Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
known, finds its climax in the period grands
which are just now attracting public attention
and serving to greatly stimulate trade.
The American Music Trade Weekly
All of these beautiful architectural designs
have
grown in upon twentieth century Amer-
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
ican pianos. They have transformed the se-
PRESTO P U B L I S H I N G CO., Publishers.
verely elegant grands into the most elaborate
F R A N K D. A B B O T T
- - - - - - - - -
models since the piano came into being. And
Editor
(C. A. DAN I ELL—1904-1927.)
the elegance with which the epoch-making ef-
J. FERGUS O'RYAN
_ _ _ _ _ Managing Editor
fects fit into piano decoration proves, at a
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
glance, the wisdom of the American piano
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the manufacturers in applying them to the king of
Post Office, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
musical instruments. Period-furniture has long
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1.25; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States been conspicuous in modern American homes
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on of refinement. Charming designs of the old
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if of schools have appealed to the great mass of
general interest to the music trade will be paid for at American people and the trend in the piano
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen in the
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and trade in period grands is a natural sequence.
their assistance is invited.
The first appearance of period art grands
Payment is not accepted for matter printed in the edi-
torial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of produc- were of the more conservative schools, Queen
tion will be charged if of commercial character or other
Anne, modified Louis XVI, William and Mary,
than strictly news interest.
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is re-
quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi- and Hepplewhite, but as manufacturers saw
cated.
the increasing demand for these artistic in-
Forms close at noon on Thursday. Late news matter
struments,
models characterizing the art of
should be in not later than 11 o'clock on that day. Ad-
vertising copy should be in hand before Tuesday, 5 p. m., the Italians and Spanish during the Renais-
to insure preferred position. Full page display copy
should be in hand by Tuesday noon preceding publication
day. Want advertisements for current week, to insure sance periods were produced. Gothic and Ori-
classification, should be in by Wednesday noon.
ental decorative models were also added to the
Address all communications for the editorial or business now extensive group of period instruments.
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street. Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1928.
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur-
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that
is not strictly news of importance can have
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they
concern the interests of manufacturers or
dealers such items will appear the week follow-
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the
current issue must reach the office not later
f han Wednesday noon of each week.
PIANO EVOLUTION
Even if the piano is not one of the really old
instruments of music, its history will show a
Jarge number of changes, and a story of evo-
lution more varied in its interest than any
Dther. The instruments of antiquity which
still persist, and often are as essential today as
of old, display no structural changes from the
time of their birth, which time is too obscure
to permit of reliable data.
The harp has changed but slightly from the
day of Jubal. The violin is just as it was in
the time of Isaiah, and the first guitar, of
Greek origin, imported into the East, remains
as in Biblical days except that instead of four
strings it now has six strings. But the piano
has developed in every part of its construction
since the day of Cristofori.
And the "basic instrument," as we like to
call it, will keep on changing. If it remains
almost stationary in its principal features, it
will develop modifications, or amplifications,
in its tonal characteristics. And it will display
almost periodic changes in its outward designs.
It is not so very long ago. that the parlor
grand w r as a sensation, followed by the still
larger problem of the small or baby grand. As
recently as 1900 a fierce dispute arose in Bos-
ton, between celebrated piano experts, over the
question of a grand piano so small as five feet.
That question was quickly settled by the Chick-
ering quarter grand, and the "babies" have
been coming ever since, smaller and smaller,
until less than four feet in length has even
proved a possibility.
The prevailing determination of the Amer-
ican manufacturers to produce more beautiful
grand pianos than the world has heretofore
INSTALMENT DEBTORS
There is probably no form of instalment
payment note more generally respected than
that given against the deferred payments for
a piano. It may also be said that the instal-
ment plan was invented for the benefit of fam-
ilies of moderate means whose cultural long-
ings prompted them to undertake the purchase
of a piano even though they might have to
save systematically for a year or tAVo to pay
for it.
; .!•• i |j
As a rule, piano companies find American
families very honest debtors. Last year one
company reported that thirty-six out of every
one hundred customers paid cash for their
pianos and sixty-four bought on the instal-
ment plan. The thirty-six were in the main
the purchasers of the expensive pianos. The
sixty-four were persons of more limited means.
More than half of the purchasers paid for
their pianos within a year.
Another fifth
within eighteen months and only one took
more than thirty months to make his pay-
ments.
August 25, 1928
ing his art, today the assemblages are more
interested in the music offered than in the in-
dividual artists.
