Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
DEMAND IS ACTIVE
FOR WURLITZER GRANDS
Visit to Factory at DeKalb, 111., Reveals
Lively Condition in Six Different
Sizes of Them.
Gordon Laughead, general sales manager of the
Wurlitzer Grand Piano Company, DeKalb, 111., is
just back from a trip to the East, embracing Boston,
New York, Philadelphia and other large centers.
Mr. Laughead found conditions quite fair for the
season's trade in the East and brought back large
orders for immediate shipments of pianos from the
great factory at DeKalb.
Mr. Laughead was met by a correspondent of
Presto-Times at his office in DeKalb immediate'y-
after his arrival. And at the same time the trade
paper man accepted the invitation of Cyril Farny.
general manager of the plant, to go through the
Wurlitzer factory, along with Mr. Laughead, who
had orders for several special designs and special in-
struments for his trade, which he was selecting for
immediate shipment.. The visit to the factory showed
much activity, and shipments galore going out to all
parts of the country—east, west, north and south.
Mr. Farny modestly remarked: "We take no credit
for the large shipments that are going out at the
present time, for these are the natural accumulation
of orders for fall delivery. Trade has been good
through 1927 and will be better in 1928, we believe.
"With our six different sizes of grand pianos, from
the four foot nine to the six foot Concert Grand, of
which we are getting out a new supply, we are in
shape to fill all requisitions of anybody wanting
Grand Pianos. By the way, we are just now getting
out a lot of these six foot Concert Grands to meet
a demand for them."
a few years ago. Instead of simply considering old
names and traditions as an asset, we are now obliged
to treat with modern forms of merchandising, both
buying and selling. We have to think in terms of
dollars and cents and it is from this angle that the
Straube line is particularly interesting. Any mer-
chant who adopts the Straube system of retail piano
business operation is bound to make money with it."
SCHUMANN FACTORY
A VERY BUSY PLACE
October 29, 1927
GROWTH OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA INDUSTRIES
Artcraft Organ Co. of Santa Monica Expands
to Produce More Cathedral and Residence
Organs—New Radio Company.
By GILBEUT BRETON'.
A review of the important industries of Southern
California without a description of the Artcraft
Co., established in 1915 at Santa Monica,
Whole Floors of Grands Being Prepared for Organ
would be incomplete. The personnel of this enter-
Shipment, Many of Them Period
prising corporation has recently undergone a change
from the fact that C. E. Haldeman, recently
Models.
resigned as president and A. R. Taylor has been
Any visitor to the Schumann Piano Company's fac- elected in his place. Mr. Taylor is widely and favor-
tory, Rockford, 111., today will be surprised at the ably known in Southern California. A. R. Taylor
extensive proportion of grand pianos in the making has been appointed sales manager of the entire pro-
to the uprights that are under production there. In duction of the busy factory. E. Mylrea, who is
fact, whole floors of grands are getting ready for
known both in Europe and America as an expert on
shipment and many of these are Period Models—of tonal organ building and mechanical technique, for
the Spanish designs, the Wi'.liam and Mary Models, many years was consulting engineer and expert of
the Louis XVI and others. The Schumann Piano Hill & Sons, organ builders of London Eng.
Company is making good-sized shipments and enjoy-
The Artcraft Organ Co. has been very successful
ing an envious trade.
The Schumann P'iano Company has a good output, for the reason that they do not follow the old beaten
constantly on the increase. The factory is well- truck, but its methods of construction are adapted
to the different situations that arise in the manu-
equipped, centrally situated and ably managed.
facturing of the modern console organ.
Distinct Organ Types.
A member of the Presto-Times staff upon meeting
A. R. Taylor at the warerooms of the Wiley B.
Allen Co. learned that there are two classes of organ
Splendid Demonstration of Instrument Given Radio structure, one called the cathedral type and one
called the residence type, and while the older style
Fans Through Courtesy of Ampico Corporation.
organ manufacturers followed out the old style cathe-
The new Ampico Symphonique was featured over dral tone and pedal construction the Artcraft Com-
W E N R in Chicago last week. This program was pany built entirely different organs for the residence
presented through the courtesy of The Ampico Cor- and theater. The latter has more orchestral effects
poration of New York and its Chicago representa- and mechanical technique.
tives: Bissell-Weisert, Chickering Warerooms, 26
The Artcraft Organ Company has lately con-
South Michigan avenue; Cable Piano Co., Mason & tracted for one of the most elaborate residence or-
Hamlin warerooms, Wabash and Jackson, and Knabe gans especially constructed for the magnificent home
Experienced Piano Man With Straube Piano Co. Ampico Studios, Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co., of Harry H. Culver, the well-known founder and
northwest corner Wabash and Jackson.
builder of Culver City, one of the most fashionable
Will Travel in Ohio and West Virginia.
A note to the announcement in the daily news- suburbs of Los Angeles. The Wiley B. Allen Co.
