Music Trade Review
Issue: 1921 Vol. 73 N. 1 - Page 10
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
10
JULY 2, 1921
Western independent men charging live dollars
ORNSTEIN AND THE KNABE PIANO
for tuning are simply "pipe dreams."
(Continued front page 9)
Now, to this the reply is very simple. If in our Noted Artist Expresses Enthusiasm Regarding
and I believe that it ought to be treated with friend's community the independent men cannot
the New Knabe Concert Grands
make a living that is mainly because that com-
much care and patience.
Our friend is evidently sincere, but his letter munity is behind in its musical understanding.
Among the large number of noted pianists
indicates a queer state of mind. I should like The community is not educated up to good tun- and musicians who have felt called upon to ex-
to ask every one to read once more his para- ing or its need, and so I should say that a chap- press their enthusiasm regarding the most re-
graph, which begins with the words "One thing ter of the N. A. P. T. is that community's first cent Knabe concert grands has been Leo Orn-
which creates opposition," down to the words and greatest musical need.
stein, who has used the Knabe piano exclu-
"lose his job." Now what our friend means by
Tn the second place, Western independent men sively for a number of years and who, in a re-
this—what his words alone can mean—is that do succeed, do make a good living, are steadily, cent letter, said:
unless the dealers continue to give away some- in town after town, overshadowing the employed
"Please allow me to congratulate you upon
thing which ought to be paid for the employed men and the unsystematic, inefficient method of your triumphant achievement in your new con-
tuners will have to lose their jobs. In other handling tuning which characterizes most of the cert grands. The tone of these new pianos has
words, employed tuners are worth nothing save warerooms. Five dollars is not considered too a rich ripeness and unique quality which makes
as necessary evils, trouble men who simply are much in many communities of which I have per- the instrument one of the greatest mediums for
part of the expense account!
sonal knowledge.
pianistic expression."
The truth is that the music industries are ful'y
If really the employed tuners were valueless
These instruments are attracting close at-
save as expenses to the business the sooner alive to the need for systematizing the care of tention of the musicians. At the Knabe ware-
they all lost their jobs the better it would be the piano and the service end of the piano busi- rooms, where one of them was exhibited re-
for all. If the abolition of free tuning meant ness. There is only one body of men which can cently, there was a steady stream of artists who
that the employed tuners would lose their jobs be entrusted by the industries, as co-ordinated had heard of its extraordinary beauty and wished
then those same tuners would all find them- in the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, to hear for themselves the wonderful tone that
selves in communities where tuning would have to do this work. That body is the N. A. P. T. has excited the admiration of all who have had
Let the Eastern men organize Eastern the opportunity of listening to its exceptional
to be paid for, and each of them could get his
own work and charge his own price for it. I branches of the N. A. P. T. and they will soon tonal qualities.
should call that an opportunity, not a calamity. find that the Eastern trade will be most happy to
But there is worse to come. It is evident that welcome them. Remember that the tuners of any
our friend is thinking very confusedly, for he community have the tuning business in their
calls floor tuning and service work on newly own hands and that if ever they prefer to work
sold instruments by the same name as is applied independently they can do so without the slight-
Used Pianos, Players and Grands
to the "year's free tuning" evil. Floor tuning is est difficulty.
Wholesale—Any Quantity
not free tuning in any sense of the term. Every
Any Grade, Style or Make, All Repaired.
WANTED: WRITING READERS
dealer's pianos need tuning on the floor and
Rebuilt and I'olished
most warerooms could keep their tuners busy
Readers who are not content merely to be
steadily all year round tuning them without
Ready for Your Wareroom Floor
touching a single free tuning outside Floor readers, but who will be writers, too, like the
I'uctory and W'arcioouts
gentleman
who
holds
forth
above,
are
very
wel-
tuning is disgracefully neglected, and those who
HILL'S TRIANGLE BUILDING
do free tuning outside are just as negligent as come. Please send in your screed, gentlemen,
and let me give it the friendly eye. Fair treat-
1365-75 Myrtle Ave.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
others in this respect.
ment
guaranteed.
