Presto

Issue: 1935 2277

Oct.-Nov., 1935
PRESTO-TIMES
A LATE MINNEAPOLIS PIANO
E X E C U T I V E COMMITTEE MEETING
National Piano Manufacturers' Association of America,
Inc.
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The last meeting of this committee occurred on Sep-
tember 19: Present on the occasion were:
Lucien Wulsin, President The Baldwin Piano Com-
pany, Chairman; W. G. Heller, (Winter Piano Com-
pany); C. Albert Jacob, Jr., (Jacob Bros, and Mathu-
shek Piano Mfg. Co.); George C. Seeley, (Comstock,
Cheney & Co.); Theodore E. Steinway, (Steinway &
Sons); Carl Ultes, (O. S. Kelley Co.); and w ! A.
Mennie, secretary of the Association. L. P. Bull,
(Story & Clark Piano Company), committee mmber,
was not able to attend.
The matter of having pianos placed along with other
lines of goods on the list for financing under the Guar-
anteed Loan Plan of the Federal Housing Act was
considered. Pianos and other musical instruments
along with furniture are specifically excluded from
eligibility to such financing under the latest regula-
tions of the Federal Housing Administration and
therefore, and after discussions with the Federal
Housing Authority, it was decided that the association
take no further action in the matter.
The matter of an Industry name for the new style
of upright pianos was considered and it was decided
that the term, "grand piano" in the mind of the gen-
eral public clearly means the piano with horizontal
strings and gravity action. The committee confirmed
this definition and further decided that specific trade
mark names for special styles and designs of pianos
is a matter for each manufacturer individually to
decide.
The chairman of the committee showed an editorial
which had appeared in a Springfield (Mass.) paper
wherein mention was made of what the paper called
"a slump in piano business." This Springfield story
seemed to be similar to other gossip that has been
going the rounds of newspapers during the past year
or more, mostly inspired by the thought that
"calamity" catch lines are of the character of sensa-
tionalism that attracts attention. A consensus of
opinion on this sort of newspaper publicity seems to
be to let the thing kill itself. The music industry is
humming for keeps these days and everybody is find-
ing it out.
Similarly, it has been noised about a bit that a
"sample" little upright piano brought over from Japan
has been shown importers in this country, in Mexico
and elsewhere, with a view to interesting them in
introducing the instrument, which, it is said, would
retail at less than $100. No encouragement was found
here, for with an import duty to the United States
of nearly 50 percent and a government duty out of
Japan, with freight, commissions and costs incident
for foreign goods, these items w T ere practically pro-
hibitive of any kind of success, not to mention the
uncertainty of the product itself.
no composer
can write
A composer cannot write color into his
music. There are no musical symbols for
purely emotional values . . . and Chopin's
Ballades, on paper, are but a succession of
notes. Color can be given only by the per-
former . . . and by the instrument he uses.
Among musicians . . . virtuosi . . . the
marvelous color of the Steinway is part
of the priceless Steinway tradition. Unro-
mantically. it comes not from the art of
making a fine piano, but from the science.
It is the result of Steinway invention, avail-
able only in the Steinway, jealously guarded
by Steinway.
BALDWIN REGIONAL MEETINGS
One of the occasional gatherings of Baldwin dealers,
which occur from time to time in various sections oi
the country under the direction of regional representa-
tives of the Baldwin Piano Company, was recently
held at Raleigh, N. Car., where a large gathering of
Baldwin dealers in that territory met at the Sir Walter
Hotel and discussed matters of interest regarding
present and future piano business particularly, of
course, as regards the part that the Baldwin line of
pianos is playing in the trade. "Every dealer pres-
ent," as one of the dealers who was at the Raleigh
meeting writes to Presto-Times, "was so enthusiastic
about the future that he departed for his home with
the feeling that this fall and holiday season trade
will be the greatest since pre-depression days. These
Baldwin gatherings are certainly worthwhile affairs."
Another Baldwin dealers' meeting occurred at the
Nioollet Hotel in Minneapolis. About sixty dealers
were at this meeting from seven different states and
Canada. This being in the territory of J. M. Wylie
(hometown headquarters, Fargo, N. D.), Northwest-
ern representative of Baldwin, that gentleman was
called upon to play an active part in making the con-
vention the great Baldwin "Meet" that it was. The
guests of honor were Philip Wyman. vice-president
of The Baldwin Piano Company, and Charles H.
Sissions of the Research Department; H. G. Runyan
of the Finance Department, and Bruce Smith of the
Wholesale Department of the house of Baldwin.
There were some intensely interesting talks and short
speeches and addresses made at this meeting.