While t h e advertising piano dealer is mak-
ing a successful effort to sell the pianos he may
not be putting enough emphasis on selling t h e
store as a store. That is, he may be putting
practically all his advertising energy into t h e
selling of the goods alone. But he will find it
profitable to capitalize the aspect of the house
as an institution—its history, aims, policies
and advantages. The good store has a good
story worthy of newspaper advertising.
* * *
THIRTY YEARS AGO
Thirty Years Ago—Presto of August 25, 1898.
Everything looks bright for the future, says Col.
James A. Guest of Burlington, Iowa. And this is the
report from all along the line. It is certain that if
this fall does not make amends for the slack summer
it will be the dealers' fault.
E. C. Davies had an excellent exhibition of Pack-
ard, .Schiller and Hamilton pianos and Wilcox &
White Symphonies, at the annual County Fairs at
Dodgeville and Mineral Point, Iowa County, Wis ,
and several sales were made.
Mr. Phil Starck, manager of the Story & Clark city
store, is at South Haven, Mich. He is living at the
Sleepy Hollow Hotel.
F. W. Hedgeland, superintendent of the W. W.
Kimball Company's organ department, is in Wash-
ington, D. C, overseeing the placing of the great
four manual pipe organ in the Jewish synagogue.
There is a suggestive portrait group on Presto's
title page this week. Three generations are repre-
sented in the group, and the experience, skill and
energy of them all are crystalized in the famous
piano that bears the name of Vose.
"We haven't had so many orders in any summer
month in the lr'story of the house as this August has
produced," said Mr. E. H. Story to a Presto repre-
sentative one day last week. "It isn't a question of
demand with us just now, but of supply. We are
shipping as fast as possible and still our order book
shows a long line to be caught up with."
J. B. Thiery & Co. is the name of a firm that is to
conduct a new music house at 416 Broadway, repre-
senting the W. W. Kimball Company of Chicago,"
says the Milwaukee Sentinel.
These are t : mes when the trade editor realizes his
limitations ami longs for the broader latitude of the
general newspaper. With the "pomp of war" and the
glow of victory about him, it is hard for the trade
editor to confine himself to the things of music, and
to continue to plod the path he has already packed
hard in the endeavor to induce the forward movement
in the industry for which he labors, or to force as'de
the lurking ills which may, in his mind, beset the
dealers. There is not much opportunity for the trade
journalist to get loose the gatling guns of his patriot-
The dealer who organizes his selling activi- ism or to set free the eagles of his eloquence. He
ties sets down in detail the. descriptions of his must confine himself to the most peaceful of pursuits,
prospective buyers. Alert piano sales mana- and content himself with an occasional cheer in verse
or a side-long glance at the men of the music trade
gers distinguish the piano prospect from the who have dropped for the time the pitch-pipe and the
piano customer, but the differences are not so keyboard and grasped the musket or machete!
great. T h e prospect is a prospective buyer
There are few things more detrimental to the spread
until he actually pays his full price or his first of the American export trade than the unbending
installment o nhis chosen instrument; the cus- self-satisfaction which will not permit a manufacturer
to see things as others see them. This characteristic
tomer never ceases to be a prospect. In fact, is not so pronounced among American piano manufac-
observant managers have learned that many turers as in those of some other countries, and still
piano owners are the most likely prospects for there is loo much of it even here. It should be taken
into consideration that the bias custom—of habit and
further sales.
local prejudice—is hard to eradicate. It does not
* * *
matter that we feel sure that our own ideas and tastes
In spite of the itinerant jazz bands, the num- in piano construction are the best. It is a very un-
profitable order of musical missionary work to try to
ber of "jazz acts" in vaudeville and the usual convince the buyers of the other countries that it is so
character of the music, of the small town mo- if they do not seem disposed to become converts.
tion picture theaters, t h e people in the smaller We must bend to the wishes of customers if we would
succeed, and then finally we may lead also in the
places are becoming more and more appreci- matter of "setting the styles" and fixing the minor
ative of good music. The interesting f a c t, details for the piano buyers in other lands.
plainly concerns the music dealer. Whereas in
POOR PAPA.
the past a concert or recital by some famous
"And
is
there
any
instrument that you play?" asked
singer or musician was treated simply as the
the woman, who was pressing her guests into service
appearance of a great person and audiences to provide entertainment.
were made up of curious folk who w r ere more
"Not away from home," Jenkins replied.
"Oh, that's queer. What do you play at home?"
desirous of seeing the celebritv than of hear-
"Second fiddle."—Chicago Daily News.
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