P R E S T O-T I M E S
10
PRESENTING NEW SERIES
OF GULBRANSEN COMPANY
Home Series Comprise Upright, Grand and
Reproducing Piano, All at Alluring
Nationally Advertised Prices.
The Home Series of the Gulbransen Company, Chi-
cago, comprises three new instruments which have
price and constructive advantages which A. G. Gul-
bransen, president of the company, believes will strike
Twelve newspaper advertisements have been pre-
pared and these are of the most modern, most unique
character of any retail piano advertising made avail-
able in recent years.
With the first announcement to the dealer of the
Home Series, is included a "plan of action," an eight-
page booklet, outlining a campaign in all its details.
Included are a special mailing campaign, a newspaper
advertising presentation and a selling talk on the
new series.
BIG ATTENDANCE AT
PIANO CLUB LUNCHEON
Louis Loar Exhibits His Varied Talents in Provid-
ing Several Entertainment Numbers.
Gl'LBRANSKN HOME CULTURE MODEL.
a body, blow at the traffic in used instruments. One
of the series is an upright piano, the Home Study
model, modern in design and finish, available at a
nationally advertised price that kills the chances of
the used instrument in the piano field. The line
comes in mahogany and walnut and genuine du Pont
finishes. The upright is 4 feet 1 inch long and 25-Ms
inches deep.
The Home Harmony model registering piano is 4
feet 1 inch high, 5 feet 1 inch wide and 28 inches
deep. The Home Culture model grand is 4 feet 6
inches long. 4 feet 7J4 inches wide, has handsome
ornamental music rack and medallion design on the
It was nearly an overflow at the luncheon on Mon-
day of this week of the Piano Club of Chicago. The
attendance was local with the exception of one out-
of-town guest, E. Bennett Fox, vice-president and
general representative of the Estey Piano Corporation
of New York and Bluffton, Ind. The meeting was ad-
nrrably presided over by the vice-president, G. R.
Brownell, in the absence of President Roger O'Con-
nor, who is ill with an attack of the flu.
The entertainment was above • the average, fur-
nished by Miss Shipp of the Fisher-Shipp Concert
party, with Louis Loar of the Gulbransen Co., as
accompanist.
Louis Loar, of Gulbransen Co., was the accompan-
ist for Miss Shipp for the three songs she sang, after
which he played several banjo selections, two num-
bers on a violin which he purchased in Hamburg,
Germany, some years ago, and a familiar air on the
ordinary hand saw.
The best Piano Club story this week was told by
Will Collins: A Scotchman went out to Australia
and after many years came back home to visit his
relatives and friends. His beard had grown to a
great length and his brother wondered why he had
permitted himself to become so old-looking in-
stead of keeping his beard cut.
"Oh," answered the returned brother, "when I left
ye an' went off to Australia I dinna tak wi' me the
razor." The story retold was supplemented with
Mr. Collins' added flavors. A second one also
brought out over radio a few evenings ago about the
two COMIS that got to relating the story of their re-
spective travels and experiences; one had traveled
the world over in company with many persons, but
the other one had been shut up and had not seen the
light of day for many, many years. "Why, where
have you been all these years?" asked the nickel.
"Oh," replied the dime "I've been in Bill Hay's pocket
for nearly twenty years." The joke was told on Bill
Hay of WMAQ, who at one time was a member of
the music trade of Chicago.
NEW VENTURES SHARE
FAVOR OF BUYERS
Gl'LBRAXSKN HOAIK HAR.UOXY MODEL.
top of the leg. The success of the 4 feet 6 inch Gul-
bransen grand is already well known to the trade.
Upright piano at the national selling price of $275;
a registering piano at $395 and a grand at $495.
The line conies as a direct contribution to the thou-
sands of new piano students throughout the country,
who have taken up the study of this instrument. It
is Mr. Gulbransen's hope that by having a new, mod-
Late Additions to Forces of Piano Distribution
Show Liveliness of Trade.
Frank J. Weale has opened a new piano and radio
store at 742 West Clinton street, Elmira, N. Y.
The Baldwin Piano Company store at 35 Monu-
ment Circle, Indianapolis, will open a branch in Del-
phi, Ind.
A new piano store has been opened in Louisville,
Ky., under the name of the G. S. Lewis Piano Com-
pany, at 416 West Chestnut street.
Lemberg's Music Shop, A. C. Lemberg, proprietor,
has opened a music store at 2305 Devon avenue,
Chicago.
The Sonora Phonograph Company has leased space
in the Pineate Building, 804 Pine street, St. Louis, Mo.
A new music store is being opened in Gonzales,
Tex., under the name of the Ewing Music Store.
The Williams Music Store, Chelsea, Mass., has
moved from 38 Washington avenue to a new store at
380 Broadway.
The Edwards Music Co., Inc., of 117 State street,
Albany, N. Y., will open a branch store at 821 Boyls-
ton street, Boston, Mass., within a few w r eeks.
