Presto

PRESTO
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Published Every Saturday at 407 South Dearborn
Street, Old Colony Building, Chicago, 111.
C. A. D A N I E L L and F R A N K D. ABBOTT
Editors
Telephones. Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896. at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
•possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the smaller cit'es are the best occasional corre-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Forms c'cse at nocn every Thursday. News mat-
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
page dsplay copy should be in hand by Monday noon
preceding ; publics t"cn day. Want advs. for current
week, to nsure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 407 So.
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, JULY 7, 1923.
PROFITLESS GRANDS
i The race for the grand prix of Worse-Than-
Nothing" is on in grand pianos. The exciting
contest to prove that, after all, the finest at-
tainment of the keyed instrument is of small
value has reached the bursting point.
During the past week a dozen copies of a
$325 advertisement of a grand piano have been
sent to this paper by indignant retail dealers.
Some of the newspaper clippings have come
anonymously and others have been accom-
panied by lou:l protests and carminative com-
ment. As if a trade paper could do anything
in such a case!
It has been popularly supposed that if any
musical instrument represents value and com-
mands the respect of music lovers and is the
pride of the piano manufacturers, it must be
the grand piano. It is the instrument that
suggests the best that can be done in its de-
partment of constructive artisanry—the cli-
max of the expert acoustician's skill and the
arena of the highest exploits of phenomenal
pianism. And what becomes of the ideals
when big black type tells the astonished world
that such an instrument can be bought at
retail for $325?
Of course, to the person posted in pianos
the announcement doesn't mean much—unless
he happens to be a dealer in pianos. In that
case it means that new invasion of the garden
of ideals has come, with threat of damage to
the best fruit that grows there.
If a grand piano is advertised at so low a
price by a retail piano house, the significance
may not be harmful. No one can know the
reason. But if a manufacturer does it, the
only conclusion is that the cheapest methods
of construction are applied to insure the small-
est wholesale profit. It is merely going aroun:l
the retail trade and reaching the public direct.
The advertiser can not expect that any re-
tailer will buy the same instruments to sell
again under any name. To try to retail at
such a manufacturer's price would be to play
into competitors' hands and do business with-
out profit.
To try to sell any other grands from the
same manufacturer, at better prices, would be
waste of effort because competing salesmen
would point to the advertised retail price and
easily convince any prospects that the instru-
ment could only be the same piano, under a
different name, and at a higher price.
No piano dealer can afford to buy grand
pianos to retail at $325. If the same manu-
facturer also produces other grands at better
prices, the cheap instrument reflects its char-
acter upon the better one and makes it a hard
proposition, for it is a common understanding
that no really fine pianos can issue from the
factory that produces the cheapest in the
world.
The manufacturing retailer who advertises
a grand piano to retail for less than a good
upright can be sold for, can not expect that
the dealers will be interested to the extent of
killing their business by reducing the possi-
bilities of profit to the vanishing point. There
must be a price limit somewhere, and in grands
it seems to have been reached. However—
mebbe not!
FIRST TRADE PAPER
In his recent discussion of advertising Mr.
Chas. E. Byrne ran back into early times for
illustrations of the first great advertisers, of
whom Mother Eve was the original—as she
is said to have been of all of us—and carried
on down to the days of King Tut and P. T.
Barnum. But Mr. Byrne did not tell us of
the first trade paper which, according to re-
port, was put forth by Noah to announce the
sailing of the widely advertised Ark line. Noah
was the first of the Archaic advertisers.
A late edition of a music trade paper, how-
ever, does try to tell of the first music trade
paper, and goes too far back even if not quite
as far as Noah. There was no need of music
trade papers in the time discussed by Mr.
Byrne, but a music trade paper of last week,
which is certainly old enough, gave itself
credit for too much age. It said that it was
"founded and is still being edited by John C.
Ereund, who started the first music trade
paper as far back as 1872." We repeat, that
is too far back.
Mr. Freuncl has the distinction of having
smarted the first music trade paper in this
young country of ours. There were music
trade papers abroad and Mr. Freund really
put forth the first American music trade
paper under date of November 18, 1875. The
publication was called the "Music Trade Re-
view" and its initiative was due to the enter-
prise of the late Mr. William Steinway. Prior
to that time Mr. Freund had been conducting
a very beautiful publication known as the
"Arcadian."
This is said merely for the sake of accuracy
in a matter of some importance to all literary
bgend. The mistake on Mr. Freund's part
was doubtless due to haste and he will thank
us for setting him right.
