Presto

April 1, 1929
l ' R E S T 0-T 1 M E S
Cable Midget Featured in Piano Style Show
An interesting incident of the trade in Chicago
was the opening, March 15, of the Piano Style Show
of the Cable Piano Company, featuring the Cable
Midget Upright. W. E. Guyler, vice-president of The
Cable Company, received the representative of the
trade press at the first showing of thirty-six of the
little pianos in Period and art designs in an alluring
variety of colors and finishes.
The object of the display is to demonstrate the
possibilities of the piano in home beautifying, and to
point out that it can be chosen to fit any decorative
scheme. These little instruments show, in a concrete
way, how well equipped The Cable Company's fac-
tories are to supply any particular style of piano
desired, for many of these same art and period de-
signs are also available in grand pianos and the larger
uprights.
The Midget.
The idea that animated the designer of the Cable
Midget Upright was to build a small piano that would
possess every virtue of the best standard upright
pianos. By means of many ingenious methods a
way was found by which all the essential qualities
of the best upright pianos, regardless of size, could
be built into a case that is small and dainty. The
scale of the Cable Midget is a new, scientifically
formed scale structure that has been developed as
the result of years of experience gained in making
small pianos for export.
Strong Features.
The Cable Midget possesses proportionately the
longest string length and the largest sound board
area of any piano in existence. The strings in this
piano are longer than those found in two of the pop-
ular Baby Grands of the day. The longest bass
strings in the Midget are as much as two inches
longer than the corresponding strings in these grands.
Many ingenious methods have been employed in
securing greater string length and sound board area,
l'ully 53^4 square inches of sound board area have
been gained by extending the frame plate and sound
board structure an inch below the bottom of the
case. The case has been built so skillfully that this
extension is not noticed, but at the back of the piano
you can easily feel where it extends below the case.
At the top, 73 square inches have been added by
means of graduating the pin block so that the sound
board extends 2-^j inches higher on the left than on
the right. At the treble end the pin block comes
nearly to the edge while at the base end there is a
space of about three inches. The importance of this
extension at the top and bottom of the sound board
is evident when you realize that the general direc-
tion of the strings is vertical and that it is the vertical
extent of the sound board that is most effective in
tone production.
Experience has proved to many dealers and owners
that the Cable Midget stays in tune longer than any
other piano of this type. This is accomplished by
attaining the maximum string length and sound board
area. But it is an important principle in piano build-
ing that the overstrung sections shall not be placed
at too broad an angle. In the Cable Midget the tech-
nicians have been able to keep the strings at a normal
angle because they have gained the maximum string
length by other and more skilful methods.
With this larger sound board the company has used
extra heavy ribbing placed so as to prolong and
increase the sound as well as to strengthen and sup-
port the sound board. Hard wood posts and back
give added strength and solidity.
The Midget Plate
The plate of the Cable Midget is of full bell-metal,
bronzed—a plate that is relatively heavy and sub-
stantial, for it is the plate that gives strength to the
structure of the instrument. While light weight is
an important feature in a piano of this type. The
Cable Company has never considered it a proper ideal
in piano building. It is only after the vital parts have
been substantially built that it has believed it legiti-
mate to consider superficial means of reducing weight.
Midget's Uses.
The Cable Midget Upright was originally designed
for use in public places. It has proved so popular,
however, that almost as many have been bought for
homes as for public use. Last year the company was
compelled to double production schedules at the fac-
tory and the first half of this year has required an-
other doubling of the Midget output.
In the school room, in public halls and in the many
places where it has been so popular, the Cable Midget
is given harder usage than a large piano ordinarily
receives. It is pushed across thresholds, and over
uneven floors, when a large piano is often not moved
from one position during the greater part of its life-
time. Nor is the .Midget always moved with proper
care.
To Science of Designers and
Expertness of Builders of Small
Uprights, The Cable Company
Adds Charm of Harmonious
Color and Artistic Finish in
Production of New Models
shade which is sure to make it even more popular
than the former model.
Special Finishes.
Midgets are available in all of the regular finishes
and many special woods and finishes as well. English
brown mahogany, walnut, polished oak, ebonized and
fumed oak are standard, while enamels and duco
finishes in beautiful and varied tones and colors are
at all times in supply.
