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"Personally we are opposed to a drop action if at all possible
to use direct blow; there are many tuners that have entirely
too much trouble regulating- and adjusting drop actions."
Wm. Howard Beasley, President, Whittle Music Co.,
Dallas, Texas
"We should very much like to see upright pianos of 40 to
44 inches become the prevailing size; not as a matter of size
but for tone quality and general musical satisfaction. Hori-
zontal space may be at a premium in the average home but
vertical space is usually available, and the only possibility for
tonal improvement seems to be in longer strings. Therefore,
pianos not only may but also must be taller to have a better
tone.
"Furthermore, within limits, size is usually a relative matter
with the buyer, and It might prove useful to keep a 56 inch
piano always on the floor just to show how small a 40 inch
piano really is. We admit that ceiling are lower, that women
are more than ever proportion conscious, that the old upright
is now definitely dated, and that case design and size are of
great importance. We also admit that we must continue to
'cater' to our customers, but we certainly owe them the
benefit of our knowledge and experience and more especially
in regard to the things not seen. Incidentally, pianos are
frequently set out in the room, so you might call attention to
finished backs and scar-proof castors.
"As new pianos come back on the market it will be easier
than at any time in recent years to sell the 'reverse trend'
models, so we appreciate your timely service in calling atten-
tion to this subject. The Trade, we think, will handicap its
own future if it does not popularize pianos of basic musical
merit.
"Now that we have answered your question, lot us ask you
one. If a friend wanted your advice as to the purchase of a
34 or 40 inch piano, which one would you recommend?"
David Dean Smith, Inc., New Haven, Conn.
"We think 40 inches should be the minimum."
W. P. Chrisler, Aeolian Co. of Missouri, St. Louis Mo.
"We here feel that no console piano should be made, under
40 inches."
J. K McCubbin, McCubbin Music Co., Corbin, Ky.
"As a dealer and a tuner for twenty-five years, T definitely
do not believe in building any upright type of piano under
forty inches, and some of this type I find wholly satisfactory,
from a standpoint of quality of tone, and most actions in this
size give cnsiderable trouble. T find that they do not hold tun-
ing as well as the old type upright and this T believe is not
a lack of quality but size, the string length being too short
and the tone chamber too small, actions vary, some are too
heavy, most of them too light For myself. T prefer the largo
type console, and if it were up tr> me I would only recommend
this type of console piano."
T. Armistead Heindl, Walter D. Moses Co., Inc.,
Richmond, Va.
"Regarding the height of postwar era pianos and pianos
to be manufactured, we do not believe that a piano should
be manufactured in a vertical type under forty inches. How-
ever, we have sold, prior to the war, pianos of thirty-four to
thirty-eight inches in height. But it is our belief that they
do not have the quality of tone that cnuld be derived from
a forty inch instrument."
A. S. Godfrey, Williams Piano Co., Sioux Falls, S. D.
'We believe that no vertical piano should be made higher
than forty inches and that none should be made lower if the
reduced height would necessitate a drop action. In other
words, we think that every vertical piano should contain direct
blow action.
"With the increase of small apartments, the Spinet has made
it possible for many homes to own pianos that otherwise
would never have been able to accommodate ne. The small
Spinet can be moved up stairways where piano have never
gone before and even if these small Spinets do not have direct
blow action and are not capable of "producing much volume
of tone, they, nevertheless, occupy a very definite place in
the present scheme of things and help to expand the market.
They also enable children living in small apartments to take
piano lessons and the diminished volume of the piano also
diminishes the objections which the neighbors have to piano
piano practice.
"So long as the new piano supply is limited, I suggest
fewer styles with standard key boards, nothing over forty
inches in uprights and a Spinet not lower than thirty-four
inches. Of course, after production is normal, public demand
will determine largely what the manufacturers will build."
