Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Fheir Makers.
PRESTO
Established 1884. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Year Book
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
10 cent.-, 92.00 <. y««r
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1924
PROBLEMS OF THE
REPRODUCING PIANO
Inability of Dealer to Provide Proper Services
for Owner, at First an Irritating Fact,
Happily Is No Longer an
Actuality.
EXPERTS NUMEROUS
Profiting by Experience at Introduction of Player-
piano Tuners and Repairmen Saw Duty in
Study of New Instrument.
the national association which has a requirement of
expertness for membership.
Interest in General.
In fact the interest of the manufacturers and deal-
ers in the vital necessity of competent men for repro-
ducing piano repairing and the helpful action of the
tuners association and individual tuners and repair-
men promises to solve one problem of the reproduc-
ing field. The reproducing piano is a most important
factor in the trade today and it is only wise as well
as just that the customer who has invested a good
sum of money for one of the instruments should
receive promptly the necessary service when the in-
s'.rument needs any form of repair or adjustment.
The obligation is directly that of the dealer who sells
the instruments, but the entire industry suffers where
there is any dissatisfaction with a reproducing piano
on the part of ;he ultimate consumer.
PRICE OF SPRUCE
TO BE STABILIZED
Producers of Wood Largely Employed in
Pianos, Phonographs and Other Musical
Instruments Meet in Portland, Ore.,
to Fix Cost to Consumers.
OTHER WESTERN ITEMS
Mason & Hamlin in Concerts, Removal in Portland
and Notes on Prominent Men and Events.
IF YOU WANT A GOOD BOOK
GET IN YOUR CORRECT ADDRESS
The Portland Civic Club presented in concert at
the public auditorium November 14 Ricardo Martin,
operatic tenor, in joint recital wi'.h Hubert Carlin,
The importance of service for the reproducing
pianist, and three of Portland's prominent musicians
piano by the dealer is one now fully recognized by
manufacturers as well as the dealers themselves. The From Trip Around World, Geo. P. Bent's Story —May Dearborn Schwab, soprano; Ella Connell
Jesse, pianist, and Christian Pool, 'cellist. A Mason
interest of the manufacturer is evidenced by the en-
Grows Into '"History of My Life." .
& Hamlin concert grand piano was used, furnished
couragement they give to free schools; that of the
There is going to be an outbreak of nervous pros- through the courtesy of the Wiley B. Allen Co., the
dealers of the progressive kind in extending their
Portland representatives of the Mason & Hamlin.
tration among piano men unless Mr. Bent's book of
service activities and providing service staffs of
The club voted three honorary members at their
reminiscences and philosophy comes out soon. It
proved efficiency.
The National Association of Piano Tuners also has has been awaited with growing impatience, and it is meeting prior to the concert, consisting of those who
in their judgment were conspicuous in their support
now about ready. So have patience in the thought
recognized by word and action the importance of
of
the musical life of the city. Those elected were
that,
instead
of
a
little
booklet,
the
"story
of
his
life"
service for the reproducing piano. Its drive for a
will contain around 750 or 1,000 pages—"a good- G. F. Johnson, of the G. F. Johnson Piano Co.;
larger membership this month is largely based on
James B. Kerr, president of the Portland Symphony
sized book on account of the distance between
the desire to make the association more comprehen-
sive in its relation to the requirements of the trade. covers," as the author himself explains. And, fur- Society, and William Mansell Wilder, director of the
ther, the reason of delay in issuing the book has not Orpheus Club.
Efficiency in the work of tuning and a proper tech-
been identical with that of Mark Twain, who
Spruce Growers Meet.
nical understanding of the playerpiano and the repro-
A meeting of 30 producers of spruce from the Coos
ducing piano are made necessary requirements to "didn't want his autobiography published until ten
Bay and Columbia River districts met in Portland,
membership. The attitude of all concerned, manu- years after his death."
And here's a special request by Mr. Bent. He
November 14, for the purpose of discussing the form-
facturers, dealers, tuners and repairmen is a recogni-
tion of the importance of service to the industry as asks that, should any of his friends seem to be neg- ing of an association to stabilize the price of spruce.
a whole. In every phase of the industry it is under- lected in mailing the book, they may be sure it was H. W. Irwin, Portland manager and buyer for the
not intentional, and that a copy of it will be forth- J. J. Moore Co., one of the largest exporters of lum-
stood that the future success of the reproducing piano
coming if they will send their correct addresses to
ber on the Pacific coast, in an address to the body,
largely depends upon the kind of service that can
the author at 2205 Gramercy place, Los Angeles, Cal. pointed out the great need for such stabilization of
be assured and rendered to the reproducing pteno
the price of spruce and assured the producers of a
buyer after the instrument has been delivered.
steady demand for their product, stating that his
History Repeats Itself.
