Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
Square Garden, New York, from May 29 to June 2
inclusive. Leo Chanin, managing director, has sent
out invitations generally, and from present indications
the show will be both well put on and receive liberal
patronage, as straw hats and summer costumes will
be worn by that time and it will be a pleasant place
of recreation for the young couples to go to after-
noons or evenings.
Skyscraper Near Ready.
William Knabe & Co. will remove to its new build-
ing, the Fifth avenue skyscraper, to be known as the
Knabe Tower, on March 1. The move will mark
the firm's ninety years' existence in piano making.
The new Knabe Tower Building at Fifth avenue and
47th street is thirty-three stories.
February 25, 1928
THE BOOK THAT SELLS PIANOS
The Thirty=first Issue of "Presto Buyers' Guide" Now Ready for Mailing,
Continues to Aid in Effective Way the Scheme of Piano Promotion,
by Making Work of Salesman Easier
The new Buyers Guide, the 1928 issue, is off the press this week
and the mailing of the books to fill orders completes the thirty-first
pleasurable incident of the kind in the history of the Presto Publish-
ing Company. It marks thirty-one years of experience in producing
the Blue Book which classifies American pianos, playerpianos and
reproducing pianos. And in no previous year has the responsibilities
Brambachs in Brooklyn Homes.
been greater than they have this year, when certain phases of piano
An announcement by Loeser's piano department,
factory production command more attention than others.
Brooklyn, says the new ebonized Brambach Baby
Grand piano is bringing joy into many Brooklyn
PART ONE.
homes at a new price, $025, for it provides all the
Part One of the new Presto Buyers Guide is an analytical classi-
features that have made the Brambach name famous
fication of pianos, players and playerpianos arranged alphabetically.
among music lovers. "The quality is constant; only
the price has been lowered. The ebonized case will
Under the headings of the piano titles the facts that distinguish them
blend in charmingly with almost any type of furnish-
are briefly printed. The origin of the instruments, their development,
ings."
individuality, merits of construction, and the position attained in the
How Get at Unclaimed Money?
industry are the printed facts identifying the instruments and classi-
fying them.
What a boom the piano business could have if even
W
Classifies alt
ten per cent of the hundreds of millions of dollars
Fac-Simile Names.
g
Pianos. Player Pianos.
hidden away and forgotten throughout the country
§
and Reproducing Pianos
In
Part
One
the
fac-simile
reproductions of fall-board names are
could be put into circulation! A survey recently
interesting and valuable aids in sales to the piano merchant, sales-
computed shows that in New York alone there are
man and they also are instructive to the final purchasers. There are
more than 30,000 dormant savings accounts, with
PRICE FIFTY CENTS
totals in the aggregate high in the millions. In addi-
about one hundred and thirty-five of these fac-simile names, which
Publuhed by
tion to cash tied up in forgotten savings accounts,
include practically all the important pianos produced in American
unredeemed securities and uncashed interest coupons
Presto Publishing Company
factories.
:
there is probably not far from five hundred mill on
\
41 7 S. Dearborn Street
Attention, Salesmen.
dollars of actual money hidden away in crannies, wall
I
CHICAGO
I
U. S, A.
pockets, stove-pipes, bed-ticks, or worn "next to the
In all its years since its first appearance, Presto Buyers Guide
hide" in money-belts.
•'"'•
used by dealers and salesmen has been effective in closing sales of
Pianos in the Air.
REDUCED REPRODUCTION pianos. Part One is specially potent in guiding the customers who
Prof. H. W. Corbett, of Columbia University fac-
OP COVER IN COLORS.
ma _ v . | ) e m c | o u i ) t a s t o t n e merits of any particular instrument which
ulty, lecturing this week, pictured a future New York
may
be
drawn
to
their
attention.
Its uses are obvious to the alert dealer or salesman. There
with 14-story streets and 2,000-foot edifices. Piano
are
more
copies
of
the
Presto
Buyers
Guide in use in the trade than of all the other books
music on level No. 14 could be broadcasted over the
of the same natare,.combined. And the publishers have never heard of a piano sold by reason
nation from huge radio stations.
of commendation in the book that has not given satisfaction to the purchaser.
Supervisors' Report.
PART TWO.
