Presto

PRESTO
presto
gree of refinement and of business judgment.
And it is probable that the old, almost puri-
tanical attitude toward the "stenciling" of
pianos has gone forever. It can only be re-
garded as a species of criminality when em-
ployed to deceive. In years past it was not
uncommon to find cheap pianos bearing fa-
mous names. Even Steinway, Knabe, Chick-
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY. ering, and other leaders, were names imposed
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
upon to mislead the public and to lend profit
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT
. Editors to a species of fraud.
But there is little of that today. And per-
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
haps as the public becomes acquainted with
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
piano methods, and are able to judge for
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
themselves, the need of safeguarding good
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
names on the fall-boards may be so far re-
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4.
duced as to mean little or nothing. We live
Payable in advance. No extra charge In United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
in a careless age.
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 cities are the best occasional corre-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Forms close at noon 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 display copy should be in hand by Monday noon
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday nocn.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
d e p a r t m e n t s to PRESTO PUBLISHING
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
CO., 417 South
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1924
CURED BY CUSTOM
Perhaps the most remarkable change in
what may be called the ethical side of the
piano industry has to do with the death or
subsidence of the so-called "stencil evil." For
today the word "stencil" is no longer heard
in the sense of obliquity. The "stencil prac-
tice" no longer pertains to the cheapest class
of pianos, nor even exclusively to the com-
mercial factories. On the contrary, many of
the distinctly reputable, even distinguished, in-
dustries now make the any-name pianos a part
of their business—often a very large part.
And, looking at the matter from a modern
and very common-sense point of view, where
is there any special harm in it so far as the
"ultimate consumer" — the public — is con-
cerned? Only the manufacturers themselves
make anything like a sacrifice by it. If a piano
maker has, by superior results in his instru-
ments, created a great name for himself and
chooses to dilute, or partially eliminate, the
power of the name, he is the real loser. His
pianos need not deteriorate merely because
a new or strange name appears on fall-board.
The value of the name is lost, but the ulti-
mate buyer will have a good piano, just as a
man named Smith may be as good a man as
one named Montmorency or Wellington.
There's nothing in the name that changes the
qualities of the tone. But it may change the
manufacturer's place in public esteem—the
piano public esteem—so far as critics become
"wise" to conditions.
There are, of course, piano manufacturers
who still refuse to be lured by the stencil. The
offers of big orders do not move them. But
it is also true that the ranks of the old guard
have become very thin. There are very few
of the no-stencil piano industries still in
business.
But the few are a power beyond the power
of money measurements. Their instruments
are in demand of a kind that knows no "com-
petition." It is not a question of wrong-doing
—this of the "stencil." It is a matter of de-
ASSEMBLED
Are industrial customs changing, or is the
automobile still introducing revolutionary
methods by which long established notions,
in other lines of business, are being obliter-
ated ? From the dawn of the piano it has been
considered essential that, to be really "the
best"—no matter what its quality or source—-
the instrument must be a unit product. It
must issue, in its entirety, from a single fac-
tory, from top fall to casters.
Years ago a New York piano manufacturer
published a series of pictures designed to
prove that his instruments were as completely
the product of one industry as were the
pianos of other industries. He presented the
pictures of a half-dozen large factories, each
of which was engaged in the. production of
some special part of the instrument. There
was a leading action plant, a key-making shop,
a large plate foundry and a case-making in-
dustry. In connection with the various pic-
tures, the announcement was made that, in
all of the factories, the piano advertised was
produced.
There was truth in the announcement. It
was an open confession that the piano was
"assembled," just as competitors had charged.
And by inference it told that many of the
other pianos were also, in a similar sense, "as-
sembled." For there was the action factory
and the plate foundry. And, in those days,
there was no piano factory in which actions
were made or iron plates cast. At the present
time it is true that practically the entire in-
strument is the product of one industry, but
it could not have been denied, in earlier days,
that all pianos were "assembled."
And, in this modern day, along comes the
automobile industry, loudly and boastingly
crying out that its progress is actually due to
the fact that its cars are "assembled." No
concealment. No thought of denying it.
