r
July 24, 1920.
ARE MUSIC STORE
TUNERS FAKIRS?
Practical "Independent" Brings Serious
Charges Against the Harmonizers in Vit-
riolic Assault Upon Piano Dealers
and Their Methods,
Ada, Okla., July 18, 1920.
Editor Presto: I notice in my Presto of July 3rd
your comments on my circular. While they are
unfair and show a lack of knowledge of the existing
conditions regarding pianos in the home (not sales-
rooms) as well as the big difference between the
standard of work of the independent tuner, as com-
pared to the lack of standard of the music house
work done on pianos in the homes, nevertheless, the
circular being printed along with the comments, will
stand on its own legs, so all is well.
Now you naturally cater to the retailer and have
his interests most at heart. That is "business." I
cater to the individual piano owners—they are the
lads who keep me in meal tickets and I am using
100 per cent of my efficiency for the good of these
individuals.
The Music Store Tuner.
How about the tuner with the music store? He,
to hold his job, must, or rather does, give about 99
per cent of his efforts to his "boss" and 1 per cent
to the public. It is a case of the "public be
damned''!
"Make Sales"! and the poor devil must swallow
his high ideals and take orders from the house,
which is managed by men who rarely ever have any
technical knowledge of pianos. They know sales-
manship and are in business to sell pianos.
As a matter of fact, practically all tuners who
really know anything in piano work, further than
tuning, do not, or will not, work for a retailer.
They don't need to. It is the fellow who just
knows how to tune and "tamper" the piano house
can employ as a rule.
In over 20 years' work in city, town and country,
my only competitors have been independent men,
and my advice to any tuner who is competent to care
for a piano (tune,, regulate, voice and repair) is to
shun the retailer like a disease, and work for the in-
terest of the public and the uplift of music.
Yes, the retailer is the man who should and could
do more to remedy the increasing condition of
pianos out of tune than anybody; but he is the one
who not only does the least but is a decided stum-
bling block to the tuner who is trying to educate
the public along this line. He may give some half-
hearted good advice at the store, and then every
bloomin' salesman may undo it ten-fold every day
by misinforming the public in forty directions.
''Sales"! "Sales"! "Sales"! and "to hell with art"!
is the cry of modern business.
Why They Get "Nutty."
No doubt the tuner has more the soul of an artist
than any member of the piano tribe. Yes, we all
realize we get "nutty" by each and every day en-
countering piano owners who have bought pianos
from leading piano merchants and had them a year
or two without ever being tuned. And then the rep-
resentative of the house, to escape a free tuning, or
through ignorance, tells him "it is all O. K. and
don't need tuning," while the neighborhood on both
sides implore every tuner they see to "For heaven's
sake go tune that piano"!
The dealer who puts out a piano that isn't going
to be kept in tune is doing the world a decided in-
jury.
Is this one piano dealer any better than the hun-
dreds of piano owners in his town? Does the pub-
lic owe him anything? Not much! And for his
reputation in any locality, he in most cases has the
reputation of having more liars to the square inch
selling his wares than any other merchant in town.
Now we will analyze the tuners in a nutshell. Ws
may say there are two classes: the Music House
Tuners and the Independents. The medium class
(as to efficiency) are nearly all in the music house
employ, and the Independents are made up of the
two extremes—the top notchers who don't need to
nor won't work under orders, and the out-and-out
incompetent who couldn't get a job with any music
store if he wanted it.
Cites a Case.
Probably no music house is more reliable than a
famous one in Chicago, and no tuner a better tuner
than one of the leading officers in the National
Tuners' organization who is employed by that
house. But what kind of service is he giving?
Piano house service, of course. "Tune nicely, keep
your hands clean, leave all undone you can so long
as the owner doesn't know," etc.
Recently a Chicago music teacher moved to Okla-
homa and left an order for me to call and, on asking
PRESTO
my charge. I says: "Who has had the care of your
piano—Independent or Music House"? She says:
"I have had Lyon & Healy's Steinway tuner tune it
every three months for years."
Right off the bat, I says: "Probably not less
than $10 to get it in good order." My statements
seemed "absurd" to her, just as you say my cir-
cular is. I says: "The piano will do the talking
and your eyes are as good as mine; w r e will ex-
amine it."
When I showed her the filth and trash under the
keys, the uneven touch, the lack of regulation, etc.,
she admitted that she, after a lifetime in teaching,
had seen her first real piano service.
The man who can back up his statement with
proof has better "credentials" than a million-dollar
piano firm!
Advises House Cleaning.
Truth is a mighty force, and right is might even
if it does ?ause a piano merchant to clean house a
little.
Now it is a ten-to-one bet I could come to your
own home today and in five minutes show you in
your own piano that you have never seen any real
piano service, if you have relied on Music House
tuners to care for it.
I run across many independent tuners who do
thorough work, but never a Music House Tuner
who does mere than tune, as a rule.
Please remember I am now not in Chicago. I
make a few towns of 3,000 to 10,000 people and my
literature states facts from start to finish and are
not "unfair, unwise, or absurd" to those who know
the "piano in the home" conditions. So you have
another guess coming.
Neither am I attempting to knock or "hurt" any-
body to help myself. But if the coat "fits" anyone
let him put it on. They know where to find me
and are welcome to anything they can get on me.
My work talks for me. I became so thoroughly
disgusted with the leading Piano Houses in this ter-
ritory, a few years back, for their continual misrep-
resentations of independent tuners, that I decided
to single-handed (if necessary) show them some
things, and the music house tuner's now can't make
a dent in my business. Being only 44 years old, I
think I am good for about 30 years' more work, and
so long as the music house seems to me to be shout-
ing, 'To hell with the public"! I shall be shouting,
"To hell with the music house methods"!