Cable Midget uprights are now made in all standard
woods in polished or satin finishes: walnut, mahog-
any, ebony and oak. They are also finished in enam-
els of many tones: ivory, French gray, old rose, buff
and many others. There is a Cable Midget to har-
monize with the furnishings of the most beautiful
Constructive Features.
home—as well as one that will fit into the most exotic
Because the Cable Midget Upright is small, all studio.
adjustments, such as the spacings of the hammers
Artistic Combinations.
and the striking points on the strings have to be
defined with the greatest precision because any devi-
The ivory or cream colored Midget has won great
ation would be more evident than in an instrument favor for milady's boudoir or for the children's
in which the adjustments are not so precise. In nursery. In walnut or mahogany, the Midget makes
order to insure against any variation, in spite of all an attractive addition to the library or den.
the moving and jarring to which it is subjected, we
The artist with a small studio, the music student
have used a construction unknown in other instru- in a dormitory, or the newly married couple with a
ments. Stubby, giant brackets have been used to kitchenette apartment find the Cable Midget upright
support the action and thus determine and maintain a great boon. It permits them to own and enjoy a
the striking point of the hammers on the strings. piano of finest musical quality where before this was
Instead of screwing these brackets into the wood impossible.
frame, as is customary in other instruments, they
Futuristic Designs.
have been bolted right into the metal plate itself so
The Midget futuristic models employ high imag-
that no variation is possible.
A splendid piece of piano engineering is seen in ination of type, color and figuration, yet carries out a
the whole construction of the Midget. The key definite central idea, based on a nature motive. The
blocks at each side between the keys and the ends hues are brilliant, and the form vigorous.
or cheeks of the piano, for instance, commonly vary
Pianos With Back.
greatly in size, while in the Cable Midget the key
Hi-Lite
Green
Satin Duco enhanced by the darker
blocks are exactly the same size. This means that the
action has been centered precisely on the scale of hi-liting. The back has an ornamental des'gn in fret-
work and colors with a large central pattern in tap-
the piano.
estry. Green mother-of-pearl keys.
Action
Utility with Charm.
Another feature is the level striking line of the
Kindergarten
fumed
oak model has several features
hammers. The action of the Midget, although made
exactly on the principles of the best upright actions, which make it especially desirable for the kindergar-
is yet created especially for this piano and is not an ten. The Empire top folds back to reveal a black-
adaptation from any other scale. The keys are fitted board, which the teacher can use to illustrate the
with a capstan screw which contacts directly with music lesson. Inside the front fallboard is a specially
the action so that the whippen rests on this screw. constructed music rack with two compartments.
It is very similar to the action in the miniature key-
Model with Clock.
board of the Euphona Inner-Player. The keys of the
Antipodean Walnut, Sunburst Effect. A unique
Cable Midget are standard in length, width and
and rarely beautiful sunburst double panel pattern.
spacing.
This is an entirely new treatment, a simple decora-
Durable Finish.
tive motif that is remarkably effective. Contrasting
The Midgets that are intended for school use are with the panel pattern, the border is fashioned of
given a special mar-proof finish that makes them cross-edged veneer. A telechron clock is artistically
immune to the many knocks and bumps they receive mounted on a gallery of the same rich wood and de-
as they are moved from room to room. The cases sign.
Here are ether models of great charm thai :ire in-
of these pianos are subjected to the fuming process
a much longer time than is commonly thought neces- sistent on the claims to the prospect of taste:
sary. After this process has been completed the piano
Antipodean walnut, quartered panels with outlines
is given one coat of shellac, two coats of special var- 'based on Sheraton mode, with French influence
nish and is then rubbed down and waxed. The result faintly reminiscent of the Louis XIV to Louis XVI
is a hard, through-and-through finish that is prac- periods. Rich veneers of quartered panels form the
tically mar-proof. The newest models for school use reverse dian.ond design, which is outlined with mar-
have this durable, mar-proof finish in a new walnut quetry border in relief.
ONE OF THE MI DO 1ST SHOWROOMS.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/