Our salesmen will talk of our Duplex
Scale. In terms of piano playing that
means color . . . the building up of a tone
by bringing out its overtones; by adding
the harmonious partials to each funda-
mental. And the Duplex Scale is just one
of a great many Steinway developments.
The price of a Steinway now is lower
than it has been for many years. The terms
are likewise convenient.
Steinway
THE

OF THE IMMORTALS
STEINWAY & SONS
Steinway Hall
109 West 57 St.
New York, N. Y.
P. A. STARCK ON EASTERN TRIP
Philip A. Starck, president of the Starck Piano
Company, the main office and general salesrooms of
which are at 16 No. Michigan blvd., Chicago, at this
writing is visiting various Starck company branch
stores and other Starck agencies in the East. He
intends to visit Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Bal-
timore and other important trade centers on this tour.
INSTRUMENT
•i
iimiiiii
OPENING
The establishment of an important piano depart-
ment to the big Boutell Brothers Store, Marquette
Ave. and Fifth St., Minneapolis, Minn., is one of the
interesting items of news that comes from the "Twin
City" district. The Boutell piano department is in
charge of H. J. Sneller, a comparatively young man
in years, well and favorably known. He was formerly
connected with the M. L. McGinnis Piano Co. of
Minneapolis.
The Boutell concern carries agencies for the Aeolian-
American line, the Story & Clark and the Gulbransen,
including, of course, the Gulbransen spinet organ or,
as Mr. Sneller calls the instrument, the "Miniature
Spinet Organ."
Several years ago Boutell. of which Mr. A. David-
son is the president, purchased the business of the
Foster-Waldo Music House. They bought, as Mr.
Sneller says, "lock, stock and barrel"; everything of
value that Foster & Waldo had in stock, but they did
not immediately keep up in a big and representative
manner the piano business, carrying on this business
to get rid of the old Foster-Waldo stock. Now with
improved economic conditions and the music business
coming back Mr. Davidson says that "the time is ripe
for opening the fine piano salon which we have been
making ready for quite a while."
LEVIS MUSIC HOUSE I M P R O V E M E N T S
The extensive repairs and rebuilding operations of
the Levis Music Store, 29 South avenue, Rochester,
N. Y., embrace rebuilding of three floors and base-
ment, extending through to South Water street. The
Levis Music Store has occupied quarters next door
for twenty-five years and will occupy the new prem-
ises as soon as building and remodeling are finished.
The thirty-second anniversary of the Levis Music
House and the thirtieth year of its establishment in
South avenue is to occur this autumn. The business
was established by Stanley W. Levis who had been
with the Mackie Piano Company for many years.
Since the establishment of the Levis Music House
they have purchased and consolidated the Balcam
Music Co., the J. W. Martin & Sons business and
the piano manufacturing and retail store of Gibbons
& Stone.
DOESN'T BRAG, BUT IS SATISFIED WITH
RESULTS
Without bragging or bluster H. Edgar French, now
operating the Jesse French Corporation, which suc-
ceeded the old Jesse French & Sons Piano Company
at Bluff ton, Ind., says: "We didn't do a whirlwind
business at the July music trade convention; nobody
expects anything like that in July, but we did take
in some very satisfactory orders."
A later communication from Mr. French says that
trade for the autumn season is opening up finely and
"I am glad to report that business is fifty per cent
ahead of last year. Tn fact we have already shipped
more Jesse French grand pianos up to September
this year than we did in the whole of 1934 and we
have more unfilled orders on hand than at any previ-
ous time during the last three years."
FORBES PIANO CO. IN NEW FIVE-STORY
BUILDING
The E. K. Forbes & Son Piano Company, which
for several years has been located at 1922 Third ave-
nue North, Birmingham, Ala., has leased a five-story
fireproof building with forty-foot frontage on 20th
street North, that city. The building forms an "L"
and has a 25-foot frontage on Fourth avenue North.
Recital halls and studios are being made. This will
make a fine place of business for this long-established
Birmingham concern. Three additional motor trucks
have recently been purchased with the intention of
making wide and thorough canvass of the Birmingham
territory.
REFERENCE TO A CLASSIFIED AD
In the classified advertising space in this issue of
Presto-Times appears a proposition for partnership
in an old established music business. Presto-Times
is familiar with this business and its owners and is
able to assure anyone interested in the proposition
set forth that the advertiser is reliable and has a
proposition well worth investigation by anyone in-
terested in getting back into a line of trade that
is coming rapidly to the fore—the piano and general
music business. This advertiser furnishes the best
of references.
DYER BROTHERS SHEET MUSIC DEPART-
MENT SOLD TO LYON & HEALY, ST. PAUL
The entire sheet music and record business of W.