Calls It "Awful Mess."
Let the shoe merchant sell shoes- and the cobbler
keep them in order.
Let the piano merchant sell pianos, and the piano
"mechanic-tuner" keep them in order, and things
wiH be better for all concerned.
The piano houses have made an awful mess of
this tuning game and the tuner must look to him-
self for the respect he should deserve, and get, and
he gets all he deserves.
Now you romped on me so beautifully and I
think you are sport enough to publish this answer.
Yours for advancement in the piano game,
R. C. BISHOP.
[Of course Presto prints Mr. Bishop's vitriolic
communication. It makes "good reading," whether
we agree with all of it or not. Mr. Bishop has con-
fidence in himself. Good! He no doubt can sub-
stantiate his claim to efficiency. Good again. But
his estimate of the piano houses is not just, and his
idea about the kind of work done by music house
tuners is unfair. Of course there are exceptions, and
very many of the tuners are incompetent. As a
rule the piano owners are to blame for the condi-
tion of their property, just as they are to blame for
the condition of their other chattels, their kitchens
and their cellars. Presto has at least one practical
tuner on its staff—one who has done just what Mr.
Bishop is doing as an "independent," and also who
has worked for a music house. Presto's pianos are
in good condition.—Ed. Presto.]
ADDRESS BY A. L. SMITH.
A meeting of the directors of the Chicago Piano
& Organ Association was held Tuesday night, July
20, at the City Club, Chicago. A committee,
with power to act, was appointed, with instructions
to select a place for the association to meet. This
committee consists of James F. Bowers, chairman;
William Braid White and D. J. McGinnis. The
meeting was addressed by Alfred L. Smith, general
manager of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce, from New York.
PACKARD ADMIRER CALLS.
A. E. Uhe, professor of music in Bethany College,
Lindsborg, Kan., was an interested visitor at the
Packard Chicago headquarters this week. Prof. Uhe
is an ardent admirer of the Packard piano. He be-
lieves that it is an instrument par excellence for use
in the musical classroom, and he uses it in his
classes Prof. Uhe is a musician whose reputation
as a teacher extends over a wide territory.
11
NEW DEALERS HANDLE
ONE-TYPE INSTRUMENT
Prominent Firms Rapidly Being Added to List
of Those Selling the William J.
Ennis Playerpiano.
New dealers are rapidly being added to the long
list of those who handle the product of the Inter-
national Piano Manufacturing Company, of Fall
River, Mass., until there are today representatives at
every point of importance in this country, with also
a good export trade.
The International, which manufactures but one
type of instrument, the William J. Ennis player-
pianos, is one of the fortunate ones at this time
of shipping uncertainties, raw material scarcity and
labor shortage, for it has been able not only to sup-
ply a demand substantially in excess of its last year's
business, but to produce a modest surplusage of
instruments at a time when they will come in ex-
tremely handy. And not alone this, but it is pointed
out by President William J. Ennis that, because of
the company's policy of making the whole instru-
ment, instead of depending upon the supply of many
parts produced by other concerns, the company is
fortified in the matter of raw materials more strong-
ly than a great many other manufacturers.
"Shipping conditions," said Mr. Ennis this week,
"are far from satisfactory, and they seem likely to
get a good deal worse before they get better. This
applies, of course, to raw materials as well as to
finished products, but there is one consolation for
our company, that our system of manufacture com-
pels us to take care of ourselves well in advance of
our immediate needs, so that at the present time We
have the 'makings' of a good many pianos, come
what may in the matter of railroad conditions."
BUSH & LANE PIANO CO.
WORKERS HAVE PICNIC
Annual Event of Piano Industry at Holland, Mich.,
One of Summer's Events.
Presto and its staff are
under obligations to the
Bush & Lane Piano Co.
of Holland, Mich., and
particularly to Vice-Pres-
ident F. J. Congleton of
that industry, for an invi-
tation to attend the icnicp
of employees on Saturday
of this week. Whatever
the Bush & Lane forces
do is sure to be well done,
whether in the making of
beautiful instruments or
getting up an out-of-door
entertainment and feast.
It is certain that Sat-
urday's event will be a
big one. From the races
to the "eats," and from
the song birds to the run-
F. J. CONGLETON.
ning brooks, there will be
music and delight. And one of the leaders in all the
fun will be the Bush & Lane vice-president, who is
as young today as when he worked hard every
day over on North Clark street in Chicago.
That was some time ago, and just how Mr.
Congleton looked then is shown by the accompany-
ing photograph which, though he may not himself
recognize it, will not be at all strange even to
members of the trade who have met Mr. Congle-
ton for the first time recently. For he is one of
men who do not change much with the passing
of years—of which, in fact, he has not yet gath-
ered very many, notwithstanding his experience
and long service in the piano industry. Anyway,
here's to the picnickers, and may they all have
many more of them?
EXPERT TUNER DIES.
William F. Bark, one of the most expert tuners
in the Wisconsin piano trade, died Saturday after-
noon, July 17, at his r home, 1903 Cold Spring ave-
nue, Milwaukee, W is., after a brief illness. Mr.
Bark was associated for many years with the Ed-
mund Gram Music House, Milwaukee, and special-
ized in tuning service on Duo-Art Pianola pianos, in
which field he established a national reputation. Mr.
Bark was stricken while at work on July 12 and was
unconscious almost continuously until his death five
davs later.
The Home Music Co. has been opened in Zanes-
ville, Ohio. Robert Curran is manager of the store.
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