Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
PLAYER SECTON
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 27, 1919
The Phenomenal Increase in the Demand for Player-Pianos Has Brought Man-
ufacturers Face to Face With Many Problems Connected With the Changing of
Their Plants and Methods in Order to Produce a Greater Output of Players
Ten years ago the number of player-pianos
turned out annually amounted to something
more than 5 per cent, of the country's output
of pianos. Seven years ago the proportion was,-,
about eight pianos to one player-piano. Five
years ago the proportion of player-pianos to
pianos was about one to four.
So far had the pilayer-piano traveled along-.,
steadily, gaining indeed upon its older brother,
but showing no signs of coming to parity of
production; at least not for many years. Then
the war came and after the first shock things
began decidedly to hum. The output of pianos (
was of course cut down lamentably by the exi-
gencies of the war, but during all this tinie the
proportion between pianos and players was
steadily approaching to parity. To-day, with
production once rmare gradually and steadily
getting back to normal dimensions, the demand
is for player-pianos. The straight upright is
still being produced indeed, in respectable quan-
tities, but when one finds factories compelled
to concentrate their efforts on the fewest pos-
sible number of different styles, actually letting
the straight piano go by the board, if only for
the time being, is compelled to believe that the
player-piano has actually assumed the supe-
rior position and is prepared to maintain it.
Many months ago the statement was made in
this department that the straight piano (up-
right) was beginning to approach the last phase
of its career, and that the small grand piano
is the straight piano of the future. Many rea-
sons were adduced in support of this statement,
nor has anything which has happened since
shown that we were wrong in the original predi-
cation. The piano business of the future will
be' a business devoted exclusively, or almost ex-
clusively, to small grands and player-pianos.
Some Practical Problems
This being so, and it being certain that the
manufacturers will follow lines of least resist-
ance in working out their plans, we may look
forward with some confidence to a state of af-
fairs in which the player-piano shall from now
on moire and more absorb the efforts and am-
bitions of the great mass of our factories, mean-
ing. those which are unable or disinclined to
enter into the manufacture of grand pianos on
the only practical basis, namely the basis of
quantity production. Quite a number of really
serious problems are involved, however, in this
turnover, and factories which hope to make
good during the next few years in this competi-
tion must bestir themselves seriously if they
are t« think of keeping up with.the procession.
Tfiere is first of all the matter of investment.
The capital tied up in a quantity of player-
pianos moving through a factory is something
like two and one-quarter times the amount suf-
ficient to put through an equal number of
straight uprights of equal size. The calculation
need not be enlarged upon, but its basis is
founded on estimate of the space occupied, the
extra stock, the extra labor and the extra time.
In many establishments this addition to costs
is extremely serious, and the question of financ-
ing becomes difficult in the extreme.
The most sensible solution is that which has
been found by various manufacturers who some
years ago saw the way the tide was flowing
and began to finance themselves for the coming
change. Such men increased their surplus and
put themselves in a position where they could
assume the greater load when the time came.
Those factories which did not do this are to-
day contemplating the future with less happi-
ness than might otherwise be expected.
The Retail Problem
There is a second cause for care and watch-
fulness on the part of those who are making
the inevitable turnover from straight piano to
player-piano production. The retail trade has
not yet learned the necessity fo"r educating its
customers up to the higher prices and better
terms demanded by the changed conditions.
Hence the problem of dealers' credits is going
to be more serious than ever. This is an aspect
of the question which has not received the at-
tention it deserves.
The Supply Problem
The advent of a flood of player-pianos means
also, of course, that the present condition of
the action supply market must be mitigated in
some way. At present actions are very scarce
and no manufacturer of them can come anywhere
near filling his orders. The result is not exactly
happy. The truth, of course, is that there are
not enough action manufacturers to go round
and that with the best efforts in the world they
cannoit till a demand which is much greater
than their united capacity, even allowing that
all of them were working at the utmost of their
possible productive power. As a matter of fact,
no factory in any way connected with the piano
industry can get enough labor to run at its
capacity.
This distressing shortage is creating condi-
tions which are tempting capitalists from other
regions into this field. Some of them will stay
in it; others will find it too conservative for
them. All will find, however,, that there is
almost no limit to what one can and must spend
on machinery and equipment in an action plant.
In spite of all this, however, and although
there is not much prospect that the present
conditions will very soon be markedly relieved,
the piano manufacturers must now begin to see
that the turnover from a basis of mainly
straight piano to one of mainly player is a
matter of critical importance. In fact, it is
plain that some effort will have to be made to
preserve a larger proportion of straight piano
trade if the entire industry is not to find itself
hopelessly clogged in a short time. In a day
when one is ready to banish the straight upright
in favor of the small grand and the player it
is not pleasant to contemplate even a tempo-
rary inability to fill demand. Yet it looks as if
for some months yet the supply market will re-
main in a somewhat unsatisfactory condition.
There is one palliative measure which the very
intensity of the crisis suggests. Now is the
time to put the retail price of the player-piano
where it should be, and if this be done the
present impossible demand for player-pianos
may perhaps be kept within bounds for a season.
PHILADELPHIA ROLL MEN MEET
Increased Membership Reported at Monthly
Session—Urge Increase in Prices of Popular
Sheet Music—Local Trade Proving Active
PHILADELPHIA,
PA., September
22.—The
seventh regular meeting and luncheon of the
Retail Music Roll Dealers' Association of Phila-
delphia was held Thursday at the "Arcadia;"
Progress was reported by all committees, arm
the membership list was increased by elevejn
new enrolments. The constructive work th^t
the local association is doing has given jit
such widespread prominence that organizations
forming in other cities have laid their plans
for development along similar lines.
;
On account of his business connections, Oscar
Kern resigned as chairman of the "Complaint
Committee." He is succeeded by L. P. Morse-
bach.
Sigmund J. Hesch, F. E. Stutz and Robejt
Putter were appointed by the President as *a
committee to submit a resolution in the name
of the organization to the Music Publisher!'
Association of the United States as follow!:
"Resolved: That we favor the increase in price
of popular edition sheet music to the uniform
retail price of fifteen cents. We suggest tjffs
advance of price and assure the publishers that
the Retail Music Roll Dealers' Association of
Philadelphia will lend their best efforts tq H the
support of such a movement,"
*