July 28, 1928
11
PRESTO-TIMES
CONVINCING STRAUBE FACTS
CRITIC'S TRIBUTE
TO ERNEST URCHS
Olin Downes of the New York Times Pens
Warm Words Revering Memory of
His Friend.
STRAUBE "Sonota" Model
Grand
Length: 4 ft. 4 in.
One of the outstanding displays of the national
music trades convention at New York, June 4 to 7,
and which still continues as an interesting topic of
conversation in the piano trade, was the exhibition
of the Duplex Overstrung Scale featured by the
Straube Piano Company, Hammond, Ind., in the
Commodore Hotel. The news that this invention
was on display caused many manufacturers, salesmen
and tuners as well as merchants to visit the Straube
exhibit and investigate at first hand, the method of
stringing patented by the Straube Piano Company
and which enables them to use, in small grand and
upright pianos, a string length equal to that used in
pianos of very much larger size.
One of the most widely quoted technical authori-
ties in the industry, when viewing the Duplex Over-
strung Scale, expressed his opinion that it was a very
ingenious invention because it provided ample string
length. He supplemented his opinion by stating that
it was a mistaken notion to believe the peculiar
arrangements of sounding boards could overcome
shortage of string length for the reason that if ample
string length does not exist, the right type of vibra-
tion of the string cannot originate and without which
proper amplification by reason of sounding board
cannot take place.
A New York artist of considerable note and asso-
ciated with a very prominent eastern retail establish-
ment, who visited the Commodore Hotel for the
express purpose of trying out the 4 ft. 4 in. Sonata
FAIRBANK'S PIANO
PLATES APPRECIATED
Product of Fairbanks Co., Springfield, Ohio,
Remarkable for Distinctive Qualities Appre-
ciated by Exacting Piano Manufacturers.
The fame of many pianos depends on the fine qual-
ity of the plate, the importance of which is obvious
to anybody who is familiar with piano construction.
The piano plate, from the character of its manufac-
ture, early became a specialty adopted by the foundry
men. And like true specialists the foundry firms
adopting piano plate making as an important phase
of their activities, at once showed their understanding
of the problem of the piano builder. The plate pro-
vides the character of firmness and rigidity, without
which the task of the piano builder would be futile.
CHRISTMAN
STUDIO PIANOS
(Beg. V. S. Tat. Off.)
Makers of the Famous
STUDIO GRAND
"The First Touch Tells"
(Reg. V. S. Tat. Off.)
CHRISTMAN PIANO C0.,Inc.
597 East 137th St.
A graceful tribute to Ernest Urchs, "the man, the
friend, the amateur and sponsor of mus'c," is written
by Olin Downes, music critic of the New York Time ;,
and printed in the issue of Sunday, July 22.
"The outward semblance of him is gone. The real-
ity of the man, his energy, his integrity, his fine and
generous enthus : asms, his love of music, his genius
for friendship, have not perished," writes Mr. Downes.
"His relations with many of the greatest artists of
the day grew from practical contacts, but practical
contacts and interests were quickly submerged in his
STRAUBE Style "L
friendly and far-sighted furtherance of their advan-
Upright
tage and happ : ness. As a consequence musicians, in-
Height: 3 ft. 7 in.
deed many in every walk of life, trusted him implicitly,
gave him their confidence, relied upon him for coun-
Model Grand, containing the Duplex Overstrung sel and help.
"He knew all great artists and the acquaintance was
Scale, stated to the group then in attendance, that it
seldom superficial. A Paderewski or a Rachmaninoff,
seemed inconceivable for an instrument of the size of
the Sonata Model Grand to contain such an extraordi- a Hofmann or a Lhevinne, a Mengelberg or Kousse-
nary wealth of musical excellence. He was very vitzky or Tuscairni, a Kreisler, a Heifetz, a Furt-
positive in his opinion that this type of instrument wanger or Stokowski or Sembrich or McCormack—
would open up enlarged sales possibilities to people all these haft reason to deplore the passing of the
of musical temperament who heretofore, while in the man whom they so greatly valued and whose good
market for small grand pianos, nevertheless have opinion they coveted. The list ceuld be indefinitely
withheld purchasing because of a lack of tonal qual- extended.
