Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1935 2275

March-April, 1935
PRESTO-TIMES
PRESTOTIME
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADES JOURNAL
ISSUED THE
FIFTEENTH OF
PUBLICATION MONTH
CRANK D. ABBOTT
Editor
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1932, at the
Tost 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.
PRESTO PUBLISHING CO.
Publishers
417 So. Dearborn St.
Chicago, I1L
The song, "Smiles," goes on and on; even
Amos and Andy, in one of their broadcasting
reminiscences, advised everybody to sing
"Smiles," the song of "always better days,"
and emphasized their advice by singing the
first eight measures of Lee Robert's dear, good
song of hope and joy.
The music trade proper that is to say the
music industries have been quite free from
any suggestion of misleading advertising, mis-
branding, misrepresentation and the like, but
some of the allied industries like radio have
been brought up for government inspection
from time to time. One of the latest of these
infractions was the Metro Manufacturing
Company of Brooklyn, manufacturers and
assemblers of radio sets, which was directed
to discontinue the use of the words "Edison"
or "Bronswick."
Notwithstanding a daily newspaper says that
Miss Iona Fiddle of St. Paul, Minn., does NOT
own a fiddle, a later report states that the
young lady HAS bought one, thus helping to
verify the technical accuracy of her name.
An instance of sponsoring by the govern-
ment of free adult education classes in music
comes from Shawnee, Oklahoma, where, as
Federal Emergency Relief work a music school
has been in progress for the past year or two
and continues with remarkable success. The
classes are free to all applicants who desire to
study music in all its branches and instruction
of practically all musical instruments of today.
In a review of industries of various towns
in the Rock River district from Beloit, Wis-
consin, or to Dixon, Illinois, various cities are
named giving percentages of employment,
number of factories and their relations to the
welfare of the communities. As for Oregon,
Illinois, the Schiller Piano Factory is the main
industry in that vicinity and one of the noted
instrument manufacturing enterprises of Rock
River valley.
A furniture trade paper representative in
helping to convince a furniture manufacturer
that the furniture business in general is im-
proving, advanced the argument that "there is
an increase of more than thirty per cent in
marriages this year over the same period a
year ago, which means," said the representa-
tive, "that the furniture business must in-
crease in proportion." This argument may be
Of approximately forty-five independent making piano factories in the United
States probably half a dozen of them supply pianos in various quantities to con-
cerns which formerly manufactured their product in their own factories and which
continue to carry on business supplied from factories where they obtain advan-
tag'eous contact, particularly as to close reproduction of their original product in
construction and tonal qualities. Most of the other factories of these forty-five or
so manufacture exclusively or practically so only their own instruments under
their own name and names owned and controlled by them but various ones of these
are willing to place a supplied name on the fallboard of their product for a favorite
customer under certain conditions and restrictions. However, this manner of piano
naming and fallboard nomenclature is not what some years ago was known as
stencilling, for often so-called "rank stencilling" implied the misrepresentation that
the instrument was made or assembled by the ones whose name appeared on the
fallboard.
Repetition of a statement recently made by an eminent Chicago manufacturer
is enlightening on this angle of naming pianos for favorite customers, who said:
"As we view this problem of piano production, it seems to us that the one-name
proposition is best and sufficient for us. We do make a few pianos on which the
names of certain of our dealers appear but whether this procedure is of any advan-
tage to them or to us is a question. We do realize that if we desire to receive a
larger business volume quickly it could be done by making pianos that we could
sell to any merchant anywhere by using whatever name would fit in with the accom-
plishment of their purpose."
Records available at this time indicate that about twenty-five per cent of the
pianos made in 1934 consisted of instruments marketed by other concerns and
bearing other names than the source of output. There are probably fifteen ex-
piano manufacturers now employing this manner of continuing business and a
hundred dealers through the country carry pianos bearing their own names or
names controlled by them, very few of these, however, operating along the line of
so-called "stencilling." This category of "made-for" pianos embraces probably
20% to 25% of all the pianos these days.
It was on account of this changed condition in the activities of piano factories
that on a considerable number of them reports could not be made giving number of
employes and wages, etc., for notwithstanding the product of many of these fac-
tories bearing the manufacturers' name and other names known to them were still
being supplied in the trade no factory workmen or employes could be reported as
to number employed and wages paid. This caused the Census Report sent out in
1934 to show less than forty piano factories operating in the United States in
1933 and employing* less than 3,000 wage earners, while in 1931 there were over
fifty factories and more than 5,000 wage earners and in 1929 eighty-one factories
and 10,000 wage earner employes.
From all quarters of the country and in a very important way from the Fur-
niture Mart in Chicago comes word that the furniture business has been increas-
ing at a rapid rate the past two years. A composite of percentages made by both
dealers and manufacturers indicates 33 1/3% more business in 1935 over the same
period in 1934. Hardly ever is a new outfit of household furniture placed that does
not include a piano in the set-up.
an amusing bit of oratory but it is correct as
to statistics and all records show.
MORAL—What applies to furniture also
applies to pianos, and in a greater or lesser
degree to all musical instruments.