Proud of it, and saying that "opticians don't
pull teeth." Which means that specialism is
left to the specialist. "We know that speciali-
zation all along the line makes better cars,"
says the automobile industry.
The piano men lacked the courage to put it
that way. Why it is hard to understand. It
applies with greater truth to pianos than to
motor cars. In this age of specialization, the
old arguments of the salesmen fall away.
People who buy want the best they can get
for the money. And, since pianos have at last
come out of the snug harbor of exclusiveness
and novelty, into the big, open sea of com-
merce, and often commonplace, the people
come pretty near to using their own judg-
ment, and permit only the local dealer and his
December 6, 1924.
salesmen to influence them in their choice.
Consequently, if a salesman thinks he can em-
ploy the old-time arguments with which to
"down" competition, he is apt to find that his
condemnation of the "assembled" piano, if car-
ried too far, may serve as commendation and
help his rival to close the sale.
An indication of what is promised in the
piano trade may be seen in the call for the
1925 edition of Presto Buyers' Guide. The
book has been out less than a month, and al-
ready more copies have been sold than were
called for in the first three months following
the issue of 1924.
* * *
Toy manufacturers say that the demand for
playthings of musical nature is one of the fea-
tures of their business this year. Toy pianos
and radio are in especially great demand. Be-
yond possibility of supply, in fact.
* * *
Only twenty-five days to New Year's. Do
your holiday selling early.
30 YEARS AGO IN THE TRADE
From the Fifes of Presto
(December 6, 1894.)
Scarcely a month passes without the starting of a
new piano factory being placed on record. And
still the question, "What becomes of all the pianos?"
remains unanswered.
The air just now is filled with rumors of changes
and combinations in the music trade, and, while many
of them have originated in idle gossip, there appears
to be a foundation of truth for others.
Not long ago the papers were discussing the tallest
point reached by any New York building. If they
had confined their estimate to tall structures in the
piano trade, probably the new Decker Bros.' build-
ing would have come first.
Thanksgiving was a day of pleasure to thousands
of hungry ones who had cause to bless the generosity
of J. V. Steger, and to Mr. Steger himself for the
opportunity and the means to make thousands of
hearts glad.
Will the demand for pianos ever cease? Will it
ever reach a turning point and grow less? Not in the
life of any man now living, at least. Anyone of in-
quiring mind may easily make an estimate, as to the
proportion of families who have pianos. It will
readily be found that in cities and towns the majority
have not yet been supplied.
What a splendid variety is presented in the music
trade papers of today. There is style to suit every
taste. And it is said that you can tell the bias, polit-
ically, religiously or commercially, of a piano manu-
facturer, by the trade paper he prefers. The politi-
cians seize the "Music Trades" with avidity; the
lovers of comic literature devour the contents of the
"Indicator"; the truly good prefer the "American
Art Journal"; and it is needless for us to add that
they all read the Presto. Variety is a good thing,
and offers another argument against the slander about
too many music trade papers.
20 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(From Presto December 8, 1904.)
The call for hand-painted piano panels seems to be
springing up again. Several years ago the art panels
had something of a run. In the East they are re-
turning.
Another year is drawing to a close and its chronol-
ogy carries'with it the last words to be said in earthly
adieu to some founders of prominent piano houses
and well-known men in the music trade. As music
is to be one of the occupations of the blessed in the
world to come, may they find greatest enjoyment in
that which pleased them so much while doing good
among the children of men here!
E. S. Conway, secretary of the W. W. Kimball
Co. looks for a commercial boom in this country
during the next three or four years. He says he
doesn't see any reason why unprecedented conditions
should not prevail for a time. We are wealthier per
capita by half than we were a few years ago; we
have taken in Hawaii and the Philippines, with
suzerainty agreement with Cuba; we are digging the
Panama Canal; our food products are at the highest
limit owing to a vigorous demand from foreign na-
tions, including those at war, and these prices must
continue to be high, although our crops were most
remarkably large; our volume of money in circula-
tion is large; business confidence is good; wages are
good.
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