Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
More Dealers Express Their Views
On Revival of the Player-Piano
Salvador R. Nin—Salvador R. Nin
Inc., San Juan, P.R.
"My sincere opinion is that the play-
er piano cannot be revived, not even
by any electric "hyperdermic" or any
new trick that the young generation of
manufacturers may recur.
"On the other hand, I am truly con-
vinced on the great future of the piano
and the organ in the homes of the com-
mon people, in general. With increase
earning capacity there will be an in-
crease in piano and organ sales all
over the country. What we need is
more television programs featuring
children playing the piano, particularly
in groups. In this respect, I am pleased
to inform you that Rosita is starting
next month a series of television pro-
grams featuring her Junior Piano
Quartet, and I expect a tremendous
success from these performances."
Clark Bros. Piano Co., Knoxville,
Tenn.
"No"
Q. Vinson, Vinson Brothers, To-
ledo, Ohio
"Last month you wrote us asking our
opinion on the subject of "The revival
of the player piano".
"We do find a market for any ex-
ceptionally good player piano, however
the price of such an instrument must
be marked under $300.00 to sell and
this includes the rolls.
"When it costs no more to overhaul
a player piano than to remove all the
player parts than we retain the piano
as a player.
"Most of these sales are for rumpus
rooms either in the basement of some
wing of the home and seldom are they
placed in the living room.
"While we live in a "push-button, au-
tomatic" society and becoming more so
with each day, we wonder if it wouldn't
be wiser to preserve the piano as a hand
played instrument with effort on the
part of the performer eventually pay-
ing off in culture and pleasure. We feel
there is too little interest now by par- .
ents in the musical education of their
children and we wonder if it wouldn't
be better to cling to the piano as a
hand-played instrument."
William C. Heaton, Pasadena, Cal.
"Replying to your favor of the 7th
instant regarding the demand for player
pianos I found over a period of many
months now and then there is an iso-
lated case of someone wanting a player
piano and in these cases the prospect
wants a player piano in good working
condition for about $250.00. To go back
to the player piano days would be like
going back to the horse and buggy and
the kerosene lamp days.
"They were a mighty fine instrument
and many thousands of families got a
great deal of enjoyment in playing one
but with motion picture theatres, radios,
television sets and automobiles to get
around in, people are not going to sit
down and pump a foot-pump player.
"As you know, I started to sell push-
up players as far back as 1900 and was
president of the Auto Pneumatic Action
Company up until 1928 when the play-
er piano business went out of existence.
With the interest and teaching in
public schools of the piano it would be
tragic to take away the interest children
are showing in learning to play some
musical instrument.
"In my opinion, the player piano
would defeat what the piano manufac-
turers are trying to do. and that is, to
make more pianos and have music deal-
ers sell more pianos."
M. V. Bennett, Bennett Music Co.,
Wichita, Kansas
"An electric player in a spinet that
did not harm the action to play by
hand might be good."
Bazil O'Reilly, O'Reilly Piano
House, Warsaw, Ind.
"I think that the manufacture of a
player piano would be a very foolish
thing. In the first place, the price of
the instrument would be prohibitive and
televsion certainly takes care of the en-
tertainment side of the music field. And
so many, many children are studying
piano that it would be a shame to dis-
courage that interest in music."
Mrs. G. A. Beeman, Beeman, Cart-
wright Piano Co., Sweetwater,
Texas
I do not think it at all practical to
introduce player pianos. A very great
detriment to the music business, in gen-
eral, is my honest opinion.
Harry F. Shutes, El Paso Piano
Co., El Paso, Texas
"With reference to your letter of
September 27th asking for comments
on the thought of a new player piano,
we are not in favor of this development
at all.
"We feel that the music industry is
only getting started in its fine promo-
tion toward teaching the young people
of this nation to develop their own
musical talents. We feel that more pro-
motion along the line of public school
as well as pivate music education will,
in the long range, benefit our children
as well as private music education will,
trying to revert back to automatic piano
music. There are more piano pupils in
this part of the country now than there
have ever been. A player piano would
tend to stop this growth."
Harold E. Lucas, Joseph & Lucas
Music Mart, Portland, O.
"I can see where there could be a
limited market developed for the
player piano but am doubtful that it
could ever equal the days back in the
20's. You can recall that in those days,
distractions like TV, phonographs and
other self-contained entertainment de-
vices were almost extinct. In view of
this fact the player piano did have its
use. I would be doubtful that in these
modern times a self-player would stand
much chance and I would not recom-
mend it for the welfare of our indus-
try."
Harry Brodwin, Brodwin Piano
Co., New York, N. Y.
"Answering your letter of recent date
regardingt he player piano, the writer
thinks that bringing back the player
piano now is not practicable."
H. J. Konen, Noll Piano Co., Mil-
waukee, Wis.
"If the price is not prohibitive—fine;
otherwise there would not be much of
a market in our community."
Mike Du Brow lo Make His
Headquarters in Los Angeles
L. P. Bull, president, Story & Clark
Piano Co., Chicago, has announced that
Michael G. Du Brow, sales manager of
the company will henceforth make his
headquarters at 2266 El Contento Drive,
Los Angeles, Cal.
"The West Coast market for pianos",
said Mr. Bull, "has expanded rapidly
in recent years and in our opinion, has
the greatest growth possibilities for the
future. In view of this fact, we have
concluded we can best serve our West-
ern dealers, in addition to our Chicago
service, by having one of our executives
permanently located in the area. There-
fore, we have arranged for our Sales
Manager, Michael G. DuBrow, to be
headquartered in Los Angeles.
"Mike will be glad to hear from any
of our dealers at any time and will be
in a position to give West Coast prob-
lems his intimate attention. Here at the
Chicago office, our interest in serving
you, of course, remains unchanged."
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, NOVEMBER, 1954