Music Trade Review

THE
12
THE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
(C ontin.ued from page 11)
aeserves . . An old violin sometimes has a mar­
velous tone which no new instrument seems to
be able to equal. If we ask why it is that the
tone of the violin can be pres erved for two
centuries and more, while no piano holds its
tone for much more th a n a tenth of that time,
the answer is that the violin is treated with the
utmost care, kept wrapped up like a new-born
baby and anxiously watched by a musician who
has the utmos t interest in preserving it from
all untoward circumstances. A piano, per con­
tra, is exposed to any and every kind of physical
extreme, is left for months at a time in an
overheated dry atmosphere, and then fOT more
months in one saturated with moisture; and
consequently is treated in a manner which ren­
ders certain the complete internal breakdown
of the wood within a len g th of time not greater
than that required, in popular belief, for a violin
to mature and begin to show its tonal pos­
sibilities.
Of course, the piano can hardly be altered
much in this respect, nor have I mentioned the
terrific effects of constant neglect, and th e in­
difference of owners to regular tuning. On
the other hand, it is absurd to say that the
soundboard is subjected to excessive strains. It
bears no more in proportion than does the belly
of th e violin. The enemy is not in the con­
struction of the piano but in the domestic
interior where the piano has to live. If only
owners of piano s could be induced to take rea­
sonable care of their instruments, soundboards
would not break down in a few yea rs .
My advice to my manufacturing friends th en
is to study .carefully the tonal requirements of
the pianos they are making, to decide upon the
sort of tone they want, and then to look o,ut
for boards which will give that. The more rigid
the substance, the sharper the tone; the more
elastic, the duller. The proportion between
hard and soft regions in the wood is, therefore,
very important and must be watched with great
care. Moreover, each scale has its own pecul­
iarities and a certain kind of constru ction will
be as bad for one as good for a nother.
REBUSHING ACTION FLANGES
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
DECEMBER
22, 1923
PLAYER-PIANOS DOMINATING DEMAND IN KANSAS CITY
Dealers Report Demand for Players Far Ahead of That for Straight Instruments-J. W. Jenkins'
Sons Music Co. Gives Successful Duo-Art C oneert-R. R. Sparrow on Trip Through State
KANSAS CITY, Mo., December 17.-Local dealers
report in ge neral a ve ry fa ir business in pianos
with the player sales far in excess of those of
s trai g ht pianos. In the high-grade pianos the
bab y grand is th e most P9Pular. The music
co mpanies ar e runnnin g a great deal of adver­
tising matter and showing window displays
appropriate to the holiday season, both of which
they feel are bringin g excellent results.
John Mahaffey, advertising manager of W. W.
Kimball Co., reports that on Novembe r 1 his
firm had th e largest stock of player-pianos it
ever had on hand, but by December 8 there
were only six left in stock. Since then they
have been able to get shipments of only two
or th re e at a time while the demand has been
for twice that number. . The compa ny is doing
some extensive advertising and has increased its
space about fourfold with· the result that the
business has excee ded by $100,000 in volume
any other year. In one window for the Christ­
mas seaso n th ey have what is called Saint Nick's
Mus ic D e n, with tin sel, soH lights, imitation
snow a nd Christmas wreaths. In the back­
ground is shown a piano. This display is at­
tracting a great deal of attention.
Christian Bissell, advertising m a nager of the
Starr Piano Co., stated that that firm had an
excellent Christmas trade in pianos, showing a
big inc rease over last year not only in pianos
but in all d epartments.
Mrs. H a rr y Wunderlich, wife of Harry Wun­
derlich, head of Wu~derlich Piano Co., w a s
operated upon December 14.
Manager O'Meara, of the vVunderlich Piano
Co., reports th a t the holiday demand is for the
Ampico re-enacting piano. In the high-class
pianos the baby grand is in demand. The in,
terior of the store is decorated with Christmas
wreaths , with streamers of red and green paper
roping, which shows in vivid contrast against
the ivory wo od"l'ork of the Fr ench doors. One
of the windows feature s the sma lle r musical
instruments, while the other is devot ed to a
Premier baby grand piano, set· in the midst of
holiday decoration s, consisting of imitation
snow and greenery. The window is attracting
a great deal of favorable comment.