J. Dyer & Brother, St. Paul, has been sold to the
Lyon & Healy St. Paul branch store. About Novem-
ber 7 the Lyon & Healy store will be located at 25
W. 5th street adjoining the Dyer Brothers' location
when the sheet music department will be moved to
the Lyon & Healy store. Until that time Lyon &
IIIIIM i iim t Miiiiiium mil 11 urn imiin Healy are operating this department from Dyer
Brothers at 23 W. 5th street, which is next door.
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).
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PRESTO-TIMES
PERSONAL MENTION
^Quality pianos with
greater eye-appeal
•Positive territorial
protection policy
• One wholesale price
to all dealers
• Equalization of freight
• Dealer Helps
for the collection of
WURLITZER literature and learn
why our list of representive deal-
ers continues to steadily grow.
GRAND PIANO COMPANY
Factories De Kalb, Illinois
Wholesale Sales Offices
Wurlitzer Building
329 South Wabash Are.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
WILLIAM STRICH, now residing on his estate
at Larchmont, N. Y., writes that he had hoped to
visit Chicago this summer but was unable to do so.
Years ago "Billy" attended the music trades con-
ventions every year, as a senior member of Strich
& Zeidler, but could not get to Chicago in time this
year. Mr. Strich has lived in this beautiful West-
chester county location for the last twenty-five years.
A. C. BURNETT, who was engaged in the music
business at Hopkins, Mo., up to a few years ago and
who sold out at the right time, "just before," etc., and
started on a long vacation trip toward the Pacific
coast, covered the Pacific coast and mountain regions
as far north as Vancouver, B. C, and wound up at
Petaluma. Mr. Burnett is still located in that section
and it would not be surprising to hear of his entry
again, into the music business, "for," says he, "the
music business appeals very strongly to me as a
former dealer. I feel right at home in a music store."
J. J. FERRIS, long time with Starr Piano Co. and
at one time carrying on a Starr company retail store
in Chicago, is now a typewriter .salesman with the
Woodstock Typewriter Company, Chicago.
ROBERT 6 . FOSTER, proprietor of the erstwhile
Foster & Waldo Piano Company, Minneapolis, Minn.,
who has been living at his California home, 818
Beverly boulevard, Los Angeles, California, occupy-
ing his villa at Lake Minnetonka, Minn., for the
summer season.
CHARLES STANLEY, whose home—and a most
delightful and hospitable one it is—is at Grand Haven,
Mich., has been visiting his son in Chicago lately.
Mr. Stanley is one of the ablest and wisest piano
technicians of the day and has been so regarded for
many years by piano men, piano experts, piano build-
ers and manufacturers of America and abroad. Many
noted pianos of the United States and Canada are the
constructive workmanship in scale drafting of Mr.
Stanley, and the same compliment extends to several
pianos of Europe. Mr. Stanley is an honor to the
profession of expert piano technicians.
FRED P. WATSON, proprietor of the Fred P.
Watson Music Company, Mount Vernon, 111., who
has been summering at Arthur's Point, near Hacken-
sack, Minn., has just returned home. For 20 years
Mr. Watson has been spending some part of the
summer at Arthur's Point where he has a cozy cot-
tage and delightful home surroundings. Mr. Watson
went to Minnesota immediately after the Chicago
convention, which, by the way, was, as he says, a
very pleasant occasion, although as a former president
of the Illinois Music Merchants' Association he would
like to have seen many more of the old-timers at
Chicago.
CARL FRIEDRICH KOB, who succeeded the late
Richard O'Connell, sales manager of the Piano De-
partment of Lyon & Healy, has been associated with
the house of Lyon & Healy for upwards of five years.
Coming to Chicago from the main store of the Schmol-
ler & Mueller Music Company, Omaha, Nebraska,
where he had charge of the piano division. During
the past summer months Mr. Kob was in Europe, and
while over there visited several times at the Steinway fac-
tory and general headquarters, Hamburg, Germany.
Mr. Kob also spent some time at the London, Eng-
land, salesroom and branch house of Steinway &
Sons.
Oct.-Nov., 1935
MANHATTAN BRIEFS
Late Items from New York
An interesting announcement is that of the change
of location of Hammacher Schlemmer & Co. from
13th street and Fourth avenue to new and enlarged
quarters at 229 Fourth avenue (at 19th street). The
American Piano Supply Company, located "around
the corner" on 13th street, will occupy premises in
connection with Hammacher Schlemmer & Co. The
Standard Oil Company bought the property at 13th
street and Fourth avenue where Hammacher Schlem-
mer & Co. have been located for the last thirty-one
years, "and," says our correspondent, "what would
you suppose they're going to do with it? They in-
tend to tear it down and put a super-service oil sta-
tion in its place.'"
