Presto

September 26, 1925.
PRESTO
CHRISTMAN
"The First Touch Tells"
The Supreme Attainment for the
Music Room and Studio is
found in the
Studio Grand
(only 5 ft. long)
This little Grand has no superior and it
presents the very qualities that win the
prospect and makes the sale.
Equally predominant in latest triumph
of the Piano Makers' art is the
CHRISTMAN
Reproducing Grand
Equipped with
A marvel of tone and expressive
interpretation of all classes of com-
position, reproducing perfectly the
performances of the world's great-
est pianists.
"The First Touch Tells"
Reg.
U.
S.
Pat.
Oft.
Christman Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
EXPERINCEES OF
A PLAYER EXPERT
How Defective Mechanism of the Self-Playing
Instrument May Be Rectified Under
Very Adverse Circumstances if
the Skill Is There.
STRANGE TUBING MATERIAL
After Test of Ingenuity in Far-off Farmhouse, Har-
monizer Is Confronted by Further Trial
in Rain-soaked Freight Car.
By H. F. P E L T I E R .
Well, here we are again! I've surely had a long
vacation since last we met, three years ago.
It is not easy to realize that it has been so long
since I asked a certain question. But when one is
always busy, time flies so fast that a year seems like
30 days, and leaves no time for pleasure—even the
pleasure of writing.
I have been so busy in the profession that harmon-
izes during the last three years that my friends of
Presto have perhaps wondered if I ever should again
find time to write a few lines. Some have told me so.
The Question Restated.
Four years ago, April 23, 1921, in Presto, I asked
a question as follows:
"What would you use to replace tubing that had
become rotted from being saturated with oil, or ruined
in some other way, in the event of your being unable
to get any tubing of any kind to replace that which
had been ruined?"
Repairs must be made the same day, and you are
about seven miles from a small village, and one train
a day runs to a city, and that train already gone.
That's about the average situation.
I do not know how many of you tried to answer
that question, for about that time I went away to
prove that a player could be built that would work
without pneumatics. I proved it in a short time, and
am back on the job to try and pass on to you what,
and how, to correct player troubles.
The Question Answered.
The answer to the above question is best told by
an experience I had some years ago.
I received an order from an eastern concern to go
to a small village, meet a party there who would drive
me to his home, about seven miles from town.
I arrived at the village all right, but my party
missed me, and it was about two hours before I could
get to the place after the party had returned for
me.
The order did not state that I was to repair a
player, but just stated that I was to repair a piano.
Up to that day I carried about all that was necessary
for general repairs, both for pianos and players, hav-
ing had a special case made for that purpose.
But, not being told it was a player, I did not take
my large case with me.
Here I was, about 40 miles from home and no sup-
plies, besides being seven miles from the nearest
town.
After examining the player, finding that tubing" was
in the condition already described, and a demand that
instrument must be in shape to use that evening, it
did not seem a particularly pleasant condition for me
to be in. And to help things along I found that the
tubing had been splashed by oil dropping from too
much "lubrication" of the gears and chain of motor.
There was nothing to do but think, and that quickly.
I asked the owner to drive me back to the village
to the general store there—where they sell some
things and keep others. As he could not go with
me, one of the "help" was told to take me over and
back.
"All right, le's go," the "help" said. We got in
the "Hopping Henry" and when the driver stepped
on the starter it locked. Being in a hurry the helper
had forgotten to retard the spark and, of course, the
gas fired before piston reached dead center and re-
versed, locking ring gear with starter fly gear.
There we were, stuck! What now? We just had
to take Mr. Slow Speed Hossenbuggy. Some speed
we made, but sure anyway.
It Was Macaroni.
Arriving at the town, we stopped at the general
store and investigated what was in it. Of course I
found no tubing of any kind, but on looking around
I found something that would work. That was
macaroni!
You know that this food is hollow, like tubing. I
felt so relieved that I treated to cigars, after pur-
chasing some of the Italian delicacy.
We returned to the farm and I soon had every note
on that player speaking as good as ever!
I may be giving away a good thing, but that is what
I did, just the same. (Patent not applied for, so go
ahead and use it when necessary.) If the mice did
not eat it up, the macaroni is there yet so far as I
know.
I will never forget that trip, for I had some fun
getting back to the city. I had missed the only train
to a nearby town, where I could get a train for home,
and the farmer had no room in which to stay over
night. There was a freight to leave in about an hour
or so for the nearby town, so I had the farmer drive
me over, and, after bribing the brakeman, I boarded
a freight car loaded with pig iron.
Piano Tuner's Luck.
We soon got started and, right after it began to
rain heavily. I had my raincoat, tool box and travel-
ing bag as convenient traveling companions! I had
been told to hop off when we came to a street car
line, where the train would stop for a crossing.
But instead of it slowing up or stopping, the train
put on more speed, and good-by crossing. And there
I was, in a freight car going through woods, around
curves, dark and raining and no supper. It was one
of those forget-me-not experiences which fall to the
tuner's happy life with more or less frequency.
Finally I perceived electric lights in the distance
and knew that there must be a good size town in
sight. The freight train stopped suddenly and it did
not take me and my grips long to land on the good
old terra firma.
Going up a street, I asked a man where I was,
found out that I had discovered Terre Haute, Ind.,
and was told I could get a train for Chicago, if I
hurried, in ten minutes. With that a grand and
glorious feeling I I caught the train.
Here is another question for you to think about at
this time of the year:
What causes the music to slow up and pumping
become harder at the end of the music roll? Answer
next week.
BANKRUPTCY LAW REVISION TO
BE CONSIDERED BY CONGRESS
A General Revision of Existing Laws Will Possibly
Be Considered at Next Session.
The music industry is interested in the provision
of the bankruptcy law which will be undertaken by
Congress next Winter on the basis of the investiga-
tion conducted during the last session, which showed
where the present law failed to prevent or punish a
large proportion of bankruptcy frauds.
In the past many attempts have been made to
strengthen the bankruptcy laws, but they have called
for piecemeal revision, while the studies of the House
Judiciary Committee last session showed that a gen-
eral revision was needed which, in effect, would bring
about the adoption of a new law. Only a few changes
were made in the personnel of that committee by the
last election, so that it is not anticipated any difficulty
will be encountered in drafting the proposed measure.
The House will probably be presented with a bill
which, among other things, will put voluntary and
involuntary bankrupts on the same footing.
THE GULBRANSON COMPANY
AT ROCKFORD CONVENTION
Full Line of Registering Pianos to Be Shown to
Dealers at Gulbransen-Brunswick Music Co.
The Gulbransen Company, Chicago, will be repre-
sented at the annual convention of the Illinois Music
Merchants' Association, to be held at Rockford on
September 28 and 29, by T. W. Perkins, representa-
tive of Gulbransen Company in Illinois.
Gulbransen products will be on display in Rockford
at the store of the Gulbransen-Brunswick Music Co.,
Inc., 212 Main street. This house has had some
notable displays of Gulbransen Registering pianos
during the past few months. The personnel of the
institution is a particularly aggressive one, and dealers
are invited to visit the warerooms and become ac-
quainted with one of the "live wire" retail institutions
of this part of the state.
SCHUMANN SALES MANAGER.
C. B. Mclntosh, vice-president and general sales-
manager of the Schuman Piano Company, Rockford,
111., is back to his desk from a visit to Cincinnati,
where he attended the Ohio State Music Merchants'
convention. In the Ohio city he was a guest of Otto
Grau, the Schumann representative in Cincinnati.
Mr. Mclntosh is rather enthusiastic over the favor-
able outlook for business ahead and is more optimistic
in his statements now than he has been for several
years past.
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