Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American Pianos
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
totiMiM
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform Book-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Music
Industries.
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CHICAGO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 1923
SOUTHERN MUSIC
SALES INCREASE
And Louisville, Gateway to the Old South,
Has Music Merchants Who Are En-
deavoring to Make a Good
Piano Trade Better.
By HENRY McMULLAN.
It is cheering to the piano man from the north to
make a round of visits to the progressive piano houses
of Louisville, Ky. Louisville, whose slogan is "the
city where northern enterprise and southern hos-
pitality meet," is doing what it can to sell the pianos
and playerpianos made in more northern latitudes.
It is a city in which the power of public opinion is
very great; but the four daily papers of the city ex-
pend far more energy in discussing political issues
than in going after constructive work for the better-
ment of the town. Like the papers of New York, the
most trenchant writing in them is frequently found
in the contributors' column.
Proud to Represent Steger.
A call was made at the Ambuhl Piano Company's
store, 306 West Walnut street, the house that handles
the entire Steger line. It is the Steger store of
Louisville, handling the Steger, the Singer, the
Thompson and the other products of the great house
of Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co., of Chicago and
Steger, 111. C. R. Ambuhl, owner of the store, is
very fortunate in having his wife with him in the
business. Both are experts at the selling end of the
piano game. Their careers cover piano experience
in Pittsburgh and other cities of the East before com-
ing to Louisville. They are both very enthusiastic
over the Steger makes of instruments.
Baldwin Grand Trade Booms.
"Trade is good for this time of the year with us,"
said W. E. Tuell, sales manager at the Baldwin Com-
pany's store, 521 Fourth avenue. "And best of all,
the character of the business has been very good.
We have sold several grands this summer, including
one $3,600 Baldwin reproducing piano."
The personnel of the leaders at this store is com-
posed of men of wide experience in their respective
capacities. H. J. Kartheiser, general manager, was
formerly for years in the Chicago office of the Bald-
win Piano Company. His important line of work at
Chicago in later years has fallen largely upon the
shoulders of Mr. Lawrence, Vice-President H. C.
Dickinson's son-in-law. Mr. Tuell has spent the bet-
ter part of his life selling Baldwin instruments, and
H. T. Castello, who is in charge of the Edison phono-
graph department, is no novice at that end of the
work.
Sales Fair at Krausgill's.
"Sales have been fair here for the dull season, par-
ticularly in phonographs," said J. T. McKelvey, of
the sales force of the Krausgill Piano Company, 309
West Walnut street. Mr. McKelvey is an experi-
enced salesman and one to be trusted. Carl Shackle-
ton is manager of the piano department and he is
also one of Louisville's most distinguished musicians
and promoters of everything musical. He falls far
short of being six feet high, but what he lacks in
stature he makes up in breadth of intelligence. The
Krausgill Piano Company handles the Steinway, the
Kurtzmann and other pianos as well as players and
Victrolas.
Gulbransens in Demand.
"Trade has been picking up wonderfully in the last
ten days," said J. R. Johnson, senior member of the
Johnson Piano Company, 213 West Walnut street,
which is the trading center in Louisville for the Gul-
bransen playerpianos. "We have sold quite a few
Gulbransens in the last ten days." Mr. Johnson's
partner, and a very admirable one, is his son, Hobert
Johnson, a young man who understands the me-
chanics of playerpianos as well as how to sell these
instruments.
Two Carloads Come In.
After admitting that trade had been dull during
the present heated term, F. M. Tiller, piano dealer
NEW HOWARD STYLE 410
The
new
Howard
piano, Style 410, cut of
which appears herewith,
is the latest presentation
of the Baldwin Com-
pany, Cincinnati. The new
instrument is 4 feet 3
inches high and is fur-
nished in brown mahog-
any and walnut.
