Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1920 1747

Page 12 Text:

PRESTO
12
WHERE DOUBTS ARE DISPELLED
Under This Head Presto Will Answer Any Question Pertaining to Pianos, or
Other Subjects of Direct Interest to the Trade and Musical Public
THE "ELMON" PLAYER.
Independence, Mo., Dec. 24, 1919-
Editor Presto: I will appreciate very much any
information you may give me in regard to the manu-
facturer of the "Elmon" playerpiano. It was sold
here about ten or twelve years ago by the Carl Hoff-
man Music Co., of Kansas City, Mo. They are out
of business now, and their successors cannot give
me the information.
I want some repairs for the player action and do
not know the manufacturer. It has no name to sig-
nify who it might be.
Yours respectfully,
ORLANDO NACE.
Instruments bearing the name of "Elmon" were
marketed for several years by Elmon Armstrong,
who was, at that time, representing a large industry
located at Fall River, Mass. Since that time Mr.
Armstrong has retired from the piano business and
the industry which he represented has passed to the
ownership of the International Piano Mfg. Co., Wm.
J. Ennis, president.
It is possible that Mr. Ennis may be able to give
you some information concerning the Elmon piano.
We suggest that you write to him at Fall River,
Massachusetts.
* * *
THE "AIROPLAYER" ACTION.
Scottsdale, Pa-, Dec. 23, 1919.
Editor Presto: Will you please advise by what
manufacturer, and in what piano is installed the
"Airoplayer" action? This action was formerly
used by the National Piano Co. (Briggs). We
wrote to them and the reply was that they discon-
tinued using this action several years ago.
Yours very truly,
GEO. K. BARKELL & CO.
It is our understanding that there is no player
piano now using the "Airoplayer," which was the
patented property of the National Piano Co. Cer-
tainly if you have addressed that industry and can
secure no further information, we do not know
where else you can get it. We suggest that you
address A. L. Jewett, 621 Albany street, Boston, for
we believe he is more apt to have the information
you want than anybody else.
* * *
"CREMONA" ELECTRIC PIANO.
Ishpeming, Mich-, Dec. 23, 1919.
Editor Presto: Will you please give us informa-
tion about a Cremona coin-operated electric piano
which we have traded in. We are overhauling it
and want all the information we can secure about it.
Very truly yours,
JOHN WHITNEY.
The Cremona coin-operated piano is the product
of the Marquette Piano Co., Chicago. The industry
named has been long established and is of the high-
est responsibility. It is conducted by gentlemen
who thoroughly understand the business and we be-
lieve they will be glad to give you any assistance for
which you may apply.
* * *
PORTABLE ORGANS.
Newton, Kans., Dec. 16, 1919.
Editor Presto: W. J. Adair, of Newton, Kans.,
is going as a missionary to Egypt in a few weeks
and he desires to purchase a portable folding organ.
Can you tell him what firm in Chicago has one of
these to sell? The courtesy of a reply direct to
him will be apreciated by
Yours sincerely,
H. S. DICKEY.
Without question, the best instrument of the port-
able organ kind is manufactured by the A. L. White
Mfg. Co., 215 Englewood avenue, Chicago. We Vill
request Mr. White to send you one of his illustrated
catalogues.
Whatever you may do with Mr. White will, we
can assure you, be satisfactory to you.
* * *
PIANO TUNING SCHOOLS.
Manawa, Wis., Dec. 20, 1919.
Editor Presto: Enclosed find fifty cents in
stamps for which please send us the Presto Buyers'
Guide. Would you also please send us the address
of some good, reliable piano tuning school.
Yours truly,
VOSS BROS.
Polk's School of Piano Tuning, at Valparaiso,
Tnd., is an institution which it will pay you to get
in touch with. Mr. Folk is an experienced tuner and
a practical piano man in every sense of the word.
His school is the oldest in existence devoted to that
kind of work, and we believe it will pay you to ap-
ply for a descriptive booklet.
There is also a tuning school in Boston and an-
other in Lawrence, Kansas.
* * *
BOOKS ON PIPE ORGAN.
Fort Morgan, Colo., Dec. 23, 1919.
