Music Trade Review

Issue: 1946 Vol. 105 N. 4

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
National Piano Travelers Association
Directors Appoint Temporary Officers
The Executive Board of the National
Piano Travelers Association held a
special meeting at the Hotel Wood-
stock, New York, on March 30, 1946,
stock, New York,
on M a r c h 30,
1946, for the pur-
pose of reactivat-
ing the associa-
tion in view of
t h e gradual r e -
turn of the piano
business to nor-
malcy.
Those
p r e s e n t were:
Louis 0. Rogers,
Lester Piano
Manufactur i n g
Co., Philadelphia,
L. O. ROGERS
Pa.; William H.
Bowles, Story Clark Piano Co., Chicago,
111., George W. Allen, Stony Creek,
Conn.; and Carleton Chace, who ac-
cording to a resolution passed at the
last annual meeting held on July 24,
1944, at the Pal-
mer H o u s e in
Chicago, presided
as acting presi-
dent. Henry G.
Behning, Winter
& Co., New York,
a former director,
was also present.
After the read-
ing and accept-
ance of the min-
w. H. BOWLES
utes of the last
meeting and the approval of the finan-
cial report, it was decided that in order
to activate the assocation, and in ac-
cordance with Article IV, Section I of
the By-Laws revised as of September
26, 1938, that the
following should
serve temporarily
a s officers a n d
directors until the
annual meeting in
1947, subject to
the approval of
t h e membership
at a meeting to be
held during Con-
vention Week of
July 14th at the
P a l m e r House,
H. D. HEWITT
Chicago: Louis O.
Eogers, President; William H. Bowles,
Vice President; William C. Heaton,
Secretary, and Carleton Chace, Execu-
tive Secretary and Treasurer, with
Henry D. Hewitt of the W. W. Kim-
ball Co., Chicago, and George W. Allen
as Directors.
12
The Executive Secretary was in-
structed to send the usual annual bills
for dues and keep members advised as
to the progress of
t h e association, i
>*
T h e matter o f
holding a Trav-
e 1 e r's Jamboree
during the forth-
coming con v e n -
t i o n in Chicago
was discussed but
decision was de-
ferred for at least
30 days. In lieu
of this a dinner
W. C. HEATON
meeting m a y be
held on the evening of Wednesday,
July 17th.
how many more have written of their
intention to make definite application
within the next two or three months.
We will be able to accommodate about
fifty students."
Joe Daurer Back With
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.
After two and one-half years active
service in the Army, Jos. S. Daurer is
back on the Advertising and Publicity
Staff of The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. He
was assigned to the Public Relations
Division of G-2, Army Intelligance, as
a news and historical writer and pho-
tographer.
Mr. Daurer served in the European
Theater during combat, working in
both the Third and Seventh Army
fronts. He was in the Seventh Army
front during its active drive through
A resolution of
sympathy
w a s
p a s s e d on the
death of Harry
D. Griffith, a n d
the Secretary was
instructed to send
a copy of it to
h i s family a n d
his associates and
a l s o spread the
same on the min-
utes of the asso-
G. W . ALLEN
Harmony School Can Now
Enrol! Fifty Students
The Harmony School of Piano Tun-
ing, Harrisburg, Pa., owing to its
steady growth has again moved to
larger quarters. Its new address is
122 South Cameron Street.
In announcing the new quarters,
John Collins Cake, head of the school,
said:
"The progres of my students up to
the present time certainly proves the
correctness of my system of training.
We were licensed last December 13th
but I have graduated two students who
came to me early in September and I
will put them up against any tuner in
the country, regardless of his training.
"We quickly outgrew our North
Sixth Street quarters and have taken
over a three-story and basement build-
ing on one of the* most prominent busi-
ness streets. We have a loading plat-
form, freight
elevator
and about
twelve thousand square feet of floor
space. We have eighteen veterans en-
rolled and twelve others who have not
been in the service. I could not say
JOSEPH S. DAURER
Alsace and Northeastern France, cross-
ing the German border after the cap-
ture of the great fortress de Bitche.
He was with the 71st Division for the
break through the Siegfried Line and
then moved to the Third Army front
for the crossing of the Rhine River.
Mr. Daurer remained with General
Patton's fast moving Third Army on
through
South
Central
Germany,
crossed the Danube River near Regens-
burg, and continued across Southeast-
ern Germany into Austria. He was
present at the first contact with the
Russian Army West of Vienna. This
was the farthest point East that Amer-
ican troops had gone in Europe.
After VE Day, he traveled through-
out Europe looking for news items
and photo material.
Having visited
ten different countries, he obtained a
wealth of experience and knowledge
of European customs and traditions.
Prior to the war, Mr. Daurer hand-
led publicity for Wurlitzer at DeKalb.
He entered service in 1943.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1946
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Innovations in Piano Construction
Announced by Pratt Read & Co.