One of Chicago's most accomplished church
organists in lending aid at a modest chapel
service found for the occasion a small cabinet
reed organ ; what make? One of old-time glory
and renown, a Crown, by George P. Bent,
Chicago, 1890.
tecting wing of radio and musical merchandise
support and with no less individual guiding its
destinies than Glad Henderson. No reference to
any of the messieurs Bill, heirs and assigns of the
late Edward Lyman Bill, pcrc, was made in the
rather incomplete reference on this that flitted
into a Presto-Times studio.
The Aeolian-American Corporation's adver-
tising of the j . and C. Fischer piano under the
caption, "My G r a n d m o t h e r Loved Her
Fischer," is quite correct, being that the J. &
C. Fischer firm succeeded in 1840 the R. & W.
Nunns' piano making business which was
started in 1820.
Manufacturers, and supply men in particular, and
the music trade generally are speculating these days
on what will be the size of the 19.35 crop.
In the piano industry there is considerable variance
in estimates on the size of factory output ranging
from 65.CHX) to 75.000 for a moderate, conservative
number and 85.000 to 100.000 for a super-conservative
estimate.
Perhaps an average of these two propositions or
about 70,000 would be a safe wager, but there is yet
a sub-conservative figuring of approximately 50.000
as well as an ultra-conservative belief that more than
100.000 pianos will be manufactured by the last day
of 1935.
It has been "whispered," but not very loudly
that that good old Music Trade Review may be
revamped and set going again, but under the pro-
WHEN PATRONIZING OUR ADVER-
T I S E R S , KINDLY MENTION THE
PRESTO-TIMES.
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/
March-April, 1935
PRESTO-TIMES
MUSIC TRADE GLOBE TROTTERS
Frank F. Story Now in the Limelight
Music trade men:-manufacturers, jobbers, buyers,
wholesalers and retailers of the trade, have long been
noted as travellers and "globe trotters" far and near.
Our buyers and principals of music merchandise and
instrument houses have long made regular trips to
musical instrument-making centers of Europe; the
Vogtland localities of South Germany and the near-by
Bohemia district; to the wire and felt-making section
of the Rhineland country and other localities where
supplies, felts, wire and musical material are produced.
In reed organ days our salesmen, and one reca 1 ls
such names as Charles Wagner, F. W. Teeple, H. C.
Dickinson, Geo. W. Tewksbury, E. P. Hawkins. Mel-
ville Clark. Phil A. Starck and others now laid to
rest, and there is now with us E. H. Story. J. C.
Henderson, A. G. Gulbransen, who travelled long
and often to distant lands and added to the glory and
prestiere of musical America.
E. H. Story, now living the life of a retired gentle-
man in California, was famous as a traveller all over
the world and now following the inclinations of his
elder brother, Frank F. Story, president of the Story
& Clark Piano Company, is making a record for na-
tional and international travel that mav ecl'pse his
brother Ed. H. and all the others of like renown.
However, about 60 per cent of Frank Story's wan-
derings is within the bounds of the American conti-
nent, the United States, Canada, Alaska, Mexico,
Cuba, and these tours are largely in the interest of
the Story & Clark Piano Company.
Some three years ago Frank set out for a tour
around the world via. Europe; thence on eastward,
but after "half-way around" he abandoned the jour-
ney for that year, took a run all over Europe and
returned home. Two years ago he set out again for
his globe tour by way of the West, from California
on to Hawaii, the Philippines, Japan, China, India and
the orient in general, thence on westward to Europe
and back to America. Mr. Story's latest saltwater
voyage was a West Indies-Caribbean cruise this sea-
son; a very delightful outing, he says. But! Piano
business in that part of the country? "II fait pas
rien," savs Frank.
iiiloiuin
THE BALDWIN PIANO CO. WINDOW, 323 S. WAl'.ASH AVH., CHICAGO.
Broadside on a Group of New Models
The Baldwin Piano Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, has
recently sent out. to the music trade an announcement
bearing the heading:
"INCREASE YOUR PIANO SALES"
and the contents of this big 25 by 38 inch folder
deals clearly with this vital subject and tells in a
straight forward, logical manner how such a coveted
victory may be accomplished with the new Baldwin-
built line which possesses improved tonal qualities
FROM GRANDMOTHER TO GRANDCHILD
and advanced features, an achievement in piano
production and piano promotion that "meets a new
The W. W. Kimball two-column advertisement in demand" in piano requirements of today. This Bald-
the Chicago daily newspapers wherein styles of Kim- win "broadside" brings forcibly to the attention oi
ball pianos from their old souare used by "my grand- everyone who reads it the terse expression in the first
mother" on to the grand of today attracted marked paragraph of the bulletin that "there is more musical
attention. The illustrations were their old square sense in America today than in 20 years; more ap-
piano, then their reed organ, a pipe organ console preciation of the benefits of musical self-expression,
and the Kimball grand. This display was put up in self discipline, beauty." And further that "parents are
an attractive manner, closing with the line, "K : mball learning a-new that nothing takes the place of a piano
has alwavs made the Kimball."
in a home; that musical culture has a lot to do with
success and a richer life."