Editor Presto: Have you a reference book, or
pamphlet, of all the pipe organ manufacturers of
this country? If so, please mail me one. Enclosed
you will find stamps to pay for book and postage. If
this amount of stamps is not sufficient to pay all
expense, please inform me and I will send you the
desired amount.
Do you know where I could get one or more in-
struction books describing pipe organ building, tun-
ing and repairing?
Very respectfully,
D. SCHEIDEGGER.
The only book of ours that contains a list of organ
manufacturers is the Directory of Music Industries,
a copy of which we are sending you. We also pub-
lish Presto Buyers' Guide, which contains a com-
plete list of piano "manufacturers with descriptions
of their instruments.
We new have in press Presto Trade Lists, a series
of three small books which will contain a list of all
music dealers, musical instrument manufacturers
and phonograph dealers.
About pipe organ books, we suggest that the pub-
lication called "Organ Building for Amateurs," by
Wicks, is a very popular one. It may be had at
Lyon & Healy, Chicago. There are, of course, a
great many similar publications, one of which is
"Clarke's Manual of Pipe Organ Construction."
* * *
PHONOGRAPH CABINETS.
Topeka, Kansas, Dec. 28, 1919.
Editor Presto: Wish you would kindly give me
the names of one or two cabinet makers of talking
machine cabinets.
Prefer some companies as near Chicago as can
get as would be better for me than further East.
Very respectfully yours,
J. F. BROUGHTON.
There are a great many industries devoted to the
manufacture of talking machine cabinets. The Genoa
Mfg. Co., Republic Bldg., Chicago, is in condition
just now to furnish good cabinets on short order.
If you write to Lem Klein, in care of the company,
just named, your wishes will have prompt attention.
Other cabinet companies are:
C. J. Lundstrom Mfg. Co., Little Falls, N. Y.;
Grand Rapids Brass Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.; S. E.
Ovcrton Co., Holland, Mich.
* * *
WANTS TALKING MACHINES.
Haddam, Kans., Dec. 17, 1919.
Editor Presto: We are engaging in the phono-
graph business and want a book or guide of all the
makers of such instruments and their addresses. We
aim to add them as a side line and want to get in
touch with makers of standard instruments.
You can advise any makers of such instruments
to send us their propositions. We may take the
agency for two makes. How is the Elti-Nola?
Does it give good satisfaction? Find inclosed fifty
cents in stamps for Presto Buyers' Guide and in-
formation.
Yours truly,
YODER & ROSAMOND.
Presto Trade Lists, covering the phonograph in-
dustry and trades, and the music trades and indus-
tries are not yet ready. They will be just what
you want.
About phonographs, there are a great many now
manufactured which present special advantages to
the trade. We suggest that all of the following are
manufacturing talking machines which possess
points of special merit:
Ampliphone Phonograph Co., 220 S. State St., Chi-
cago; Mandel Mfg. Co., 1455 W. Congress St., Chi-
cago; Perkins Phonograph Co., 831 N. Wood St.,
Chicago; Kreiter Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; L. S.
Priess, Minneapolis, Minn.; Holland Piano Mfg. Co.,
Minneapolis, Minn.; Bush & Lane Piano Co., Hol-
land, Mich.; Brooks Mfg. Co., Saginaw, Mich.; The
Delpheon Co., Bay City, Mich.; The Compton-Price
Co., Coshocton, Ohio; Goldsmith Piano Co., 1223
Miller St., Chicago; Magnola Co., 711 Milwaukee
Ave., Chicago; S. N. Swan & Sons, Freeport, 111.;
Milwaukee Talking Machine Mfg. Co., Milwaukee,
January 15, 1920.
Wis.; R. C. Wade Co., 110 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago;
Weser Bros., 524 W. 43rd St., New York; Oro-Tone
Co., 1810 Irving Park Blvd., Chicago; Deterling Mfg.
Co., Tipton, Ind.
These are some of the good ones and, of course,
there are many more. The Endless-Graph Mfg. Co.,
4200 W. Adams street, Chicago, also makes a very
attractive novelty in the form of a combination talk-
ing machine and parlor lamp. This is a good arti-
cle for popular sale.
* * *
FRANCIS BACON AND CORNISH.
Morgantown, Ky., Dec. 30, 1919.