Robert E. Lauer, who for many years has been papers said:
is exhibiting portions of the structure of this organ,
identified with the music industry, has joined the
"Music lovers who are planning to be downtown consisting of the longest diapason pipes and the
wholesale staff of The Straube Piano Company of
this evening or those without radios are cordially shortest solo pipes which are attracting great atten-
Hammond, Ind. Ohio and West Virginia are the invited to enjoy this treat at the radio studios of the tion in their windows on Broadway. It is learned
above representatives.
Informal recitals of the that a number of other important contracts have been
Ampico Symphonique will be given all during the obtained by this enterprising iirm, who feel justly
proud of its success.
next two weeks at their stores."
AMPICO SYMPHONIQUE IS
FEATURED OVER RADIO
ROBERT E. LAUER JOINS
STRAUBE ROAD FORCES
New Radio Company.
Among the new arrivals in Los Angeles are W. F.
and F. E. Wesenberg from Detroit, Mich., father
and son, who are both expert radio and electrical
supply men. They have lately organized the Wesen-
Earling, la., Piano Merchant Extends His Selling berk Radio Music Co. and opened extensive ware-
rooms at 3819 South Western avenue, Los Angeles,
Territory with Dunlop as Center.
and are doing a large business in the radio and Vic-
Geo. J. Kohles, Earling, la., has opened a new store trola lines. They have taken the agency for the
at Dunlop, la. The formal opening of the store took ce'ebrated Kolster radio, manufactured by Federal-
place September 24 after wide advertising of the fact
Brandes, Xevvark, X. J., which they are distributing
in the local newspapers.
in large numbers, not only in Los Angeles but are
Mr. Kohles has been an active dealer for twenty doing a mail order business as well. When the rep-
years and the opening of a new branch is signifi- resentative of Presto-Times called at the warerooms
cant of several facts: Mr. Kohles' energy and faith
he was shown a large stock of Kolster radios, par-
in the commodities he sells and his expressed belief
ticularly in the model 8C, which retails for only $375.
in the continuation of the piano's claims to the atten- W. F. Wesenberg said: "We are selling these instru-
tion of the public.
ments in direct competition with o'.her high grade
Kohles' Music Store, which opened with a display radios, such as the Panitrope and Brunswick." They
of pianos of the Straube Piano Co., Hammond, Ind., are giving universal satisfaction he said, and added
that the company was making extensive mail order
said this in its opening announcement:
"We are pleased to announce the opening of our arrangements to supply them in the outside districts.
new music store on Main street, opposite the post-
F. E. Wesenberg, the junior partner in the busi-
office. It will be a store that the people of this ness, is thoroughly capable of promoting a large
vicinity can well be proud of. The desire for music business in the line, beinga neutrodyne expert and a
is inherent in all of us. There should be music in competent man in special installatons. This enter-
every home and we propose to make this advantage prising firm is backed by ample capital which will
both possible and convenient for the public of this enable it to expand in any direction as the business
vicinity."
ins ti lies.
IOWA DEALER OPENS
NEW BRANCH STORE
ROBERT K. LAT'ER.
states that Mr. Lauer will cover, a territory in which
he is well acquainted.
The experience which Mr. Lauer has had has been
of a very practical nature. He was for twelve years
associated with one of the largest retail houses in
Milwaukee, Wis.. where as time went on he pro-
gressed to the position of piano department manager
and was later in charge of the entire musical instru-
ment division. He left the above concern to engage
in the retail piano business at Green Bay, Wis., but
was later prevailed to enter the wholesale music
roll industry, from which field he again entered the
piano field.
Mr. Lauer is a man of sound business practice,
capable of counseling with merchants for the conduct
and upbuilding of a successful retail piano business.
"In the retail piano business today," he said, "condi-
tions have changed materially from what they were is
BACON AND BEHNING SALESROOMS.
There isc activity in the new Francis Bacon and
Behning salesrooms in Chicago, located on the
twelfth floor of the Harttnan Furniture Company's
building, Chicago, and under the management of B.
I inhoff, former manager of the Knabe-Ampico
warerooms on North Michigan avenue, Chicago. A
Presto-Times representative going through the floor
on Monday of this week found Mr. Linhoff busy with
a customer. It is said that the Hartman Company
intends to place pianos on sale in all of its twelve
branch stores in Chicago and man them with sales-
men.
The Imperial Products Co., Fresno, Cal., has pur-
chased the Alameda Art Organ Co. of Alameda. It
the intention to move the plant to Fresno.
GULBRANSEN FACTORY EXHIBIT.
The Gulbranscn Company, Chicago, has arranged
at its factory headquarters a large and complete dis-
play of Gulbransen products. Here in one room are
more than twenty instruments—upright pianos, regis-
tering pianos, grand pianos, the new combination
registering and reproducing piano, period model, art
model and instruments finished in color-lacquer. The
display is a very impressive one and has already been
viewed by scores of dealers and salesmen. The
company has announced a new retail advertisement
featuring the Gulbransen combination registering and
reproducing piano. The Gulbransen Company has
also prepared a new two-color window card to be
used by dealers who feature this extraordinary
invention.
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