Presto

March. 1931
PRESTO-TIMES
PIANOS LEADING
THE CAPEHART'S GREAT LINE OF HIGH GRADE
IN INDIANAPOLIS SALES
INSTRUMENTS
Business in general has improved, and music mer-
chants report more activity and inquiry than for some
months. High grade instruments arc leading in sales
with the cheaper grades neglected.
The House of Baldwin is showing some of the new
Presto-Times lias received the preliminary an- acterize these smaller cabinets and make them worthy
style Howard grands, and one in particular is a very
nouncement and illustrations of the new line of auto- pieces of furniture in the finest surroundings.
matic phonographs for the present season of the
The new commercial line includes two cabinet mod- attractive instrument, style 460 in a 5-foot grand. The
Capehart Corporation, Fort Wayne, Iml.
els and a new installation for concealed or "mystery case is of beautiful design and worthy of comment.
The automatic phonograph affords a full 45-min- music." Model No. 1, the larger of the cabinet mod- During the month of February the Baldwin grand,
style B, was featured, and sold better than usual.
ute program of recorded music without the slightest els, handles 10 to 14 records (20 to 28 selections)
attention. Important, too, is the fact that now the changes and turns the records without the slightest According to Ray Coverdill, local manager, this in-
masterworks of music recorded on 12-inch records— attention. The cabinet is distinguished by finer design strument went over the top.
the symphonies, sonatas, operas, etc., may be heard
The local high school at Wanamaker, Ind., pur-
than has been available in coin-operated commercial
on the automatic phonograph, thanks to this achieve- instruments and includes such fine veneers as Ori- chased one of the Baldwin studio pianos for their
ment of Capehart engineers. The new record-chang- ental and American walnut and satinwood. The pro- gymnasium. The instrument was bought by the ath-
ing mechanism accommodates ten records of either jecting front is a feature, too, which distinguishes letic association of the school.
size at one loading, allows an encore on any select on, this and the other new Capehart models. Dimensions
The Pearson Piano Co. has opened a sheet music
and repeats the last record until re-stacked, or switch
of Model No. 1 are: Width, 32'4 inches; depth, 20y 4 department. The new addition to the establishment
is thrown.
occupies a very prominent space on the first floor and
inches; height, 45^4 inches.
The new line embraces several models, running
is under the supervsion of Miss Lucile Mitchell, who
The Capehart Junior
from No. 2 to No. 20, and some of the more impor-
Model No. 5 is known as the Capehart Junior, being has been with the company for many years in an
tant of these models are described here.
by far the smallest coin-operated instrument in Cape- official capacity. Business is lots better than it has
Model No. 20, the larger of the home combinations, hart history. It has the new 10-12C record-changing been is the report from this house. They report high
has a handsome cabinet with turned and fluted posts, mechanism which handles ten records either 10-inch grade pianos selling better than ever, among them the
reed ornamentations and recessed line decorations. or 12-inch. In the cabinet are embodied butt walnut, Steinway and the complete line of other high grade
Among the fine veneers used are matched Oriental satinwood and American walnut veneers, as well as instruments sold by the house. A report from the
and butt walnut, maple burl and rotary American turned and fluted posts. Because of its small size as Anderson (Ind.) store of the company says that busi-
walnut. The dial panel is of beautifully grained Ori- well as its ability to play 12-inch records, the new ness is good and prospects are very promising in that
ental walnut, behind doors of two-piece matched butt
Capehart Junior is regarded as greatly widening the locality.
walnut. The doors and base rail are attractively orna- market for coin-operated automatic phonographs. The
The Marion Music Co. is having a good business
mented with wood fiber mouldings and decorations. dimensions are: Width, 25^4 inches; depth, \7\A and continues to sell many Schumann grands. The
Dimensions of Model 20 are: Width, 28j4 inches; inches; height, 42^4 inches.
period models as well as the straight pianos are in
depth, 18 inches; height, 45 inches.
demand.