GRANDS IN CLEVELAND.
company had a number of inquiries, among other,
The Muehlhauser Bros. Piano Co., Cleveland, O., for spruce from England for use in the piano in-
In handling the reproducing piano the trade experi-
report an excellent business in grands, mostly, attrib-
enced a repe'ition of history. A similar problem of
dustry.
service confronted the trade following the introduc- uted to the holiday trade. The company recently
Removal in Portland.
tion of the playerpiano when men acquainted only reported the largest number of grand sales in a given
H.
W.
Heineck,
the Portland, Ore., manager of the
with the simpler problems of the straight piano were period. Of this number ight went to musicians who
Bush & Lane Piano Company, has announced a re-
available. The tuners of those days were divided in are discriminating. All were Kurtzmann grands.
moval sale from Broadway and Alder, where they
their atti'.ude towards the instrument; some evincing Four went to the Cleveland School of Music, and
have been located for years. The move is made due
indifference and others a mild interest in something to be used for studio work, according to Alfred
to the increase in rent. In announcing the sale they
new. There was general uncertainty among the tun- Arthur, director.
state that the entire stock will be sold and not a
ers that the admittedly wonderful instrument would
single instrument will be moved to their new loca-
ever be a commercial success. A great many hesi-
tion, which has not as yet been announced, awaiting
BRANCH STORE SERVICE.
tated about giving the necessary time to the study of
the arrival of Mr. Corbin, the Pacific Coast manager
The Muehlhauser Bros. Piano Co.,'s new West
the playerpiano's mechanism.
of the firm from Seattle, which is his headquarters.
Even when the intelligent tuners and repairmen Side branch serves a large territory. It is at the They advertise that "the price reductions will be noth-
intersection
of
Lorain
avenue
and
West
Twenty-fifth
realized the possibilities of the playerpiano and de-
ing less than amazing—the terms will make buying a
voted a sufficiency of their time to the study of its street, an ideal location. This store was selected
pleasure."
individual parts and the relation of one to the other because it contains unusually large window space. In
Mark Campbell Calls.
and became expert at playerpiano repairs, they found fact it is the intention of the Muehlhausers to make
windows
one
of
the
chief
attractions
in
their
stores.
Among
the
recent
visitors to the Portland, Ore.,
they had a pretty large sized problem of their own.
music trade was Mark Campbell, president of the
Dealers and owners in a great many instances
Brambach Piano Co., of New York, who made his
couldn't see how playerpiano repairs should require
MOVES IN JOPLIN, MO.
headquarters while in Portland at the Sherman, Clay
more time than straight piano repairs or why they
The music business of J. W. McMillan, formerly
& Co. store, the Portland representatives of the
should cost more money. The repairmen spiritedly
refused to be the goat and there was a diminution of at 212 West Fourth street, has just been moved to Brambach piano. While in the city Mr. Brambach
interest in the new playerpiano that caused the play- 311 Main street, where large quarters and better mer- paid his respects to the other piano dealers of
chandising facilities will be afforded.
Portland.
erpiano experts to be few and far between.
Other Personal Notes.
The Change of View.
OPENS
IN
LOCKPORT,
N.
Y.
Frank
M.
Case,
manager of the Wiley B. Allen
In time, of course, the altitude of both the dealer
Alfred J. Newman recently opened a new piano store at Portland, Ore., returned last week from a
and the playerpiano owner changed to one more
sensible and conducive of the spread of technical store at 43 Locust street, Lockport, N. Y. He has flying trip to the firm's headquarters at San Fran-
playerpiano knowledge among tuners and repairmen. been engaged in the retail piano field for many years, cisco. Mr. Case says there is a much better business
The incident, too, has had a fortunate influence on and formerly was manager of the retail store of the feeling since the election and anticipates a big volume
tuners and repairmen in determining their action Kurtzmann Piano Co. there. A full line of pianos, of trade for the holidays.
C. H. Liston has returned to the sales force in the
towards the reproducing piano. In all parts of the phonographs, records and Q R S music rolls are
piano department of the Portland, Ore., Wiley B.
country tuners and repairmen aspire to become com- handled.
Allen store. Mr. Liston was formerly with the firm
petent reproducing piano men. The trade schools,
and resigned last spring to take an Eastern trip.
like Polks' Tuning School, Valparaiso, Ind , provided
DIRECTOR OPENS STORE.
excellent opportunities for ambitious men to become
L. A. Morrow, New Brighton, Pa., formery direc-
proficient in reproducing piano repair work. The tor and leader of Morrow's bands and orchestras, has
The United Music Co. has leased a store in Staf-
future of the reproducing piano will suffer nothing at epened a music store at 902 Third avenue. He car- ford Springs, Conn., and will remodel it to suit a
the hands of the tuners, especially those belonging to ries a full line of musical merchandise.
growing music business.
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