The special features of
the Howard Style 410
are:
Overstrung bass,
three unisons, full iron
plate,
triple
bearing,
three pedals, Empire top,
sliding fall, compound
hard maple wrest plank,
seven and one-third oc-
taves, double repeating
action, solid hardwood
frame, c o p p e r b a s s
strings, bushed timing
pins, continuous hinges,
sustaining pedal, brass
finished
hardware
throughout.
The new piano is pro-
duced to supply the in-
creasing demand for an
instrument that will be
attractive to buyers liv-
ing in bungalows and
small apartments. The
new Howard model provides dealers handling the
Howard line with another strong means of appeal to
a very numerous class of piano prospects. This is
at the northwest corner of Second and Walnut
streets, told Presto's representative that he was ex-
pecting a carload of Kimballs and a carload of Hallet
& Davis instruments in at the first of August. As
the call was made on July 30, he undoubtedly has
those pianos in his store by the time this reaches the
eyes of the reader. He also sells the Cable-Nelson
pianos and playerpianos from Chicago and South
Haven, and the Schuberts from New York. He says
that the first six months of the year furnished good
trade; only July was dull.
A Louisville Merger.
A recent incident of importance in the Louisville
trade was the consolidation of the Louisville Music
Co. and L'Harmonie Compagnie, both located on
Fourth Avenue between Walnut and Chestnut streets,
and the placing of both under the ownership of the
Louisville Music Co., of which Ben S. Loeventhal is
president. The two stores will be operated, each in
the same location as before. John S. Calveard, for-
merly head of L'Harmonie Compagnie, has not yet
made known what his plans for the future are, but it
is generally believed he will remain in Louisville.
Land of Opportunity.
The old South—the old slave states, if you will—
constitute a section that now might be denominated
"The Land of Everybody's Opportunity."
The
southern borders of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois belong
with this region because their interests are identical
with those of the old South. And it is good piano
territory. There are Northerners who think it funny
to disparage and traduce the South by declaring that
Southerners are slow, poky and unenterprising; but
the aspersions of such smart-alecks make no impres-
sion upon travelers and cosmopolites who know bet-
ter. The Northerner who visits the South today or
takes up his residence there will find a new spirit of
enterprise at work; it has taken hold of everything
worth while.
Italianissima is the name of a new journal in Italy
devoted to the service of the musical trade and
industry. .
the day of the small piano and the new Howard
style 410 provides dealers with the means to realize
on the opportunity.
Q R S MUSIC CO. TO MAKE
AND SELL RECORDO ROLLS
Announcement to That Effect Made This Week by
Recordo Player Roll Co.
The Recordo Player Roll Co., of Chicago, an-
nounces that by mutual arrangement the Q R S
Music Co., Chicago, has taken over the. manufacture
and distribution of the Recordo standardized elec-
tric reproducing player rolls and requests its former
customers to place their orders hereafter directly
with the Q R S Music Co.
The Q R S Music Co. will give prompt attention
to all orders for Recordo player rolls and will use
their enormous facilities and resources for the ad-
vancement of the Recordo player roll. It is gener-
ally believed that this arrangement will be of great
importance and of great advantage to the extension
of the business now being done in the manufacture
and sale of the player pianos for which the Recordo
player roll is specially made.
HONORED IN GLASGOW.
John D. Cuthbertson of the old and well known
musical instrument house of J. D. Cuthbertson & Co.,
Glasgow, Scotland, was recently appointed a magis-
trate, or as locally called, bailie of the Glasgow Town
Council. In public affairs Bailie Cuthbertson has al-
ways taken a deep and active interest, and his munici-
pal record is one of which he has every reason to
feel proud. Bailie Cuthbertson is now ably assisted
in his music business by his son, Roy Cuthbertson.
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
"Don't let the alterations now in progress keep
you away—come in and see us. We will be pleased
to serve you and will thank you for your patronage,"
is the advice of the Jefferson City, Mo., branch of the
Martin Bros. Piano Co., printed this week. The
branch was recently opened at 213 East High street,
where a fine line of pianos, talking machines, rolls
and records is carried.
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