Model No. 2, designed for concealed installation, con-
Model 15, also combination instrument available
The Brinkerhoff piano, in the hands of the Marion
with Capehart screen grid or Superheterodine radio, is sists of a compact cabinet enclosing the record-changing Music Co., is coming in for its share of the business
mechanism
with
amplification
to
carry
separate
speak-
slightly smaller and there are no doors concealing the
of the house and several good sales were closed within
dial panel. The cabinet embodies veneers of Oriental, ers, which may be installed as desired in the estab- the past thirty days, one sale being to the Beech
butt and American Walnut and there are Selino lace- lishment. With a new type illuminated coin receiver Grove (Ind.) high school, which purchased the Brink-
wood overlays, fluted posts with reed ornamentations which Capehart has just developed such an installa- erhoff Mayfair Grand model for their auditorium. The
and recessed line decorations. Dimensions of Model tion can be made more than self-supporting, according instrument was selected after the committee had
15 are: Width. 2 5 ^ inches; depth, \9% inches; to H. E. Capehart, president, who points out that coin- shopped the entire city. The Marion Music Co. has
controlled "mystery music"' installations have already
height, 43 inches.
been given the local franchise for the M. Schulz
proved markedly successful in the west.
instrument.
Two Small Cabinets
Big Development for "Mystery Music"
There are also two small cabinets enclosing the
The Wilking Music Co. is in the midst of re-dec-
"Such an installation suits the needs of many estab- orating its warerooms. Business is going on just
record-changing mechanism, with volume control, de-
signed for use with a separate radio. These models lishments where cabinet models could not be used," the same, according to Frank Wilking, who described
enable present owners of satisfactory radios to enjoy explained Mr. Capehart, "and this year will undoubt- it as good. One of the new styles from the Apollo
the automatic phonograph at a minimum of expense, edly see a big development along this line of 'mys-
(Wurlitzer) factory at De Kalb. 111., is the new
since they need only plug the Capehart into the radio. tery music,' which more than pays for itself."
5-foot grand. The new instruments recently ac-
A five-terminal impedance matching transformer is
"Altogether we are highly optimistic for 1931, feel- quired from the Robertson Music Co,, now out of
provided in both models to make the hook-up easy
ing that we have a diversified line of instruments each business, are moving very good, says Mr. Wilkin.
with any radio. One of these models, the No. 900, is meeting definite needs in music and affording the
Mine. Steinhart, a local artist of note, will be on
a graceful little console cabinet 18^4 inches wide, 17 merchant an unparalleled opportunity in breadth of
a musical program of the company to take place Sat-
inches deep, and 30*-^ inches high. Model No. 1000 market and real profit opportunity. The Capehart
urday night; an entertainment of special interest.
is designed to serve as a table alongside a davenport
line for 1931 we feel, embodies plus values which The program goes on the air from the Wilking studio.
or chair. It also has a storage compartment of gen- enable the merchant to realize a good margin. Be-
Recent visitors in Indianapolis were: H. Edgar
eral proportions. Dimensions of Model 1000 are: sides, there is the second profit from the sale of rec-
French, New Castle, Ind.; Chas. E. Howe, of the
l
Width, 24 inches; depth, \7 / 2 inches; height, 28 inches. ords in groups which Capehart dealers have learned Apollo Grand Piano Co.. De Kalb, 111.; William Long-
The same artistry in design and fine veneers char- to respect as a valuable item."
acre, of C. Kurtzmann & Co., Buffalo, N. Y.; J. H.
Shale, of the American Piano Corporation; C. B. Mc-
Intosh, vice-president of the Schumann Piano Co.,
object to a boy studying music because they believe and P. E. Mason, vice-president of the Haddorff
it will make a 'sissy' of him," said Mr. Colber. "Has
Piano Co.
music made a sissy of Nicholas Longworth, Charles
M. Schwab, Alfred Einstein, and other outstanding
TRADE NEWS FROM
THE PACIFIC COAST
James T. Fitzgerald, for forty years president of
the Fitzgerald Music Co., Los Angeles, has announced
his retirement from active business. He is one of
the pioneer local business men and is remembered
as building from a small one-room shop where he
sold violins and other musical instruments in 1892
to one of the largest organizations of its kind on the
Pacific coast.
