Music Trade Review
Issue: 1896 Vol. 22 N. 14 - Page 10
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
12
The New Style "4" Lindeman Piano.
HE above attractive new style, which has just been placed upon the market by the
Lindeman & Sons Piano Co., promises to be one of the most popular of their re-
cent productions. It contains such special features as the new sliding fall and the new
desk and centered pilasters, as well as French grand repeating action, solid carved
panels, elm backs polished, hardwood legs, mouldings and pilasters, bush tuning pins,
three pedals and soft stop, which are embodied in other styles of this house. Style "4"
is manufactured in mahogany, oak and American burl walnut. The tone is of charm-
ing quality, and the illustration affords an excellent idea of the beauty of its archi-
tecture.
' : '
T
Where the Old Pianos Go.
PHILADELPHIA QUITE A MARKET
INTEREST-
ING TALK ABOUT PIANOS AND THE TRADE.
NEW YORK NOT THE MUSICAL CENTER ( ?).
*M THAT becomes of old pianos?" was
y y the question put to a large New
York manufacturer the other day. "Well,"
was the rather unexpected reply, "the most
of ours goto Philadelphia." The manu-
facturer could not explain this fact exactly
to his own satisfaction. He thought per-
haps it was because so many persons owned
homes in Philadelphia, or possibly because
the good people of the Quaker town are
much given to attending concerts and love
music more than New Yorkers.
"There ought to be several hundred
thousand old square pianos stowed away
somewhere in the United States," said
George L. Weitz, of the Estey establish-
ment, on East Fourteenth street, in speak-
ing of the subject. "I have been in the
business twenty years, and personally have
seen but three of them cut into kindling
wood. It i's indeed a rare occurrence that
one of these massive old rosewood affairs
meets with such an unworthy fate.
"A biography of a good piano is some-
times very interesting. They generally
start off in life gayly, having the most con-
spicuous position in the parlors of the
wealthy, and receiving courteous treatment.
Thirty years ago a good square piano was
an object of much greater importance and
commanded vastly more respect than any
piano nowadays. This is still to be seen
when we go to remove an old piano to ex-
change it for a new one. It is purely a
matter of mercantile interest to us, but not
so with the owners. I have seen old folks
who had bought a piano in the days of their
honeymoon, fairly overcome when they saw
the familiar old instrument, which had
been with them through days of joy and
sorrow, hustled out of the house by ir-
reverent hands and conveyed to the ware-
house. It is the custom for piano firms
now to take away the old instruments and
allow a fair price for them, deducting the
amount from the price of the new one. It
is absolute loss to us, for we have the great-
est difficulty in disposing of these land-
marks which have seen better days.
" I t is quite amusing to hear the old folks
say, as they always do, when making a
selection of a new piano: 'Our old piano, if
it were only tuned up, would have a much
better tone than any of these.'
"A great majority of these old pianos
find their way to the homes of compara-
tively poor people. They may be bought
for a mere song. There is a class of men
who make a living by disposing of these
old pianos. A second-hand dealer dropped
in here the other day, and said he had just
bought six for $50. Some firms are almost
willing to pay for having them taken away.
"These old pianos are by no means worn
out, after going through three or even four
hands. New strings and new hammers are
put in, and the old instrument is tinkered
up, so that it will oftentimes have a better
tone than the cheap piano of to-day. City
boarding houses, where the only object is
to have an instrument capable of emitting
noise, are extensive harboring places for
these old'has beens.' Many are shipped to
the West and to country towns. A number
find their way to museums, where they are
exhibited as the piano on which George
Washington was wont to play. Through-
out New England, Ohio, and in New York
city I have seen them used as tables for
kitchen purposes, the works, in many cases,
being removed to allow a place for stowing
away jars of fruit. Many are disposed of
at auctions, too, and some very good bar-
gains are to be secured in that way."
There is very little business in the ex-
porting of pianos. This is due to the fact
that the change in climate makes it im-
possible for a piano, when shipped to a
foreign country, to keep its tone. Only 810
were exported from this country last year.
They went to South America and Germany.
The latter country ships quite a number to
Australia and South America.
Efforts have frequently been made to in-
troduce the Broadwood piano, from Erg-
land, but have never succeeded. The
climate here is so much dryer than in Eng-
land that the wood shrivels up. The
American pianos are looked upon universal-
ly as the best. They have carried off
nearly all the prizes in recent years in
foreign countries.
Though more pianos are sold in New
York city than in any other place the piano
men do not call it a musical center. New
Yorkers are so much given to attending the
theatre that they have little time for musi-
cal entertainments, and a concert is voted
slow. (Oh, Mr. Weitz!) Boston, Brooklyn
and Philadelphia are the chief patrons of
music in this country. Chicago, too, has
lately become a musical town. Large piano
manufactories are in process of erection
there now, which bid fair to outrival the
hundred or more establishments in New
York.
The growth of the musical element in
America has, however, been phenomenal,
judged from the increase in the output of
pianos. In i860 the annual product
amounted to about 30,000. Musical men'
in fact, place America at the head of all
countries for love of music. The fact that
so many poor people buy pianos is ascribed
to the fact that music is taught in the pub-
lic schools, and the girls nearly all learn to
read music readily.
A large business is done in New York in
the renting of pianos. The trade thrives
all the year around, mostly from the float-
ing population. People come here to visit
for a month and hire a piano for $5 or $10
a month. They generally decide to stay
six months.^ The dealers generally utilize
inferior pianos for this phase of the trade.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
12
The New Style "4" Lindeman Piano.