ACTIVE SELLING PIPE ORGANS
(iULBRANSKN HOME STTDY MODEL.
ern instrument within reach of the average home,
additional thousands of children may be encouraged
to take up study of the piano.
. The Gulbransen Company has gone to its dealers
with a complete line of selling helps to be used in
connection with the announcement of the new Home
Series line to the public.
Four two-color folders have been made available,
one devoted to the three models and individual pieces
for the upright, registering piano and the grand.
A Tine Hillgreen, Lane Organ has just been sold to
the First Methodist Church, Sweetwater, Texas, by
the Will A. Watkin Company, Dallas, which also last
week received another order for a similar instrument
from the First Church of Christ, Scientist, at Mon-
roe. La. The Will A. Watkin Company is represen-
tative in the southwest of the Hillgreen, Lane Pipe
Organs. Herman Boettcher is manager of the pipe
organ department.
The Will A. Watkin Co. has placed Hillgreen,
Lane Organ in seven theaters and churches in Arkan-
sas, 28 in Louisiana, 21 in Oklahoma and 73 in Texas.
February 9, 1929
F. A. WESSELL DIAGNOSES
PIANO TRADE AILMENT
And Prominent Piano Action Manufacturer
Believes Conditions Will Not Improve
Until Dealers Quit Selling Pianos
Below Cost.
iThat the piano business is sick—or at least badly
indisposed—and will not get well "until dealers quit
selling pianos below cost" is the expressed belief of
Fernando A. Wessell of Wessell. Nickel & Gross,
action manufacturers, 10th avenue and West 45th
street. New York. The phrase quoted above was
uttered by him this week. And in a two-minute
interview Mr. Wessell accurately diagnosed the cause
of the piano trade's fainter pulsations! It is not heart
failure—there is nothing the matter with the piano's
organism.
Mr. Wessell and his brother Arthur will guarantee
that piano actions never approached nearer to per-
fection than they do today. It is not the methods of
piano manufacture nor the materials employed that
affect the profits in the piano business, making piano
manufacturers express wonder as they look at their
trial balances and ledgers to ascertain what has "gang
aglee" with the margins.
However, now that the seat of the trouble has been
discovered, immediate remedial action is necessary.
"Dealers must be brought to sec that the manufac-
turer's interest is their interest—that all piano men
are in the same boat, that one S. O. S. call must
answer for all and that the operator sending it out
must give accurate data," said Mr. Wessell.
As an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure, Mr. Wessell believes that every piano manu-
facturer can help the good cause by writing to his
dealers to quit advertising "cut price," "cut price,"
"cut price" and replace such announcements with
some reading matter about the pianos that will be
far more interesting and effective.
NEWS OF MINNEAPOLIS
AND ST. PAUL TRADE
Cable Piano Company Excites Wide Interest
in Twin Cities in Piano Style Show—
Other News.
The Cable Piano Company recently put on a piano
style show, featuring 36 models of the Cable Midget.
The object of the sale was to demonstrate the possi-
bilities of home beautifying. Practically every color
was shown from soft pastel shades to brilliant reds
and greens. Those who were unable to attend the
show were urged to write or telephone in for a
descriptive catalogue.
The Northwestern Phonograph Supply Company.
Minneapolis, Minn., has filed articles of incorporation
with the secretary of state providing for a capital of
$50,000. Incorporators are Harry Bernstein, presi-
dent; Grace B. Slovetsky, secretary; M. B. Kelby,
treasurer, all of St. Paul. Mr. Bernstein, originator
of exclusive record shops, now operates a chain of
twelve stores in the Twin Cities. The new corpora-
tion plans to open two new stores in downtown St.
Paul.
To Pay for Organ.
The latest development in the struggle to raise
$10,000 to pay off the remaining debt on the organ
in the Minneapolis Municipal Auditorium has been
the appointment of W. B. Foshay, prominent invest-
ment man, as chairman. Mr. Foshay formerly ac-
cepted the post of chairman made vacant by the death
of A. F. Benson, and urged that the campaign be
pushed speedily to an end. The committee voted to
authorize Mr. Foshay to appoint a sub-committee
which would consider various plans for organizing
the campaign.
Helps Travel Class.
John Karlberg, prominent music shop owner, Al-
bert Lea, Minn., installed a radio recently at the
public library so that the Travel Class might use it.
Hereafter the Travel Class will meet regularly at the
library.
A $12,000 pipe organ for the Fort Snelling Me-
morial chapel, Minneapolis, Minn., has been ordered
from the W. W. Kimball Company, Chicago, builders
of the Minneapolis municipal organ. The organ is to
be a three-manual instrument of 25 stops and will
include harp and chimes, and tonal effects of the
flute, oboe, and clarinet. The Veterans of Foreign
Wars are campaigning for the organ funds which
will be a memorial to the soldiers, sailors, and ma-
rines who died in the World War. Half the amount
has been raised to date. The organ will be dedicated
Easter Sunday,
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