Editor Presto: Would it be presuming too much
to ask your advice in regard to buying a piano?
Is there any comparison between a Francis Bacon
piano and the Cornish?
We have tried out the Cornish and found it exactly
as represented, and in our estimation it competes
with the Francis Bacon, but find you have very little
to say in Presto Buyers' Guide about the Cornish,
but a great deal about the Francis Bacon, the
Chickering and Baldwin—also a great many other
high grade pianos.
We don't want a cheap, commercial piano, or
trade-mark, but a good high-grade piano to be
bought at a reasonable price, and not be over-
persuaded by an agent.
Fraternally yours,
T. T. MOORE.
There can be no doubt whatsoever about the
character and quality of the Francis Bacon piano. It
is manufactured by one of the most powerful in-
dustries and it has its origin 'way back in the first
beginning of the American piano industry. As a
matter of fact, there are but very few older names
associated with the musical instrument manufacture
in this country than that of "Bacon." For the rea-
sons named, and the equally important fact that
materially and musically the Francis Bacon is a
thoroughly good and reliable instrument, we feel we
are safe in commending it.
The Cornish piano is comparatively little known.
It is manufactured for the mail order trade, as we
understand, and it has no special standing among
the music merchants. Without doubt it is a well
made instrument and, perhaps, in some sections, it
stands as well as most of the little-known pianos.
There is no reason to doubt that the purchase of a
Cornish would be secure enough, but there is, of
course, as you must realize, a name vaiue in high
grade instruments which it is often well to consider
where the investment is a matter of importance to
the buyer.
In this case we suggest that as good a way as
any would be to buy the instrument that you can
buy at the price you want to pay and that meets
your views in appearance and musical effects. The
amount of space devoted to instruments in Presto
Buyers' Guide has nothing to do with their relative
merits.
* * *
PEEK & SON PIANO.
Whiting, Ind., Dec. 31, 1919.
Editor Presto: How can I obtain a copy of the
Presto Buyers' Guide? Or perhaps you can inform
me as to who has been handling the old "Peek &
Son" piano. In my work as a piano tuner I find it
necessary that I have this information.
Yours very truly,
CLARENCE EGGERS.
The Peek & Son piano is now manufactured in
New York City by a subsidiary industry of Jacob
Bros. Co., 539 W. 39th street. We suggest that
you write to the industry named for any further
particulars concerning the Peek & Son instrument.
The Peek & Son piano is briefly described on
page 79 of Presto Buyers' Guide, 1920 edition.
Price of the book is 50 cents postpaid.
* * *
PHONOGRAPH CABINETS.
[Telegram.]
Waldron, Ark., Dec. 26, 1919.
Editor Presto: Wire me, collect, and give me the
name of the company in Michigan that makes
phonograph cabinets, and what else do they manu-
facture? Your paper told, in a back number. The
paper has been misplaced-
LAMAR HARRIS.
Several Grand Rapids phonograph cabinet indus-
tries have been described in Presto, among them
that of the Sonora Company. The S. E. Overman
Company, of Holland, Mich.,-Js making them; the
United Phonograph Co., of Sheboygan, Wis., has
made thousands of them; The Genoa Mfg. Co., Re-
public Building, Chicago, makes a specialty of them;
Lundstrom Mfg. Co., Little Falls, N. Y., is a big
cabinet concern; Grand Rapids Brass Co., Grand
Rapids, Mich., makes them; Great Eastern Mfr.'s
Association, Chicago, jobs them largely; and there
are many, many more. Presto Trade Lists will
give them all.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

Page 13 Text:

13
January 15, 1920.
VITAL TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION FRISCO TO SELL
Progress and Ambitions of the National Association of Music Merchants
to Be Shown in Activity in Organized Work.
From the discussions and decisions
of the music trade meetings in the
Hotel Commodore, New York, in
February organized activities will
take form which will make an im-
portant mark on the progress of the
business, not only during the current
year, but for many years to come. It
was through the organization work
of the past two years that the music
trade established its place as an im-
portant factor in American affairs,
commercial and social. Only through
an intelligent continuation of this
work will the trade enjoy continued
recognition and reap the benefit of
the high position it has gained. Lead-
ers in the field are optimistic, and
even in the remote places the influ-
ence of the associations has made it-
self felt.