"Ernest Urchs came honestly by his musical tal-
ity, volume and richness in the ordinary small grand
piano. After trying out the 3 ft. 7 in. Style " L " ents. His father, Francis C. Urchs, was a merchani,
Straube upright, which also contains the Duplex born in Germany, who became in the course of time
Overstrung Scale, he was equally as favorably im- an accomplished singer. No doubt it was this back-
ground which made it natural for the son to consider
pressed with the musical excellence of that piano and
predicted for the instrument equal success in the as parts of one whole a business and an art.
"For him the piano was neither an instrument nor
upright field.
He
Both of these instruments are of full 88 note scale, a possession. It was a confidant and friend.
possessing 7^3 octaves. In the Sonata Model Grand, improvised unpretentiously and was unaffectedly de-
which is 4 ft. 4 in. long, the string length made possi- lighted when a record roll was taken, years ago, of his
improvisation in an unguarded moment. After a day
ble through the Straube invention, is approximately
that had burned the candle of hard work and the hos-
12 in. longer than ordinary construction would pernr't
and in the Style " L " upright, approximately 10 in. pitality which he loved to extend at both ends, after
the last paper had been signed, and the last guest had
longer than would be available through the ordinary
gone, it was very often his habit to sit at his instru-
process of manufacture.
In ordinary stringing, a piano is strung on two ment for hours longer before retiring. He was a true
of music. He had the amateur's
planes with the bass crossing the treble. The Straube and sincere amateur
:
precious
enthus
asm."
Duplex Overstrung Patent provides for the piano
being strung on three planes as indicated in the
photographs showing how the lower bass section is
raised to provide additional string length.
AGAINST RADIO COMPANIES.
A brief declaring that the Radio Corporation of
America, the General Electric Company and a half
dozen other concerns "have divided among them-
In the American piano industry the piano plates selves the entire field of wireless" was filed last week
made by the Fairbanks Company, Springfield, Olr'o, by Edward L. Smith, counsel for the Federation
are considered a potent means towards attaining the Trade Commission, with the Commission, asking it
character of sturdiness and durability for pianos. It to deny a motion brought by the concerns to dismiss
is a selection prompted by distinctive qualities in the a charge of monopoly. The counsel for the com-
Fairbanks plates wlr'ch manufacturers believe to be panies will have thirty days in which to make an
essential to the production of high-class pianos. Fair- answer. The brief declared that the companies,
banks piano plates are particularly desirable because which also include the American Telephone and
they conform to the requirements of the exacting Telegraph Company, the VVestinghouse and Inter-
piano manufacturer and are made from the finest national Companies, the Western Electric, the Amer-
ican Marconi and the United Fruit Company, had
materials by the most skillful workmen.
It is admitted by dealers, piano makers and piano entered into an agreement for the cross-licensing of
owners of a d ; scriminating kind that a Fairbanks plate radio patents which was characterized "as a subter-
in a piano is a prime factor in dependable construc- fuge for illegal restraint and monopolization."
tion.
LILLIAN LEITZEL PURCHASES KNABE
A. 0. GULBRANSEN, KIWANIAN
The Kiwanis Magazine of July. 1928, prints the fol-
lowing: Kiwanian Axel G. Gulbransen, member of
the West Side, Chicago, Club, has rounded out a half
century of a business career, which has carried him
from immigrant boy working for $3 a week to the
presidency of a $5,000,000 piano manufacturing com-
pany. At a golden jubilee dinner given in his honor,
Mr. Gulbransen told of some of his maxims for suc-
cess: "Have faith in yourself. You never know what
latent possibilities you may have until you are called
on to use them." "Never depend on friendship for
advancement." "Regulate carefully your saving and
your spending."
BUYS AUSTIN ORGAN.
The Austin Organ Co. of Hartford. Conn., will in-
stall a three manual organ of forty-six registers for
the Kenwood Methodist Church in Milwaukee. The
organ is a gift of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Wright as a
memorial to Mrs. Wright's father, A. O. Smith, and
is to cost about $10,000.
OPENS IN DANVILLE, KY.
Smith's Music Shoppe was opened recently on
South Third street, Danville, Ky. A band concert
and piano solos were included in a good musical pro-
gram.
Lillian Leitzel, world-famous aerial artist and stellar
attraction of Ringling Brothers and Barnum &
Bailey's Circus, recently purchased a Knabe Ampico,
Style Louis XVI, in walnut, for use in her New
York City apartment.
TheCABLE COMPANY
Makers of Grand, Upright
and Inner-Player Pianos,
including Conover, Cable,
Kingsbury, Wellington and
Euphona.
Chicago
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