomer-Hornbeck inventions
by means of which the player pianist can ac-
cent any tone, no matter where it is placed,
merely by moving a pointer to the proper
position in front of the moving music roll.
I speak subject to correction, but it is my
belief that the patents on these inventions
have expired. Nor are they (remarkable as
they must be admitted to be) the only in-
genious and valuable aids to the artistic im-
provement of the player-piano now freely
available.
Much fine work of this kind was done
upon the player, but very little of it ever
came out into the open or was placed upon
the market. In the heyday of the player in-
dustry there was no call for artistic indi-
vidualism. The public was quite willing to
buy what was put before it and the manu-
facturers discovered early in the game that
the task of education was not profitable. To-
day we contemplate a very different state of
affairs. There is no longer any question of
large scale production of a player-piano for
the masses. There is, however, unless I am
wholly mistaken, more than a possibility of
producing and selling a thoroughly artistic
player-piano for intelligent music lovers.
That is something which, since 1910, has been
out of fashion. It could be made fashion-
able once more, on a smaller scale, but most
satisfactorily, nevertheless.
About three years ago a man named Wear-
BADGER BRAND
PLATES
are far more
than
merely
good p l a t e s .
They are built
correctly of the
best material and finish and are spe-
cified by builders of quality pianos.
American Piano Plate Co.
Manufacturer! BADGER BRAND Grand
and Upright Piano Plates
Racine, Wisconsin
TRADE
REVIEW.
January,
1933