Presto

12
April, 1931
P R E S T 0-T IMES
Dollars and Sense in Piano Business
How Leading Houses Attract Trade
and Bring in Business and Dollars
STEINWAY
Of the Steinway the Griffith Piano Co., 605-607
Broadway, Newark, N. J., says: "Any man or woman
can distinguish the tone of the Steinway piano from
all other pianofortes. The Steinway's marvelous sing-
ing tone quality, its miraculous response to the hand
and spirit of the musician and its beauty and life-long
durability, have made it the choice not only of the
world's greatest musicians, past and present, but also
the piano desired above all others by those who want
the best the world offers in a musical instrument for
the home."
M. Steinert & Sons, of Steinert building, 495 West-
minster street, Providence, R. I., have this to say of
a piano purchase: "You buy your piano for a lifetime
and naturally you select a Steinway, the rugged, long-
lived instrument upon which two, yes, three genera-
tions of children may achieve their musical culture."
REMINGTON
Rorabaugh-Wiley's, Hutchinson, Kan., advertising
the Remington Baby Grand, say of it: "This famous
piano is made today by the same family of pioneers
who originally were its creators. . .every component
part of the Remington piano is made within their own
organization and this feature is particularly valuable in
the building of a fine piano. The tone of the 'Rem-
ington' has elicited words of highest praise from
musicians. . .the bass is t r u e . . . the middle registers
deep and resonant. . .and the treble clear and free
from all overtones. More than 500 of the largest
schools throughout the country have purchased this
piano for their musical instruction—and for your in-
formation these purchases were made only after a
committee of musicians and technicians appointed by
the faculty of these various school organizations had
passed upon them from every standpoint."
WESER BROS.
Weser Bros., Inc., 108 Main street, corner of Mer-
rick road, Freeport, L. I., N. Y., says of the Weser
Bros. Colonial grands: "These pianos are the product
of one of the world's largest manufacturers and our
knowledge of their excellence is such that we will
make this unusual guarantee: At any time within the
year of purchase, we will allow you, in exchange, the
full amount paid on one of these grands—without one
cent of depreciation, or deduction, and apply this to
the purchase of any Weser Bros, grand!"
STORY & CLARK OPTIMISM
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HELPS CHILDREN AT PIANO-PLAYING
THE FARNY AT NASHVILLE
"We are pleased at the way in which parents and
children are accepting the statement of the value of
piano instruction and acting upon it," said Walter L.
Bond, secretary and treasurer of the Weaver Piano
Co., Inc., a few days ago to a Presto-Times repre-
sentative. "We are selling more pianos at retail in
York, Pa., and vicinity than we did a year ago. We
have a corps of private teachers who have accepted
the new method of teaching and are using it. We do
not stop with selling the piano but we lend our
influence to get a progressive, modern teacher for the
child and then we try to create ambition in the child
to make something out of music. The average fam-
ily is intensely interested in what a piano will do for
their children and that through the child we are able
to create a lively interest and make good sales."
The Claude P. Street Piano Co., of 717 Church
street, Nashville, Tenn., displays this line of recogni-
tion in its advertising in and about Nashville:
"Forty Years of Satisfactory Service in Nashville."
By the way, this house has been pushing with satis-
factory results the new Farny grand piano.
STORE NAMED "GULBRANSEN SALON"
"The Gulbransen Salon" is the name given to the
Simonson Piano & Radio Co.'s place of business at
3954 Fullerton avenue, Chicago, by that company,
thereby showing what a magical name is that of
Gulbransen to attract trade.
BEAUTIFUL APOLLOS FOR THEATER
The Wilking Music Co., Indianapolis, has just com-
pleted their contracts for and placed two six-foot
The purchase of an $8,000 stock of sheet music Apollo grand pianos for the Palace Theater, Indianap-
and stock of nearly 4,000 Victor records made by olis, in Craftex, Chinese red and hi-lited in gold.
The instruments were especially built at the factory
the Clark Music Co., Syracuse, N. Y., from Godards
Music House, Inc., establishes another step in the in De Kalb, 111., and decorated to blend with the color
scheme of the theater decorations. Care was exer-
progress of this store, now entering its 73d year
in the music business. It ranks high among organi- cised in preparing the texture because it was neces-
zations of its kind in the country, with a well estab- sary to have a finish that would reflect the hi-lites and
lished branch store in Watertown, N. Y., one of the not destroy the color. The Chinese red was used so
that the different colored lights would re-act on the
largest cities in Northern New York. It has grown
from a small store of about 20 feet square in 1858, colors of the pianos. Blue slides were found to change
the color to a royal purple, amber slides changed the
to one of the largest stores of its kind in the country.
color to pink and so on. In that way the settings on
the stage could be changed from one color to another
MUCH ACTIVITY AT EVERETT PLANT and give the desired effect. The pianos were on
display in the windows of the company and attracted
James L. Barron, vice-president and production
manager of the Everett Piano Co., South Haven, a lot of attention. The most outstanding feature is
Mich., says the company, responding to increasing that of the keys—they are covered with gold Pyralin
demand, has augmented its production and consider- and under a spot light resemble a million sparkling
jewels. Benches are to match and the color scheme
ably increased its number of employes since January
1. Orders received during March have been 60 per as a whole is considered an achievement by expert
cent greater than any previous month's shipments. decorators.
The Lyon & Healy largely advertised piano sale has
evidently helped very much the stimulation of work
CONN CO. GETS BIG ORDER
at the South Haven factories.