Since the recent meeting in New York of the Piano
Part Two of Presto Buyers Guide in which trade mark pianos are listed, also has consid-
Section of the Committee on Instrumental Affairs of
the Music Supervisors' National Conference consider- erable historic interest. Therein appear the names of many pianos which once were prominent
GUIDE,
1926
able progress has been made toward the publication
of its manual for the conduct of the school piano
classes, according to C. M. Tremaine, director of the
Nat'onal Bureau for the Advancement of Music, and
secretary of the committee. The Bureau if. preparing
a revised draft of the Committee's report.
One important task the Bureau is completing in
connection with the report is to gather data concern-
ing the administration of the school piano classes
from twenty or thirty representative cities in which
they are being successfully operated. This review of
current practices will be included in the manual as a
supplement to the ideas of the committee and tb en-
able those organizing the work to select from the
various methods of meeting typical problems those
best suited to their own needs.
Handling Settergren Territory.
B. K. Settergren, who recently was a guest of the
Hotel Woodstock, 127 West 43rd street, New York,
where he held business meetings with William C.
Hess, who has charge at the Settergren factory at
Bluffton, Ind, returned west last week.
Bennett Fox, who was selling for Settergren's, has
resigned. Mr. Fox had demonstration rooms at the
establishment of E. Leins Piano Co., Inc., 304-306
West 42nd street, New York, where he represented
Sattergren's eastern interests, but from now on Mr.
Settergren expects to spend much of his time on
the road himself, and he and Mr. Hess will be able
to get in touch with many customers.
Wurlitzer Not Stinting Hours.
The Wurlitzer store, 120 West 42nd street, New
York, hell a clearance sale Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday of this week with the store open on
Washington's birthday until 10 p. m. the same as
on the other two days of the sale. This was a sale
of used, shopworn and discontinued model musical
instruments, every one "put in playing condition
equal to new."
Five Per Cent Increase: Pease.
The Pease piano store at 128 West Forty-second
street, New York, seemed fairly busy when Presto-
Times representative called there on Monday after-
noon, this week. C. D. Pease, the manager, said:
"Retail selling of pianos is keeping up, although the
factories may not be so busy as in former years.
The trouble with piano men this year is that they set
their percentage of desired increase too high. Most
of them set out with the intention of making a 10
per cent increase. All very nice for an ambition in
a presidential campaign year—but they have gained
5 per cent; they've got that. So why indulge in any
regrets."
FALLBOARD NAME FACSIMILES IN PRESTO BUYERS' OUIDE.
and many which have been discontinued by their original makers. It is divided into two sec-
tions in order to separate those whose origin is known to the editors from those whose origin
s not known outside of the factory in which they are made. Of course, lacking positive knowl-
edge of the latter, it is not possible to analyze the instruments.
Manv retail merchants sell instruments bearing their names which as a rule are not listed
in Part Two because they are used locally and the instruments arc best judged by the char-
acter of the dealers who sell them or whose names they may bear.
PART THREE.
Part Three, the industrial section of Presto Buyers Guide, is an index to the piano manu-
facturing industry of great instructive value. It is more than a roster of the names of the
makers of the instruments listed alphabetically in Parts One and Two, it prints facts that
denote commercial standing and in many instances gives a brief historical record of the in-
dustries. While the merits of musical instruments may not necessarily be affected by the com-
mercial standing or historical record of their makers, the character and responsibility of the
manufacturers must have an influence upon the confidence of the public and the trade. Sales-
men often make such facts strong points in their sales talks.
FOR PIANO CUSTOMER.
Following the preface, Presto Buyers Guide has five pages of valuable information for
the ultimate buyers but which is also highly instructive for the piano salesman. In the pages
are told the things which differentiate the high grade, medium grade and commercial pianos
one from the other. The "trade mark piano" and the "special name piano" are also explained.
Under special headings the grand, reproducing piano and automatic or coin-operated piano are
treated. Pipe and reed organs are also included in the explanations. How to buy pianos, how
to care for them and how to use the Presto Buyers Guide are items of information that make
the book of great value to the public generally.
ORDER NOW.
Advance orders for this year's issue are greater than last year or the year before. So far
in February, orders for about a thousand copies have been received and the books will be on
their way to the forehanded buyers by the time this paper reaches its readers. Several things
have delayed the printing of the book three or four weeks.
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