Speaking of this move Mr. Siebert of the Piano
Supply Department of Hammacher Schlemmer &
Co., says: "Now, after thirty-one years in this old
stand we will be still further expanding at the new
place, rearranging, readapting and getting ready for
the improved conditions in the piano field, piano
manufacturing, repairing and tuning. We will have
far more space than we had before and greater con-
venience for handling our line of supplies."
The piano business is still pulling along and on the
upgrade in and about New York. All reports show
considerable activity, in fact, several of the prano
manufacturing concerns are quite busy and a con-
dition of general improvement prevails.
''This same afternoon," continues this correspond-
ent, "I enjoyed a visit with the New York manager
of Wurlitzer, P. R. Powers, who spoke enthusiasti-
cally about indications for an autumn and holiday
trade that will go ahead of anything in the music
line for more than half a score of years."
There is a great deal of interest manifested along
the Weser Bros, headquarters in West 43rd Street
these days, brought about largely by the new Weser
enterprise operating under a new corporation known
as Weser Pianos Corporation. This new activity asso-
ciated with Weser is to specialize in a new type of
grand piano and console pianos. Walter C. Hepperla,
well known in the grand piano manufacturing field,
and L. C. Kauling, who has long been associated with
Weser Bros., are in charge of production and market-
ing of this new product. This new corporation has
the benefit of the extensive plant of Weser Bros, and
all the facilities of the big Weser Company's plant.
The piano department of the Outlet Company, the
great department store of Providence and one of the
biggest of all New England, has been making some
important changes and additions of late in its line of
active going agencies. In one particular case, where
orders were usually handed out for one, two or three
instruments at a time, they are now given for a dozen
or more, or at the smallest a good-sized motor truck
load. A recent order of this dimension was followed a
few days after it was given by a wire to add two
special styles and "rush shipment."
Wrong Angle on A Guaranty
A "dealer" writing from Duluth, Minn., over the
signature "Inquirer," says that he noticed an an-
nouncement in a Minneapolis paper that the music
dealers of that city united in the guarantee of the
second-hand pianos sold by them "after being properly
repaired and put in salable condition. This seems like
a strange guarantee," he said. "I can see how a
united guarantee on new standard pianos might be
BRIEF CHICAGO PERSONALS
made by a group of dealers, but cannot understand
how it could work out with second-hands."
Roman de Majewski, general representative, Stein-
This correspondent evidently has a wrong impres-
way & Sons, who was in Chicago several days the
sion
of any situation of that kind at Minneapolis. He
latter part of September, journeyed on to the Pacific
may have been misled by a card which appeared in
Coast and was back in New York about the middle
a Minneapolis newspaper stating that the dealers of
of October.
that city, naming them, as follows: M. L. McGinnis
E. R. Andrew, manager of the piano department
Piano Co., Boutell's, Mayer & Co., Inc., J. E. Frank
of the Hudson Store, Detroit, was recently visiting
Piano Co., Aagaard's, Holstad Music Co., Cable Piano
friends in Chicago and placing some orders.
Co. and Cammack Piano Co., all carry in stock ex-
J. N. Freeman, whose home at the present time is cellent bargains in rebuilt second-hands and which
Cedar Rapids, la., was in Chicago a few days the lat- are guaranteed by each house to be as represented.
ter part of September. It has been reported that
This correspondent fails to give his name, but as his
Mr. Freeman would again get back into music trade
impression of the situation in Minneapolis seems to
activities, but his Chicago visit this time was con- be entirely wrong, we quote him and comment on his
fined almost entirely to visiting friends in and out of remarks, in justice to the dealers of Minneapolis.
the trade.
C. E. Holmes, long time a music dealer at Ames,
The brothers Wardell, proprietors of the Wardell
Iowa, called on some of his Chicago friends recently
Music Co., Sioux City, Iowa, who located there
when he was on his way to a favorite wintering spot
on the Rio GrancTe not far from Brownsville, Texas. eighteen months ago after their graduation from high
school, have a unique method of supplying pianos
Mr. Holmes' annual visits to Texas show that he
to customers and attracting prospects. One of their
knows of the enjoyment of life.
Benj. Sibley, who was with the Kohler Industries supply trucks is called the "Wardell Traveling Piano
in Kohler Industries' days, visited Chicago on his Parlor" and is a familiar sight in the territory worked
bv the Messrs. Wardell.
way back to his home in Los Angeles, Calif., after
attending the funeral of Mark Campbell in New York.
On moving to larger quarters at 149 North Concord
The Tallman Piano Co. at 12th and Mill streets, street, St. Paul, Minn., the Vavro Music Company
Salem, Ore., suffered a loss by fire estimated at about say in an announcement folder: "The study of music
$7,500. The fire started in the repair shops. Loss enriches the life, develops character, opens the door
to social distinction and provides a pleasant pastime."
entirely covered bv insurance.
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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