Nov.-Dec, 1932
PRESTO-TIMES
ISSUED THE
FIFTEENTH OF
PUBLICATION MONTH
F R A N K D. ABBOTT
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PRESTO PUBLISHING CO.
Publishers
417 So. Dearborn St.
Chicago, I1L
The American Music Trade Journal
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Editor
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1932, at the
Post Office at Chicago, 111., under act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $1.00 a year; 6 months, 60 cents; foreign,
$2.00. Payable in advance. No extra charge in United
States possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for adver-
tising on application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and If of
general Interest to the music trade will be paid for at
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen In the
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and
their assistance is invited.
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-
tion will be charged if of commercial character or other
than strictly news interest.
When electrotypes are sent for publication It is re-
quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi-
cated.
Forms close at noon three days preceding date of pub-
lication. Latest news matter and telegraphic communica-
tions should be in not later than 11 o'clock on that day.
Advertising copy should be in hand four days before pub-
lication day to insure preferred position. Full page dis-
play copy should be in hand three days preceding publi-
cation day. Want advertisements for current issue, to
insure classification, should be in three days in advance
of publication.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press at 11 a. m
three days preceding publication day. Any news trans-
piring after that hour cannot be expected in the current
issue. Nothing received at the office that is not strictly
news of importance can have attention after 9 a. m. of
that date. If they concern the interests of manufactur-
ers or dealers such Items will appear the Issue following.
CHICAGO, NOV.-DEC, 1932
&uv Jfrtentos
Cfjrigtmag anb & Happp JSeto fJear
May you have a
is the wish of Presto=Times through its publishers and editors.
FRANK D. ABBOTT, President,
Presto Publishing Company
Concerning some of the recent notable newspaper
advertising by the Birkel Music Company, Los An-
geles, Mr. George Birkel, president of that corpora-
tion, says that, "Considering present trade conditions,
not only with the music trade proper but with the
profession as well, any effort on our part to stimulate
interest that will develop pupils for teachers will in
time assist us. We think the results obtained by our
advertising and our efforts toward interesting people
in the study of music will in time be to our advantage.
Hence we believe that the results obtained more than
justify the effort and expense."
The statutory laws of some of our states and recent
enactments in others are more or less prohibitive of
successful carrying on of business by foreign cor-
porations, that is corporations foreign to the common-
wealth. The result of this is that under present eco-
nomic conditions coupled with drastic regulations and
unreasonable requirements on outside corporations
operating in the state that many branch houses in the
music industries are relinquishing business, selling out
or turning their business over to local dealers.
This decade of jazz and its complement of jazz
music is chargeable with many disasters similar to the
charge made by a well known conservatory of music
founded forty-five years ago, that its troubles were due
to a decrease in enrollment, due to the depression and
the trend toward jazz music.
Will there be a revival of the reed organ—of the
small reed organ for homes which was so popular
and represented so much of the American music
industries of three decades ago? Mr. Gulbransen, of
the Gulbransen Company, is evidently trying to try
out this proposition. Certainly there are many homes
where the little reed organ will fit in admirably and
better than any other keyboard instrument.
December: last month of the year and especially
the end of 1932; twelve months, the exact like of
which most people who have lived through them hope
will not return, as they say, in parting: sleep, be it in
peace or in agony.
Nineteen hundred and thirty-two, the seventy-fifth
anniversary of the establishment of the W. W. Kim-
ball Company, has been the object of hundreds of
felicitations of friends of the house, while various
publications directly or closely allied to music, art and
the music industries have commented upon the occa-
sion with special and appropriate articles. The pro-
fessional music and music trade publications, espe-
cially, have presented noteworthy articles and editorial
expressions of their sentiments and the regard of the
public toward the house of Kimball.
It is of interest to record that there have been fewer failures in the piano and general music
trades in 1932 than are reported in numerous other industries and their number, in music, is less
in 1932 than the year previous. Still further, that the number of failures in 1932 is considerably
less than two years ago regardless of whether there has been an increase in activity or not. Evi-
dently the trade has been holding its own and there is a fair exhibit, considering conditions, of piano
factory operations during the year now closing.
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Piano factory purchases of material have been from "hand to mouth" with the result that few
factories have any great amount of ready-to-ship instruments in stock. In fact where anything like
a large supply of goods is found ready to/ ship the instruments are often of ancient "vintage." Re-
ports from traveling men confirm statistics and both indicate distinct shortages of new goods. In
fact it is stated on good authority that'hardly a piano factory could make an immediate shipment
of a carload of newly made pianos and while carload orders are almost entirely a thing of the past,
nevertheless a good many factories would not be able to ship a score or even ten instruments with-
out requiring a good deal of time to geiLthem ready. All this verified "shortage" would indicate
that musical instrument manufacturing is getting down to bedrock as well as "hardpan" and an
upturn in better conditions most come about.
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The piano trade as a whole, however, is considerably better off than its younger associate, the
radio, which industry has suffered tremendous inroads into its capitalization by reason of decreased
output. These deficits range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars and even
up to the million dollar mark, but belief and confidence in the future seem to have been an inspira-
tion and have helped to overcome the sensation of the great losses that have fallen to the radio
industry.
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That there are numerous indications of renewed activity in the music trades—in pianos, small
musical instruments, musical merchandise and radios, is attested by the many marked copies of local
publications and clippings that come to the Presto-Times office giving particulars of new firms; some
of them entirely new organizations and others reorganizations and continuations of business which
had been suspended. There has been a marked decrease in the list of failures and assignments in
the music trades and industries.
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Quality today is essential to anything like permanent success. A poor piano will not hold out
long with the standard trade and is wholly without decent compensation. Cut prices nowadays do
not mean poor quality for the buyer demands a standard of quality in the instrument he buys which
the dealer must guarantee. Downright low-grade instruments are pretty well eliminated.
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Some time ago Presto-Times advertised in a five line request, for copies of the 1931 issue of
the Presto Buyers' Guide which edition is entirely sold out. A few copies were received in reply
to this request, the first two coming from Charles Stanley, of Grand Haven, Michigan, who kindly
gave them up to help the publishers fulfill requests from parties who, to quote one correspondent,
"need them badly." Then came a copy from Mr. J. Helfrath, Philadelphia, and two more from an
occasional correspondent who writes that he requested these from a dealer friend who said the
1930 edition would meet his requirements. However, less than a score of copies all together were
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