Encouragement to advancement in musical careers
was extended alike to teachers, artists and students
by Mr. Fitzgerald during the many years of his busi-
ness career. His organization sponsored many bril-
liant musical events and included among celebrities
brought to Los Angeles such names as Leopold Go-
dowsky, Leo Ornstein, Moiseiwitzch and others.
With the retirement of its president, the firm has
announced a sale which will completely dispose of its
stock, according to the advertisements.
Due to increased sales and advertising activities,
Gilfillan Bros., Inc., manufacturers of radios, have
announced that manufacturing production has been
speeded to 2,600 sets daily and the personnel employed
at the Los Angeles plant increased from 200 to a total
of 850, according to an announcement by the firm's
executives. A plant is also operated at Waukegan,
111. The report of S. W. Gilfillan. president, indicates
that the condition is most favorable and that because
of doubling advertising appropriations and attacking
the situation courageously, splendid results have been
obtained.
That American business and professional men ought
to modify their attitude toward the arts, especially
music, was the topic of a recent speech given by Fred
Colber of New York, in addressing Los Angeles busi-
ness men. "It is particularly unfortunate that some
The speaker, a noted authority on music, ap-
pealed to the business men to learn more about music
which he-called the fourth dimension and described it
as "heart calisthenics and soul gymnastics."
E. A. Geissler, vice-president of the Birkel Music
Co., Los Angeles, has announced the purchase of the
southwest corner of Hollywood boulevard and Fair-
fax. The consideration was said to be approximately
$50,000. Geissler plans the improvement of the prop-
erty at a later date, it was reported.
The Hollywood Baby Orchestra, under the direc-
tion of Carl Moldren and with little Billy Barty
wielding the baton, is making a big hit in Southern
California, and is much in demand at entertainments.
Music critics have marveled at their work since their
appearance in public during the past few months.
From their appearances in sound pictures the group
has received letters of recognition from the King of
Norway and from Benito Mussolini. The tiny tots,
thirty children all under six years of age, make a strik-
ing picture as, in curls and pinafores, they handle their
instruments with the artistic touch of true musicians.
Domestic music seems to have been too generally
neglected with the introduction of the phonograph and
radio, according to a Los Angeles critic, and children's
orchestras, such as the Hollywood Baby Orchestra,
will do much good for renewing interest in music in
the home.
ROGER O'CONNOR MAKES CHANGE
Becomes Music Promotion Manager on Chicago Her-
ald-Examiner—Roy H. Barbour Becomes Man-
ager of Kranich & Bach Chicago Store
Roger O'Connor, for a long time manager at Chi-
cago for Kranich & Bach, piano manufacturers of
New York, on March 16 assumes his new duties as
music promotion manager on the staff of the Chicago
Herald-Examiner. It is a position created for him by
the publishers of the paper, due to his fitness for this
line of work and because he has been recognized for
doing much toward getting piano lessons introduced
into the public schools of Chicago. He has found
keen associates in this good work in the persons of
Adam Schneider, Eugene Whalen and many others.
Music promotion manager may seem to some as a
misleading title, but it does not mean that Mr. O'Con-
nor is going in for promoting sheet music exclusively
or anything of the kind; for he is still as much of a
piano man as ever, and later he may be engaged
largely in broadcasting the interests of pianos and
radios through the Herald-Examiner Station KYW.
When asked what lines of music he would be pro-
moting Mr. O'Connor said: "Music—anything in
the musical line from a $10,000 piano to a 2-cent
jewsharp."
Roy H. Barbour of New York takes hold as Mr.
The Schmoller & Mueller Piano Co. of Omaha, O'Connor's successor in the management of the
Lincoln and other cities in that region, is doing some Kranich & Bach store at 77 East Jackson boulevard.
prominent advertising of the Wegman pianos, both
uprights and grands. This house has been selling the
W. A. Mennie of New York, who attended the
Wegman line with excellent success during the last Chicago meetings of piano officials last week, stopped
few months.
at the Drake hotel.
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