"Big problems have been met and
solved by the men who have devoted
their time and money unselfishly to
the common welfare," said Secretary
C. L. Dennis, in forwarding the com-
pleted program which represents sev-
eral months of thought and study by
the officers of the Merchants' Asso-
ciation. "We have been fortunate in
the past two years in having big men
directing the affairs of the dealers'
organization. When the critical mo-
ments arrived under wartime condi-
tions, our leaders merged their forces
in masterly fashion. The close of the
war brought conditions scarcely less
critical. Our last convention in Chi-
cago in June found itself faced with the problem of
financing our organized work.
"The plan of President Conroy for raising the
Merchants' contribution to the organized work,
through the Official Stamp for the Advancement of
Music, was unanimously accepted as the only possi-
ble solution, though with great reluctance in some
quarters. Almost every opposition was removed,
the plan was unanimously adopted, and its subse-
quent success has proved its soundness."
Will Continue Stamp Plan.
The continuauce of the Official Stamp plan will
be one of the big things to be decided on at the
February convention in New York. The experi-
ment of holding the national conventions and the
Music Show in the winter will also be worked out.
Present indications point toward the permanent
adoption of wintertime for the annual meetings.
Never in the history of the music trade has there
been such widespread interest throughout the whole
country in the organized work.
HOTEL COMMODORE ENTRANCE.
"I have only been connected with the music trade
a comparatively short time, yet the third year of my
service shows a radical change in the attitude of the
trade generally," said Secretary Dennis. "I have
found that the men of the trade regarded the asso-
ciation activities as largely social, and only in the
last two years have they come to appreciate the
value of organized work for the common good.
"The operation of the National Bureau for the
Advancement of Music is a big factor in this change,
and to my mind its plans and activities are the most
important things we have to consider just now. The
only way we can extend these activities is through
our organization machinery, with state and city as-
sociations, commissioners of the National Associa-
tion, travelers, manufacturers, and individual mem-
bers working to a common end. I believe the view-
point of the trade has broadened to overlook petty
jealousies, and it is certain that much unfair compe-
tition has been eliminated since our Music Indus-
tries Better Business Bureau was established."
DEMOCRATS PIANOS
National Convention Week Will Be Made
Occasion of Strenuous Efforts to Inter-
est Political Visitors in Pianos
and Players,
The piano trade of San Francisco is unanimous
in expressing pleasure at the success of the city's
representatives in securing the national convention
of the Democratic party. The piano men hold that
"there's always a customer in a crowd." As a rule,
political rallies result in the biggest harvests for the
hotels and restaurants, but the piano men of San
Francisco have the shrewd belief that, directly or
indirectly, some of the convention money will find
its way to the cashiers' desks in the music houses.
But the piano dealers will go after the direct
money. Every visitor to San Francisco for any
place west of the Rockies will be considered a good
prospect. With this ambitious thought in mind the
trade of the city is already planning an advertising
campaign which will be used throughout California
and adjoining states, and so framed as to make the
visitors receptive to the piano proposition when
they come to the convention.
Instructing Customers.
• A. L. Quinn, manager of the Western Division of
the Q R S Co., with offices in San Francisco, has
inaugurated a propaganda which he believes will
make roll selling easier for the dealers. That is,
eventually it will, but the propaganda entails a pre-
liminary labor that will be rewarded later.
Mr. Quinn holds that the average dealer is indif-
ferent to the necessity of instructing the customers
in the proper way to play the rolls. He advances
the theorem that there is a right way and a wrong
way to play a roll. And he points out to dealers
the necessity for instructing the customers in the
right way. It involves an understanding of»the par-
ticular piece of music and the exercise of the mu-
sical intelligence every owner of a playerpiano has
or should be made to have. His scheme is simply
to increase the pleasure of the owners in their in-
struments. He advances the irrefutable argument
that the more enjoyment a player owner gets out
of his instrument the more rolls he buys.
Frank Cowles formerly with the Q R S Co.'s offi-
ces in San Francisco has returned to his old position.
Mr Cowles has beeri with the Wiley B. Allen Co. for
about six months. D. S. Rockwell, the Q R S
traveler who spent Christmas and New Year with
his family at Ocean Beach Grove near San Diego,
has started out on a road trip.