The first "Music Trade Review" was a fort-
nightly with a very beautiful title page by Jas.
C. Beard, a famous artist of that period.
DELAYED HONEYMOON TRIP.
C H. J. Thorby, vice-president of the Straube
Piano Company. Hammond, Ind., last Saturday
started en a cruise of Lake Michigan, in company
v. ith Mrs. Thorby and some of their friends. The
rrrise is being made in Mr. Thorby's own yacht.
"Comiiiodo r e," as Mr. Thorby is known by most of
his friends by virtre of his official connection with
the Jackson Park Yacht Club, of Chicago, and Mrs.
Thorby have been married but two months, and the
trip is a sort of delayed honeymoon cruise.
July 7, 1923
TIME'S CHANGES IN
GRAND PIANO STYLES
The Progress of the Packard Is Basis of an
Interesting Review of the Industry
Since 1871.
One of the most notable retail trade enterprises of
recent date was tliat of the Guest Piano Co., of Bur-
lington, Iowa, in securing a full section of the Daily
Hawkeye for purposes of a review of the history of
that house. Among other interesting articles was the
following concerning the Packard piano, which is a
leader in the Burlington house:
Every visitor to the Guest Piano Co. will see a
Packard grand piano occupying an honored place in
the richest collection of musical instruments in the
West.
This Packard piano is produced by the Packard
Piano Co., of Fort Wayne, Ind., manufacturers of a
full line of reproducing pianos, grands, uprights and
players. It is a reliable and distinguished house
whose energy and progressive enterprise have con-
tributed not only to the western industry, but to the
fame of the American musical instrument through-
out the world.
The reputation of this old and substantial concern
for fair and honorable dealing is beyond reproach.
The output of the Packard factory is not on the quan-
tity basis, emphasis being placed on the quality.
The purchase of a piano in the early days of the
Packard history was an event in the life of most
American families. The idea of buying such an in-
strument was discussed for months—and when a pur-
chase was made, the piano was the most prized
possession.
The present-day purchaser of a Packard, however,
can little picture the first Packard grand piano which
was made. For styles change in grand pianos as
they do in clothing, shoes and other things. The
early grands were built as if they were to sustain a
three or four story building. The legs were a foot
thick and fancy carving gave them a not unpleasant
apeparancc. These fancy carved bodies had to give
way as the public taste changed.
The present-day grand is a beautiful instrument,
possessing the tene which is the development of years
of the best effort in piano construction The Pack-
ard players, uprights and reproducing pianos are as
far famed as its grand piano.
Possessing quality
that is unquestioned, the Guest Piano Co. has given
the Packard instrument honored places on its floors.
PLEASANT TIME PROPOSED
AT PIANO CLUB LUNCHEON
No Speak'ng on Program, But Walter A. Lund Will
Provide Good Singing.
For the luncheon of the Piano Club of Chicago
Monday, July 9, Walter A. Lund will be program
chairman of the day, and he has a tine summer pro-
gram. No speaking; just some good singing, perhaps
a story or two and adjournment promised on time.
The songs are to be given us by the members of
the firm of Egbert Van Alstyne & Company, '"than
whom there are no whomers when it comes to songs,"
says Mr. Lund.
Deep Stuff—A suggestion from the Secretary:
'"You've got to use your brains for something besides
a hat rack if you expect to horn in on the Deep
Stuff."
THE RAGTIME BARD.
When I was yorng, my muse and I
Tuned up my saxophone together.
Then went I forth beneath the sky—
A bashful bard for any weather.
With verse bound round end verse set free
I've cast my lot, and thus have taken
Short steps toward immortality
But 'tis my pigs bring home the bacon.
Poet of jazz! The synco field
Boasts none more brilliantly pro'.itic.
The weekly crop of rimes I yield
Is some sub'ime and same terrific.
Of matters anything save deep
I write with ease as with a mission,
But 'tis my speckled hens that keep
My double chin in good condition.
—The Hick in Chicago Herald and Exam'ner.
ALSO CARRIES ORGANS.
The Z. C. Hundley Mrsic Co., recently formed in
Enterprise Ala., carries a line of pianos and players,
trIking machines, ro Is, records and shest music and
in addition provides for the wants of the organ cus-
tcmer. In that section the favor for the reed organ
survives and is of sufficient importance to be catered
to in a regular way by an alert firm like the Z. C.
Hundley Music Co.
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