HE above attractive new style, which has just been placed upon the market by the
Lindeman & Sons Piano Co., promises to be one of the most popular of their re-
cent productions. It contains such special features as the new sliding fall and the new
desk and centered pilasters, as well as French grand repeating action, solid carved
panels, elm backs polished, hardwood legs, mouldings and pilasters, bush tuning pins,
three pedals and soft stop, which are embodied in other styles of this house. Style "4"
is manufactured in mahogany, oak and American burl walnut. The tone is of charm-
ing quality, and the illustration affords an excellent idea of the beauty of its archi-
tecture.
' : '
T
Where the Old Pianos Go.
PHILADELPHIA QUITE A MARKET
INTEREST-
ING TALK ABOUT PIANOS AND THE TRADE.
NEW YORK NOT THE MUSICAL CENTER ( ?).
*M THAT becomes of old pianos?" was
y y the question put to a large New
York manufacturer the other day. "Well,"
was the rather unexpected reply, "the most
of ours goto Philadelphia." The manu-
facturer could not explain this fact exactly
to his own satisfaction. He thought per-
haps it was because so many persons owned
homes in Philadelphia, or possibly because
the good people of the Quaker town are
much given to attending concerts and love
music more than New Yorkers.
"There ought to be several hundred
thousand old square pianos stowed away
somewhere in the United States," said
George L. Weitz, of the Estey establish-
ment, on East Fourteenth street, in speak-
ing of the subject. "I have been in the
business twenty years, and personally have
seen but three of them cut into kindling
wood. It i's indeed a rare occurrence that
one of these massive old rosewood affairs
meets with such an unworthy fate.
"A biography of a good piano is some-
times very interesting. They generally
start off in life gayly, having the most con-
spicuous position in the parlors of the
wealthy, and receiving courteous treatment.
Thirty years ago a good square piano was
an object of much greater importance and
commanded vastly more respect than any
piano nowadays. This is still to be seen
when we go to remove an old piano to ex-
change it for a new one. It is purely a
matter of mercantile interest to us, but not
so with the owners. I have seen old folks
who had bought a piano in the days of their
honeymoon, fairly overcome when they saw
the familiar old instrument, which had
been with them through days of joy and
sorrow, hustled out of the house by ir-
reverent hands and conveyed to the ware-
house. It is the custom for piano firms
now to take away the old instruments and
allow a fair price for them, deducting the
amount from the price of the new one. It
is absolute loss to us, for we have the great-
est difficulty in disposing of these land-
marks which have seen better days.
" I t is quite amusing to hear the old folks
say, as they always do, when making a
selection of a new piano: 'Our old piano, if
it were only tuned up, would have a much
better tone than any of these.'
"A great majority of these old pianos
find their way to the homes of compara-
tively poor people. They may be bought
for a mere song. There is a class of men
who make a living by disposing of these
old pianos. A second-hand dealer dropped
in here the other day, and said he had just
bought six for $50. Some firms are almost
willing to pay for having them taken away.
"These old pianos are by no means worn
out, after going through three or even four
hands. New strings and new hammers are
put in, and the old instrument is tinkered
up, so that it will oftentimes have a better
tone than the cheap piano of to-day. City
boarding houses, where the only object is
to have an instrument capable of emitting
noise, are extensive harboring places for
these old'has beens.' Many are shipped to
the West and to country towns. A number
find their way to museums, where they are
exhibited as the piano on which George
Washington was wont to play. Through-
out New England, Ohio, and in New York
city I have seen them used as tables for
kitchen purposes, the works, in many cases,
being removed to allow a place for stowing
away jars of fruit. Many are disposed of
at auctions, too, and some very good bar-
gains are to be secured in that way."
There is very little business in the ex-
porting of pianos. This is due to the fact
that the change in climate makes it im-
possible for a piano, when shipped to a
foreign country, to keep its tone. Only 810
were exported from this country last year.
They went to South America and Germany.
The latter country ships quite a number to
Australia and South America.
Efforts have frequently been made to in-
troduce the Broadwood piano, from Erg-
land, but have never succeeded. The
climate here is so much dryer than in Eng-
land that the wood shrivels up. The
American pianos are looked upon universal-
ly as the best. They have carried off
nearly all the prizes in recent years in
foreign countries.
Though more pianos are sold in New
York city than in any other place the piano
men do not call it a musical center. New
Yorkers are so much given to attending the
theatre that they have little time for musi-
cal entertainments, and a concert is voted
slow. (Oh, Mr. Weitz!) Boston, Brooklyn
and Philadelphia are the chief patrons of
music in this country. Chicago, too, has
lately become a musical town. Large piano
manufactories are in process of erection
there now, which bid fair to outrival the
hundred or more establishments in New
York.
The growth of the musical element in
America has, however, been phenomenal,
judged from the increase in the output of
pianos. In i860 the annual product
amounted to about 30,000. Musical men'
in fact, place America at the head of all
countries for love of music. The fact that
so many poor people buy pianos is ascribed
to the fact that music is taught in the pub-
lic schools, and the girls nearly all learn to
read music readily.
A large business is done in New York in
the renting of pianos. The trade thrives
all the year around, mostly from the float-
ing population. People come here to visit
for a month and hire a piano for $5 or $10
a month. They generally decide to stay
six months.^ The dealers generally utilize
inferior pianos for this phase of the trade.
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