Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
n
gance and beauty of their organ cases,
in respect to design, workmanship and
finish, in which they greatly excel all
THE "AMERICAN SYSTEM" HAS CAPTURED EUROPE
IMPORTANCE OF OUR EXPORT TRADE
foreign products.
IN ORGANS WILL WEAR LONGER AND ENDURE CLIMATIC CHANGES BETTER THAN
*
*
*
*
ANY FOREIGN MADE INSTRUMENT
SOME CONTRIBUTORY CAUSES TO THE
SUCCESS OF AMERICAN INSTRUMENTS HAVE WON AT THE GREAT
In regard to the question of tone, the
WORLD'S FAIRS
PRODUCTS FROM NOTED FACTORIES
superiority of American organs over those
of foreign manufacture is due partly to the
essential excellences of a musical already pointed out, it is an utter impos- far better quality of metallic material used
instrument are two in number—ex- sibility to season wood as well in Europe here, and partly to the superior skill of
cellence of tone, and excellence of as in the United States, owing to the vast our workmen and .manufacturers in the
mechanism or action. This is as true of difference in the climates of the two matter of voicing. A vast amount of
reed organs as of pianos. And further, continents. The great importance of this study, experiment, patient comparison of
" there are also the considerations of ex- consideration is fully appreciated by the results, and nice artistic discrimination,
ternal appearance, cost, etc., which per- foreign manufacturers. Not long ago the have been devoted to this subject by our
tain to musical instruments in common British Trade Journal devoted two whole manufacturers and inventors. The reeds
with all other articles of merchandise." pages to the subject, deploring the effect in foreign-made organs are still made, as
In all these particulars the American of African, Asian and Australian climates they always have been, of thin, cheap, in-
manufacturers of reed organs, or "organs" on musical instruments of European make, ferior material, producing that disagree-
as they are generally termed for brevity, but attempting to show that it was only able, whining, wheezy tone which has ac-
can justly claim and clearly prove their the instruments of continental origin quired the descriptive name, derived from
great superiority over all competitors. which suffered from this cause, and that its source, of "reedy." There is nothing
As was said of our piano manufacturers, English instruments were exempt. The of this undesirable reedy tone in the best
absurdity of this American reed organs. Our leading or-
claim is plainly gan makers make their reeds of extra
manifest to any rolled brass of the best quality, by spec-
one who reflects ially designed and patented machinery,
that the climate of supplemented by the most skillful hand-
England is if any- work in the final processes of adjustment.
thing less favor- The peculiar and characteristic advantages
able to the proper of hand work and machine work are thus
seasoning of wood advantageously combined. The cost of
than that of con- construction is thus greatly increased, as
tinental Europe. compared with that of foreign-made reeds,
On the other hand but as the final result is in the interest of
our American or- economy our manufacturers are enabled to
gan makers habit- turn out this superior class of work witti-
American Organs Lead the World.
MASON & HAMLIN, THE QUEEN'S MODEL.
our organ makers "have revolutionized
the whole business, so that at the present
time foreign-made instruments are excel-
lent only in so far as they contain imita-
tions of American improvements and
adaptations of American ideas."
The superiority of our organs, indeed,
in reference to tone, touch, voicing, wear-
ing qualities, external beauty, etc., is even
more marked than it *is in the case of our
pianos. This, in fact, is conceded by the
European manufacturers, who are .fprced
to content themselves with unsuccessful
attempts to imitate the American instru-
ments as closely, as possible. Our organs
are extensively imported, and used in
England and other European countries,
where they are known as " American
organs," and enjoy a great popularity,
against which the foreign-made organs
are wholly unable to compete.
*
*
*
*
The consideration of climate, with
reference to the seasoning of wood for use
in the manufacture of musical instru-
ments, plays as great a part in the con-
struction of organs as of pianos. As
ually exercise the great-
est care in selecting and
making use of only the
very best and most thor-
oughly seasoned wood-
en material, prepared
by the best processes
known, in order that it
may successfully with-
stand the influences of
the most trying cli-
mates and tempera-
tures. As a result, ex-
perience has proved
time and time again
that the American or-
gans " wear " perfectly
in any and every coun-
try, for an indefinitely
long period.
Before
passing from the con-
sideration of
this
branch of the subject
it may be added that
the same care is taken
by our manufacturers
in regard to the ele-
PACKARD ORGAN.
J