The Eastern manufacturers may look for Frank
Anrys, general manager of the Wiley B. Allen, after
the 15th. The annual convention is only one of his
objectives. It is one, too, that Mr. Anrys would
not miss for a big bonus. He is one of the piano
men with the delightful convention habit. Mr.
Anrys will be accompanied by James J. Black, man-
ager of the talking machine department of the
Wilev B. Allen Co.
RUSSIAN SONGS FOR U. S. LIBRARY.
GERMANY HAS NO PIANOS
FOR THE EXPORT TRADE
Nor Can Manufacturers There Produce
Money or Raw Materials.
Them,
Instead of having great reserve stocks of manu-
factured goods on hand ready to ship to foreign
points with the resumption of peace, Germany is
stripped completely of raw materials and will not be
able to fill any orders before getting the money to
buy raw materials and fitting up its long-neglected
plants, according to D. R. Martinez, who arrived
at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, fram an extended
trip through South America. Mr. Martinez is in the
export business, specializing in musical instruments,
automobiles and shoes in Cuba, Porto Rico and
South America.
"Some time ago a story appeared in many papers
throughout the United States," said Mr. Martinez,
"to the effect that there were 40,000 pianos in Ger-
many which were ready to be shipped and sold in
foreign markets. This seemed quite likely for be-
fore the war Germany held 80 per cent of the for-
eign trade in musical instruments. But upon inves-
tigating this through my representative in Berlin.
Dr. Alfons Lissner, I learned today by letter that
instead of having instruments ready for shipping
'Germany is slain like Abel, lying flat on the ground,
and cannot think of beginning to fill orders before
having money to buy raw materials, fitting up the
long neglected plants and paying the now extremely
high wages. Everything costs about ten to twenty
times as much as it did before the war.* An up-
right piano of the cheapest type that brought then
about 300 marks now sells at 10,000 marks and even
more.'
"This effectually kills insofar as the musical in-
strument industry is concerned, the talk of German
trade aggression at this time. We have in this coun-
try "already passed our prewar export figures in
pianos and musical instruments and have secured
about $8,000,000 annual foreign trade formerly held
by Germany, but there is still twice as much busi-
ness to be done."
AMERICAN PIANO CO.'S DIVIDEND.
American Piano Company, New York, declared
initial cash dividend of V/2 per cent on common
stock, also stock dividend of 5 per cent, payable Jan.
1 to stock of record Dec. 24. Usual quarterly divi-
dend of $1.75 on preferred will be paid Jan. 2 to
stock of record Dec. 24.
AN ERROR CORRECTED.
Presto made an error in printing the Bay Com-
pany's space at the New York Music Show, which
is to take place at Grand Central Palace in February.
The Bay Company will exhibit in space 214, not in
space 219 in that show.
Pearl Woods is a progressive music goods dealer
in Sterling, 111.
Two sets of Russian songs that are unique "songs
of the Siberian galley slaves, tramps, and natives;
for single voice and for choir, with accompaniment
of piano," have been bought by the music division
of the United States Library of Congress and re-
cently added to the very valuable collection of music
there, announces W. R. Whittlesey, chief of the
music division. These songs are from the unusual
collection of Kurt Schindler and contain a set of
songs of three compositions, and another of eleven
compositions. They were collected in the galley
prisons of Siberia, have been rearranged, harmon-
ized, and performed in almost every Russian city.
V. N. Garteveld has arranged them.
WILLIAM M. PLAISTED BUSY.
William M. Plaisted, vice-president of the Hazel-
ton Brothers, Inc., New York, is exceedingly active
making preparations for the coming Music Show
and convention. He claims he has several new
schemes which will improve the Hazelton exhibit,
but we feel this will be very hard to do as the Hazel-
ton displays during previous Music Shows have al-
ways been successfully fostered and attended.
WALTER LANE VISITS CHICAGO.
Walter Lane, president of the Bush & Lane Piano
Company, Holland, Mich., was in Chicago this
week. Mr. Lane said the future is full of promise
for the piano industry. His factory is running full
blast, with plenty of orders on the books to keep it
going for some time. He greeted old friends in the
trade and had cheerful words for all.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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