TOR many months the rumor mill has
been grinding out hearsay in re-
spect to what Pratt Read & Co., were
developing in their extensive plant in
Ivoryton, Conn. This month, however,
James A. Gould, president of the com-
pany is making an announcement which
will set at rest for all time the rumors
that his company was preparing to
make complete pianos for dealer con-
sumption as well as piano actions and
keys. They are not.
The fact is that under the supervis-
ion of Charles Frederick, Frederick
Stein expert piano builder and tech-
nical advisor at the Pratt Read Plant
months of research has been going on
to find ways and means of helping
piano manufacturers speed up produc-
tion and without impairing the quality
of any instrument, put the piano man-
ufacturing on a stream line basis in
keeping with other lines of manufactur-
ing so that piano manufacturers will be
able to meet the unprecedented de-
mand for pianos which exists at the
present time.
Combined Plate and Back Cuts
142 lbs. off Weight
The first innovation to be announced
is a light metal piano plate which elim-
inates the use of a four or five post
back completely thereby cutting down
the weight of the piano by at least
142 lbs. and saving at least 40 feet of
lumber.
Four scales have been de-
signed for pianos of 36", 38", 40" and
44". This does not mean, however, that
a manufacturer must confine himself
to these scales but can use his own
scales which will be incorporated in the
piano by Pratt Read & Co. on orders
of sufficient quantity. Provision is made
for a wrest plank or pin block of the
same depth as now used and the plate
has been thoroughly tested as to stand-
ing the strain of string tension hav-
ing been in use in pianos for testing
purposes for over a year. Patents on
this plate have been applied for. If
For the Better Used Pianos
GRANDS - UPRIGHTS
SPINETS
consult
S. L CURTIS, INC.
40 fears Selling Fine Pianos
240 WEST 55th STREET
NEW YORK 18, N. Y.
-: Phone COIumbus 5-7816 :-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1946
the piano is made the usual depth
the key will be lengthened by 2" or
er requires a certain case design and
has the inside of a piano in another
case design but wishes to change it for
a customer the manufacturer can ship
the dealer the case in a carton and
he can change the cases at his discre-
tion. Pratt, Read & Co. will not make
cases but are prepared to complete the
inside of the piano for any manufactu-
rer who may so desire and in accord-
ance with the latter's scale.
I\on-Oaekable Plywood Sounding Board
J. A. GOULD
pianos may be made 2" narrower for
regulation key length.
Changeable Case Development
The second innovation reverses the
method of manufacturing pianos. It
provides for installation of all the in-
side of the piano, for installing and
regulating the action, rough and fine
tuning etc., in fact completing the piano
before the case is put on. To do the
latter is a matter of fifteen minutes or
less. In fact the Review representa-
tive saw one case removed and another
put on in the matter of 20 minutes.
The usual method of finishing a piano
provides for side glueing the caso
first and placing the action in after-
wards, then regulating and tuning. By
reversing the process Pratt, Read &
Co. have devised a system whereby
a manufacturer, in less space than
heretofore, can have the insides of var-
ious models ready for shipment with-
out the case and if he receives an order
for certain models he can install the
cases within fifteen minutes and ship
the piano complete. In fact if a deal-
HARDMAIM,
PECK & CO.
Master piano craftsmen
for 103 years
The company has also developed a
plywood sounding board which they
claim will never split. It is made
with a permanent crown, plies being of
spruce, crossed grained, put together
with moisture resistant adhesive and
with vertical instead of diagonal ribs.
The permanent crown is based on the
principal that plywood crowned in the
glueing retains that crown because any
radical flattening would be impossible
without a lateral movement of the plies
in their relative position with each
other. The adhesive, of course, pre-
vents this movement. The Pratt, Read
management is prepared to make the
statement that this board will never
split. Plies may be made of vary-
ing thicknesses to conform with the
ideas of the piano manufacturer in
the matter of board thickness to get
the best tonal results.
This sound
board will either be manufactured by
Pratt, Read & Co. or released to other
companies on a royalty basis.
Plastie Actions and Sharps
For many months the company has
been working on a plastic action which
will have a light metal hammer rail.
Plastic parts which will be in vari-
ous colors will have greater stability
than similar parts made of wood ac-
cording to the company and will also
permit a greater production in a much
shorter space of time. The company
is also prepared to ship plastic sharps
within the near future which will be
entirely uniform as to shape and color
'and will not mar or chip.
(Turn to next page'
HARDMAN AND
HARRINGTON GRANDS
AND CONSOLES

'MINIPIANOS'
33 West 57th Street
New York

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