Address
William
Braid
White,
Again, the incident of service on the player-
piano is nothing to the point. Every piano or Music Trade Review, 373 Fourth Avenue, N. Y. C.
player-piano ought to be visited immediately
C. KURTZMANN & CO.
after delivery and then tuned and regulated to
Friend*
=
^
=
^
=
=
FACTORY
' ••- -
for
suit the customer. This is not free tuning; it is
the
a legitimate part of the sale.
Dealer
526-536 Niagara St., Buffalo, N. Y.
Our friend has got his ideas twisted. If other
Eastern tuners are as much confused as he is I
hope this exposition will be of some help in
disentangling them. The evil against which the
N. A. P. T. is fighting is the practice of offering
THE CELEBRATED
to the customer a verbal promise to keep a piano
in tune free for a certain length of time. That
practice is evil because (1) it destroys the cusr
tomer's understanding of the value of tuning as
a valuable service which costs money and be-
cause (2) free tuning service is simply paying
out money for nothing; in this case not even for
(FELTEN & GUILLEAUME)
gratitude. To argue that without this sort of
cheap apology for a business reason a tuning
department cannot be maintained is simply to
argue that all tuning departments ought forth-
with to be abolished, leaving the tuners to work
independently and make their own terms with
dealers and with public alike. There are many
who believe that this would be the best thing
IN BLACK, RED and GREEN
that could happen to the tuners.
LABEL BRANDS
One more point: In a paragraph of his letter,
which I have not quoted through lack of space,
our correspondent makes some observations
about independent tuners. He says that in these
times the employed men are glad to get their
salaries, while the independent men have to do
other kinds of work in order to make a living
The " F & G " Blue Label Brand is again being
He further says that he thinks the tales of
used by Rudolph C. Koch in the manufacture
of the Reinwarth Covered Bass Strings
OUR TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
HILL & SONS
KURTZMANN
PIANOS
F&G
IMPORTED
MUSIC WIRE
IS UNEXCELLED
For TUNERS and REPAIRERS we have the
convenient one quarter pound clamps
HAMMACHER,SCHLEMMER&C6.
PIANO AND PLAYER HARDWARE, FELTS AND TOOLS
NEW YORK SINCE 1848
4th Ave. and 13th St.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
10
JULY 2, 1921
Western independent men charging live dollars
ORNSTEIN AND THE KNABE PIANO
for tuning are simply "pipe dreams."
(Continued front page 9)
Now, to this the reply is very simple. If in our Noted Artist Expresses Enthusiasm Regarding
and I believe that it ought to be treated with friend's community the independent men cannot
the New Knabe Concert Grands
make a living that is mainly because that com-
much care and patience.
Our friend is evidently sincere, but his letter munity is behind in its musical understanding.
Among the large number of noted pianists
indicates a queer state of mind. I should like The community is not educated up to good tun- and musicians who have felt called upon to ex-
to ask every one to read once more his para- ing or its need, and so I should say that a chap- press their enthusiasm regarding the most re-
graph, which begins with the words "One thing ter of the N. A. P. T. is that community's first cent Knabe concert grands has been Leo Orn-
which creates opposition," down to the words and greatest musical need.
stein, who has used the Knabe piano exclu-
"lose his job." Now what our friend means by
Tn the second place, Western independent men sively for a number of years and who, in a re-
this—what his words alone can mean—is that do succeed, do make a good living, are steadily, cent letter, said:
unless the dealers continue to give away some- in town after town, overshadowing the employed
"Please allow me to congratulate you upon
thing which ought to be paid for the employed men and the unsystematic, inefficient method of your triumphant achievement in your new con-
tuners will have to lose their jobs. In other handling tuning which characterizes most of the cert grands. The tone of these new pianos has
words, employed tuners are worth nothing save warerooms. Five dollars is not considered too a rich ripeness and unique quality which makes
as necessary evils, trouble men who simply are much in many communities of which I have per- the instrument one of the greatest mediums for
part of the expense account!
sonal knowledge.
pianistic expression."