An order of band instruments, valued at $11,000,
has been shipped to two Louisville, Ky., newspapers
YOUNGSTOWN STORE MANAGER
by C. G. Conn, Ltd., of Elkhart, Ind. This consign-
William McK. Poole, who recently became man- ment, the largest filled by the company this year, will
ager of the Wurlitzer music store at 110 East Fed- be used by a newsboy band, now in the process of
eral street, Youngstown, Ohio, says that one of the formation by the two newspapers.
surprising things in the business at the present time
is that the piano end of it is on the upgrade in spite
of the many mechanical devices for producing music.
Mr. Poole has been in the music business for ten
years. Nine of those years were spent in Washing-
ton, D. C.
CLARK MUSIC CO.'S PURCHASE,
The Story & Clark organization—both in the radio
and piano departments—has reasons for congratula-
tions. The radio factory has increased its force of
workers who are at work on new models, as the story
is told in another part of this issue of Presto-Times.
The piano business, too, is moving along quite
NEW PIANO STORE AT HELENA
satisfactorily, taking into consideration all the condi-
The Dickinson Piano Co., whose main piano store
tions that have been affecting it.
is at Missoula, Mont., where it has been operating for
R. A. Burke, secretary of Story & Clark Piano 21 years, opened a branch store at 432 North Main
Co., Chicago, is finding many fertile spots in which street, in the Empson building, Helena, Mont., the
to make sales on his trips, according to President
last week of March. James Beecham is the manager
F. F. Story. Mr. Burke finds these spots far away of the new store. Mr. Beecham had been associated
—sometimes it is Texas, again in Florida, and perhaps with the Orton Bros, music store in Helena for the
in Wyoming. However, the general result totals last six months. Before that he had worked for the
very satisfactory trade, as Mr. Burke is booking
Dickinson company for more than ten years.
many orders, proving the old story of the early bird.
Mr. Burke says the piano business is getting more
active, and in this statement he is backed up by Pres-
WICHITA FALLS FIRMS UNITE
ident Story, who when met a few days ago, was in a
The
Canipe Music Co., 913 Scott avenue, and the
decidedly optimistic frame of mind, with regard to
Radio
Phonograph
Shop, 803 Indiana avenue, Wichita
the piano as well as the radio trade.
Falls, Tex., have consolidated and the two concerns
are to be operated at 913 Scott avenue under the name
SELLING THE RAUWORTH PLANT
Collins Music Co. J. T. Yeargin is manager of the
Just as Presto-Times' April issue is going to press
Collins Music Co. and C. A. Canipe, former proprietor
—April 15—the creditors' committee is holding a of the Canipe Music Co., remains with the consoli-
public auction at Bellevue, Iowa, to sell the land, dated concern as salesman. The firm handles all types
factory building and machinery of the Rauworth of musical goods, including radios.
Grand Piano Co. of that city. The property consists
of 2y 2 acres of land, the building, 300 by 82 feet, 7-
BUYS SIOUX CITY BUILDING
room residence for manager or superintendent of the
William H. Schmoller has announced the purchase
plant, 400 feet of railroad siding and machinery in the
for $100,000 by the Schmoller & Mueller Investment
main building.
Co. of a brick building, 25 by 142 feet, at 412 Pierce
street, Sioux City, Iowa, as the home for the Sioux
Gibson's Music Store at Corbin, Ky., has moved
City branch of the Schmoller & Mueller Piano Co., of
to more commodious quarters.
Omaha. Mr. Schmoller says he intends to buy homes
Do you want to sell your store and retire? Advertise for his branches at Lincoln, Fremont, Grand Island,
it in the PRKSTO-TTMES classified columns. There are North Platte, Hastings, Scottsbluff, Council Bluffs
always a number of readers looking for a real opportunity and South Omaha.
to get into the music business in a good location. .
KRAKAUER BROS.
MARCH FORWARD
Two important advances in the progress of Krau-
kauer Bros., Cypress avenue and East 136th street,
New York, are here reported. One is that the com-
pany has just been awarded an order for 51 Krakauer
grands for various public schools of New York. The
schools of that city now have 358 Krakauer pianos,
and with this additional order for 51, the Krakauer
Bros, will have 409 pianos in daily use in the schools
there.
The other item is that on April 1 Krakauer Bros,
purchased the entire piano business of the Chas. H.
Ditson Co. at 10 East 34th street, New York. Not
only did Krakauer Bros, purchase the inventory on
hand, but also the entire accounts receivable, as well
as their rental business which the company believes
to be one of the largest in that metropolitan area.
PROMINENT MATHUSHEK
PATRONS
Among the prominent patrons of the Mathushek
piano are Miss Margaret Wilson, daughter of the late
President Woodrow Wilson; Paul Dressier, com-
poser: Eva Tanguay, actress; Andrew Mack, Irish
tenor; Rabbi S. Wise, Dorothy Webb, prima donna;
President Underwood of the Erie Railroad, W. K.
Vanderbilt, Thomas Edison, Jr.; United States Mili-
tary Academy, West Point, N. Y.; Chanuing Pollock
and Rex Beach, authors; Raymond Hitchcock, actor;
Princess Praganza D'Avellar of Portugal, and Frank
Woebler, violinist.
The directors of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender
Co., Chicago, authorized a dividend of \%%, payable
April 1. 1931, on the outstanding preferred stock of
this company, as of record March 20, 1931.
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