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bowed over almost like a cycle as they tried to read the
music.
"Also in an effort to eliminate the drop action the keys had
to be stepped down because the hammer line was almost on
a level with the key-bed. The keyboards on these pianos were
below the standard heights which would not allow sufficient
knee room. The music-desks on the vertical type were so
narrow that the sheet music would rub on the top lid pro-
jection.
"In our humble opinion the piano should never be reduced
to such an extent that the musical value was secondary to
its appearance. We do not believe that a piano should be
lower than 40 inches and the neatest example of this vertical
style piano was the Style 900 Wurlitzer—44 inches in height.
This piano had ample tone—easy to play—splendid action and
correct height for all pianists."
Roy Warden, Roy Warden Piano Co., Nashville, Tenn.
"The trend has been so very definite toward the smaller
piano. The average customer still wants the piano as small
as possible consistent with a reasonable tone.
"A ;>(! inch or 37 inch piano will outsell the 40 inch piano
if the smaller piano has a good tone. Of course if the 40
inch has a good tone and the 3G or 3 7 inch has a very poor
tone, then it will be up to the salesman to prove to the cus-
tomer that he should buy the larger piano because it has a
better tone. Even then the customer's preference is the
smaller case.
"However, we believe that each manufacturer should have
both a 3(> to 27 inch piano and the 40 inch piano, if he can
fit the two sizes in to his set-up."
Earl B. Worden, Earl B. Worden & Co., Utica, N. Y.
"1 should like to see all the better makers adopt the 40 inch
limit for the reason of tone quality first, and secondly, to
make use of the direct blow action.
"However, 1 must admit that the smaller verticals have
great eye appeal, to many buyers. These models will probably
continue in the lines of some makers to supply the class who
buy 'furniture.' However, this type of buyer is gradually on
the way out, for the great increase in musical appreciation
especially in our younger generation, is directing their atten-
tion, and quite seriously, to the makes that build tone quality
in their instruments.
"If the automobile industry had done what the piano indus-
try did it would have amounted to a restyling that could only
deliver a model T performance. This would have been suicidal
and of course unthinkable. Rut that the music industry could
do this only indicates how far we yet have to go in our field,
and how far the public as well as many dealers are from real-
izing that they are or should be selecting- or selling a musical
instrument.
"In the old days when some makers of moderate priced
pianos really built a very pleasing' tone quality in their up-
right models, I have sold many on this point alone, and such
sales st;iy sold for the owners were aware of what a good
musical instrument is supposed to deliver.
"Tone quality can be talked about, very interestingly, and
sold. Hut the instrument being demonstrated on this point
must make good and prove the salesman's contentions. How
many makers would you say have produced anything to talk
about in this respect in recent years?
"Please do not think I am unapprecative of the great stimu-
lus the restyling- gave- to piano sales. But, as I told one maker
whom I have long dealt with, and who T thought had failed
lamentably in the tone quality of his new models, that he
should change the words 'Piano Makers' on his letter-head to
'Furniture Makers.'
"If we as dealers and manufacturers never lose sight of
the fact we are selling music, and instruments to produce it
well, we are on solid ground."
Russell B. Wells, The Chas. E. Wells Music Co., Denver, Colo.
"All of us here feel that the subject you have presented is
one which calls for serious consideration. Many of the factories
before the war yielded to the temptation to put out good
looking pieces of furniture concentrating most of their effort
toward new styling-, small sizes and eccentric finishes without
much thought given to the quality of piano itself. "We all
know that when the string- length is shortened and the area
of the sounding board reduced, very little tone is produced.
There cannot be a genuine fullness of tone.
"As we approach the resumption of manufacture again, we
all believe that it would be much better and more sensible to
raise the height of the Spinet to around forty inches or more.
In no way would this sacrifice appearance and design of the
piano but the added height and increased area of the sounding-
board would produce a depth of tone in genuine proportion.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1945
We must think of the piano as basically a musical instrument,
and if we can also have attractive design and finish, so much
the better. We hope, too, that in the rush to manufacture
pianos and get them to the hungry music dealers over the
country, the factories will take enough time to put out a
musical instrument worthy to be called a piano, from a quality
and musical standpoint. Already we have had evidences of
careless attention to important details in the manufacture
and assembly of pianos."
E. E. Woods, Manager, Roat Music Co., Battle Creek, Mich.
"Well informed piano men agree that smaller pianos are not
very good intone, scale'and touch, and worst of all the drop
actions are difficult to reg-ulate, and not many of them stay
in tune, I had some of the best known and highest priced up
to 311 inches in height that had to be tuned frequently, and
but one make of small ones that did stay well in tune, this
make is not well known, and we could not determine, why it
did not need tuning so often, and while ke know many buyers
want small sizes, because they don't know quality, the only
way to get away from small ones would be for factories to
discontinue making them.
"Another thing I can't understand is why factories send
wholesale prices in unsealed mail or under a one cent stamp,
but a few continue to do so."
Tony Zender, Lima, Ohio
"I positively think that any piano should not be lower
than 40 inches. Many of the Spinets we had were not satis-
factory at all. Tuners wouldn't tune some of them."
UNDER 40 INCHES HIGH
A. B. Fredhold, Birkel Richardson Co., Los Angeles, Cal.
"If you could get every piano manufacturer to agree not
to make any piano under 40 inches high, that would be one
thing—there would not be anything else for the public to
buy—and of courses, they would have to buy a 40 inch piano
and would, usually, therefrom get a better toned instrument.
"If manufacturers did restrict the size limits of Vertical
Pianos they would eliminate a portion of their market, and
we do not believe it is good business for the industry to
eliminate any portion of the piano market. Naturally we
would like to sell more higher priced vertical and grand,
pianos, and better toned pianos, but there is a definite demand
for smaller pianos, and the retailer for his own protection,
must carry these smaller pianos.
"We think manufacturers should try to improve the quality
of their pianos and develop more tone in Vertical Pianos under
40 inches in height regardless of the cost. If some people
want small pianos, give them higher priced, finer quality,
small pianos."
C. M. Belknap, Critchett Piano Co., Des Moines, la.
"It is our opinion that there has never been a vertical piano
built under 40 inches or 41 inches with anything like accept-
able tone, but we are all after sales volume and the past
years from 1037 to 1942 surely proved that the largest per-
centage of piano buyers bought their pianos for furniture
in the first place and tone in the second. So it looks to us
like as long as anybody builds a 34 to 38 inch Spinet with eye
appeal, they will be sold regardless of its tonal qualities. And
it looks to us as though the man in the furniture or home
appliance department in the furniture or chain store will be
able to sell this type of piano as well as anybody else under
the present O.P.A. regulation on new pianos. We wonder if
many of the old established piano houses will be able to live
on the fine grands and better verticals that they may sell to
musicians or those more critical in tone."
E. B. Critchett, Critchett Piano Co., San Antonio, Texas
"Not everyone can afford the finest piano, bUt for those
who can afford and want to buy a fine instrument, there
should be a 40 inch piano but it' should be of the very finest
quality.
"For those who do not want the best, nor can afford an
expensive piano, there should be cheaper instruments and
these should not need to be as large. In fact they should he
very small. I have seen very small pianos that were quite
good, but very inexpensive. I have also seen plenty of very
large pianos that were pretty bad, but still not expensive,
and there should be no need of building a large piano unless
it is to be a good one. No manufacturer would build a larg-e
grand unless they intended it to be a real good piano.
"It is undoubtedly easier to construct a simple and inex-
pensive piano 35 inches or 36 inches high, especially the case
and there are plenty of people who want nothing more.