And now, modestly announced, comes to public at-
The crux of these axiomatic utterances and others
tention an item on another of the genus Spinet in the circular letter equally vital to piano merchants
piano, this through an advertisement of May & of today; the moral of the story is that the dealer
Company, Cleveland, of a Hallet & Davis grand, will find in the Baldwin line coupled with Baldwin
modeled after the Spinet type grand. And where service and cooperation abundant opportunities for
has Hallet & Davis been all these days! However making money and an elevated position in the trade
the illustration shown to a Presto-Times correspond- by associating his efforts with the house of Baldwin.
ent indicates that the actual production spot of this
Here is the formula proposed: "For this new
little instrument is some distance from Hallet & ;md pleasing situation so rich in profit for the 'dealer'
Davis in the Bronx district. New York Citv.
Baldwin has built a new line of pianos of irresistible
appeal."
The folder from which Presto-Times quotes is re-
THE L. E. LEINS MUSIC COMPANY
plete with instructive reading matter and the illustra-
REORGANIZATION
tions so attractively arranged and set forth that any
The L. E. Leins Music Company, Springfield, Mo., dealer in the land will be benefited by its perusal.
has been reorganized whereby the three heirs of the
The New Baldwin Piano Salesrooms,
L. E. Leins estate purchased the interests of Mrs.
Chicago
Otis Maxey, Mrs. J. Brite and Dr. H. A. Lowe in the
business. Mr. Morton Leins will continue as presi-
For several weeks, "a month and a half, to be ex-
dent; Mrs. Betty Keiler, secretary, and Lawrence act," as Manager L. C. Wagner says carpenters,
Leins, treasurer; and these are how sole proprietors plumbers, decorators, specialists in various branches
of the business. Presto-Times is informed that they of interior work, were busy transforming a well ar-
"are going to continue business with great activity ranged piano store of yesterday into a modern piano
and in an aggressive manner."
establishment.
A piano shop to which is attached a series of piano
Services for Mrs. A. G. Gulbransen. wife of the parlors, delightful to visit and entirely homelike,
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gulbran- artistic, dignified, comfortable, inviting.
sen Company, who passed away at Garfield Park
This is the way Presto-Times endeavors to describe
Hospital, Chicago, some two weeks ago. were con- briefly this new piano emporium, the new piano sa!on
ducted from the beautif.il Gulbransen home in River of the Chicago branch of The Baldwin Piano Com-
Forest, and a special service from Christ Episcopal pany. For the opening event the following invitation
Church, Chicago, was also held. Mrs. Gulbransen card was sent out:
was an active member of Christ Church. She took an
{INVITATION)
active interest in the River Forest Garden Club in
The
Baldwin
Piano
Company cordially invites you
which both she and her illustrious husband were
closely interested and both also were active in music to attend the Formal Opening of their Modernized
and musical advancement not only in the immediate Piano Salon, Saturday, March the twenty-third, 323
surroundings of their greater activities, but nationally South Wabash Avenue.
The invitation brought many visitors: some from
as well. Interment was at Oak Ridge Cemetary,
Western suburb district of Chicago. The entire homes, others from studios, others prospective buy-
music industry will join with his many other friends ers brought in by their friends, teachers, solicitors
outside the field of music in expressing to Mr. Gul- and others, to view Chicago's latest and. safe to say.
handsomest, exclusively-piano establishment and one
bransen deep sympathy in his great bereavement.
unsurpassed anywhere, east, west, north or south.
So, although the live or six weeks of reconstruction
and remodeling was a period of confusion, neverthe-
less it was of the kind of uproar and confusion that
workmen make and it gave the opportunity for a
L. C. WAGNER, MANAGER OF THE BALDWIN
PIANO CO. CHICAGO HOUSE.
real, genuine, remodelling sale, a condition that was
taken advantage of effectively and profitably, and
the new store was ready for a perfect presentation
of the new line of Baldwin and Baldwin-made pianos.
Spinets and the Spinet Grand
Spinet, the name given to a form and construction
of the pianoforte of sixteenth century days, was re-
vived by the Mathushek Piano Mfg. Company, who
placed on the market some years ago a grand of the
Spinet type. Thus came into being the Spinet grand
of Mathushek, a square-like piano duplicating as near
as practicable the early-day Spinet, hut embodying
the finalities and principles of the modern piano in
tone and volume, as well as action, key, hammer,
pedal and sounding board construction that have
superseded the methods of early days. Although
other manufacturers have in some degree caught the
Spinet thought, nevertheless the great strides made
by Mathushek and the immense popularity which the
Mathushek Spinet grand has met with all over the
country, insures this product the unique position of
being in a class by itself.
A recent Jenkins Music Company (Kansas City,
Mo.) card reads, "The best place in the world to
buy," followed by the statement that they endeavor
to sell each piano they carry at the lowest price that
piano can be sold for anywhere in the United States.
This advertisement distinguishes Steinway, Vose,
dickering. Story & Clark, Cable-Nelson pianos.
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/

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