8
F. O. Miller, Jr., President, F. O. Miller Piano Co.,
Jacksonville, Fla
"We feel very strongly that a minimum of 39 inches for »
Spinet scale would produce far better quality of tone and
action in Spinets and would help to overcome the 'black eye"
caused by some of the very small ones with poor scales.
"Contrary to some ideas, the large majority of piano pur-
chasers cnsider tone and touch as more important than other
considerations. We do not deny the future possibility of a
34 inch console with a fine tone; but we do feel that until
it arrives, the purchaser, the dealer and the manufacturer
will all benefit by concentrating on sizes into which good
tone can be built.
"How you can persuade all manufacturers to agree to this
is another problem. We can suggest no solution."
A. A. Klamer, Harding & Miller Music Co., Evansville, Ind.
"Tt has always been the writer's opinion that the console
type piano, should not be built less than 40 to 41 inches high.
"We older piano men know that it is impossible to get a
good scale on a smaller piano at best, and generally the lower
they are the more surely this statement holds true.
"It is also true that in some types of Spinets, they are made
considerably wider, thus giving more square-foot sound-board
area and again a longer string. Without being partial, we did
sell Chickerings of that type that had a fairly good scale and
an exceptionally good looking job, but when it comes to the
regular console, do not believe that any of them should be
built under 40 inches.
"We believe tuners universally will agree thatt he smaller
pianos are not only harder to tune, but next to impossible to
get a well-balanced tone."
Claude Buckpitt, Elmira, N. Y.
"With over forty years of practical experience, tuning, re-
pairing and retailing pianos, T would strongly urge consoles
not less than 40th inches and preferably 44 inches in height.
My reasons are:
"1st—The possibility of a better scale, fuller, and more, even
tq^ne. 2nd—A direct blow action can be used, which T believe
gives a more pleasing touch. 3rd—The piano can be made
easier to take apart, and a direct blow action is easier to
take out or regulate. 4th—More cooperation from the inde-
pendent tuner. Many f them we find 'knock' the low console.
5th—Tf properly designed, the moderate sized piano looks
better than the 34 to 35 inch console. Put one 34 inch alongside
a 40 to 44 inch piano and see which the customer will choose?
"We wish to thank your journal for this opportunity given
fo dealers to got their ideas to the manufacturers."
J. E. Humes, Humes Music Co., Columbus, Ga.
"Since there is such a demand for new consoles or Spinet
pianos, which will continue for a long, long time, the size
of new pianos is wholly in the manufacturers' hands—for the
time being at least, therefore, it seems to me it would be
sensible for him to make a piano of a size that would bo to
bis future interests.
"The 34 inch piano had little or no tone and certainly was
nothing of beauty, therefore, it was a price article and nothing
more, therefore, under present conditions it can be done away
with for the reason it will be a long time as T see it before
we will again have to sell price alone.
"A piano large enough to carry a real direct blow action
(whether used or not) with an inch or two to spare would be
an ideal piano to manufacture nnw and one perhaps it would
bo sensible to stick to.
H. G. Lieke, Rudolph Steinert Co., New Haven, Conn.
"We believe a 40 inch piano as as small as wo would like
to carry, as for the tone qualities in a smaller piano (does
nott o us) have tone enough. Also the leg room in the smaller
piano is hardly high enough for some persons."
A. E. Spangler, Spangler's Music House, Harrisburg, Pa.
"As far as we are concerned, with the present Spinet trou-
bles—such as inability to keep them in tune, plates cracking,
rattling actions, etc.—the industry can go back to a 52 inch
instrument. A 52 inch instrument isn't at all unsightly or big
and clumsy and 'holds up.' Tt gives the tone quality to satisfy
the most critical musician with the minimum of 'dealer head-
aches'."
C. H. Stephenson, Jr., C. II. Stephcnson Music Co.,
Raleigh, N. C.
"We think that 40 inches is definitely the smallest they,
the manufacturers, should consider. Our experience has been
that a good 48 or 50 inch vertical, 25 or 30 years old, after
being properly overhauled will have a far better tone than a
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW. MARCH. 1945