The truth is that the music industries are ful'y
If really the employed tuners were valueless
These instruments are attracting close at-
save as expenses to the business the sooner alive to the need for systematizing the care of tention of the musicians. At the Knabe ware-
they all lost their jobs the better it would be the piano and the service end of the piano busi- rooms, where one of them was exhibited re-
for all. If the abolition of free tuning meant ness. There is only one body of men which can cently, there was a steady stream of artists who
that the employed tuners would lose their jobs be entrusted by the industries, as co-ordinated had heard of its extraordinary beauty and wished
then those same tuners would all find them- in the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, to hear for themselves the wonderful tone that
selves in communities where tuning would have to do this work. That body is the N. A. P. T. has excited the admiration of all who have had
Let the Eastern men organize Eastern the opportunity of listening to its exceptional
to be paid for, and each of them could get his
own work and charge his own price for it. I branches of the N. A. P. T. and they will soon tonal qualities.
should call that an opportunity, not a calamity. find that the Eastern trade will be most happy to
But there is worse to come. It is evident that welcome them. Remember that the tuners of any
our friend is thinking very confusedly, for he community have the tuning business in their
calls floor tuning and service work on newly own hands and that if ever they prefer to work
sold instruments by the same name as is applied independently they can do so without the slight-
Used Pianos, Players and Grands
to the "year's free tuning" evil. Floor tuning is est difficulty.
Wholesale—Any Quantity
not free tuning in any sense of the term. Every
Any Grade, Style or Make, All Repaired.
WANTED: WRITING READERS
dealer's pianos need tuning on the floor and
Rebuilt and I'olished
most warerooms could keep their tuners busy
Readers who are not content merely to be
steadily all year round tuning them without
Ready for Your Wareroom Floor
touching a single free tuning outside Floor readers, but who will be writers, too, like the
I'uctory and W'arcioouts
gentleman
who
holds
forth
above,
are
very
wel-
tuning is disgracefully neglected, and those who
HILL'S TRIANGLE BUILDING
do free tuning outside are just as negligent as come. Please send in your screed, gentlemen,
and let me give it the friendly eye. Fair treat-
1365-75 Myrtle Ave.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
others in this respect.
ment
guaranteed.
Address
William
Braid
White,
Again, the incident of service on the player-
piano is nothing to the point. Every piano or Music Trade Review, 373 Fourth Avenue, N. Y. C.
player-piano ought to be visited immediately
C. KURTZMANN & CO.
after delivery and then tuned and regulated to
Friend*
=
^
=
^
=
=
FACTORY
' ••- -
for
suit the customer. This is not free tuning; it is
the
a legitimate part of the sale.
Dealer
526-536 Niagara St., Buffalo, N. Y.
Our friend has got his ideas twisted. If other
Eastern tuners are as much confused as he is I
hope this exposition will be of some help in
disentangling them. The evil against which the
N. A. P. T. is fighting is the practice of offering
THE CELEBRATED
to the customer a verbal promise to keep a piano
in tune free for a certain length of time. That
practice is evil because (1) it destroys the cusr
tomer's understanding of the value of tuning as
a valuable service which costs money and be-
cause (2) free tuning service is simply paying
out money for nothing; in this case not even for
(FELTEN & GUILLEAUME)
gratitude. To argue that without this sort of
cheap apology for a business reason a tuning
department cannot be maintained is simply to
argue that all tuning departments ought forth-
with to be abolished, leaving the tuners to work
independently and make their own terms with
dealers and with public alike. There are many
who believe that this would be the best thing
IN BLACK, RED and GREEN
that could happen to the tuners.
LABEL BRANDS
One more point: In a paragraph of his letter,
which I have not quoted through lack of space,
our correspondent makes some observations
about independent tuners. He says that in these
times the employed men are glad to get their
salaries, while the independent men have to do
other kinds of work in order to make a living
The " F & G " Blue Label Brand is again being
He further says that he thinks the tales of
used by Rudolph C. Koch in the manufacture
of the Reinwarth Covered Bass Strings
OUR TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
HILL & SONS
KURTZMANN
PIANOS
F&G
IMPORTED
MUSIC WIRE
IS UNEXCELLED
For TUNERS and REPAIRERS we have the
convenient one quarter pound clamps
HAMMACHER,SCHLEMMER&C6.
PIANO AND PLAYER HARDWARE, FELTS AND TOOLS
NEW YORK SINCE 1848
4th Ave. and 13th St.
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