The]. \V. Jenkins' Sons :Mu sic Co. has bee n
doing some ex tensive advertising, featuring the
Steinway, Aeolian Pianola piano, th e Vose
grand, the Brambach g rand, the Harwood
grand, the L ester g rand and the Steinway.
Th ey have, as suggested for Christmas gifts,
merchandise coupons which may be mad e out
for any amount and presented to friend s to be
redeemed at the Jenkins store.
The]. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co. had an­
other Duo-Art concert at the Grand Avenue
Temple, Thursday, De cember 14, with Mrs.
Raymond Havens, contralto; Powell V\- eaver,
organist, and John Thomp so n at the piano with
the Duo-Art. The audi ence was ve ry appre­
ciative of the example of musicianship.
R. R. Sparrow, manager of the Kansas City
branch of the Columbia Phonograph Co., made
a flying trip through Kan sas and found the
deakrs in a higW y optimistic mood. The Rora­
baugh Dry Goods Co., at Wichita, and Charles
Ta ylor, ·at Liberal, Kan., report unusually good
business. Mr. Sparrow was highl y pleas ed with
the general conditions throughout the entire
Sta teo
R. E. CANON REMODELS STORE
FRANKLIN, PA., Dece mber l8.-- Alterations in R.
E. Canon's Music Sto·re have re cently been com­
pleted and include a new balcony running en­
tirely around the interior of the room. It is
estimated that the floo,r space is increased SO
per cent. The balcony. will be used for the
storage and display of pianos and phonographs
in addition to those on the main floor.
--,
"Dear Mr. V.,Thite: Will yOU kindly tell m e
through the co lumns of The Revi ew how bu sh­
ings are put into flanges, etc., in the factory
and what is the best method for rebushing
fl anges for outs ide tuners and repairmen? Any
information which you can give me along this
line I shall appreciate. Yours truly, vV. G.
Bradford."
There are different ways of doin .e: the trjck.
The old hand method was worked with needle
and long strips of the bushing: cut to th e right
thickness and worked through a whole set of
flanges placed side by side and clamped together.
Even with all the modern improvements, I think
it is probably best to have the bushin gs worked
individually to fit their pins, by experts at this
very delicate ope ration. It doe s not seem pos­
sible to obtain perfect results with any sys tem
which treats th e m all alike, me chanica lly.
To re-bush the best method is simply: Don't!
I n other words, get new flanges.
But if one must re-bush for oneself, get the
very finest bushing cloth, cut a strip as wide as
three times and a trifle more the diamet er of th e
hole, then taper off one end to a point and
pull the bushing through with a little glue on it.
Pull through both hol es and lea ve the cloth
to dry. Then work the hole to the proper width
with a needle.
Personally I should never re-bu sh for myself
if I could get the flanges all ready. The ready­
made flanges are properly bushed and one may
be certain of th em.
CORRESPONDENCE
is solicited and may be addressed to William
Braid White, care of The Music Trade Review,
\Vestern Division, 29 South State street, Chi­
cago, Ill.
KLEERNOTE
TRACKER BAR
SUCTION
PUMP
The only thorough and efficient
Tracker Bar Suction or Vacuum
Pump. Absolutely essential for remov­
ing dirt, dust and paper particles from the
tracker bar. Keeps the instrument in proper play­
ing condition, preventing weak and silent notes.
We al'e prepared to make
Special Prices to Dealers
and Tuners.
Illustrating the quantity of lint, dust, etc., taken
out of a player-piano. It is this dust and lint that
prevents perfect playing and causes silent . notes.
HAMMACHER,SCHLEMMER & CO.
PIANO AND PLAYER HARDWARE, FELTS AND TOOLS
NEW YORK SINCE 1848
4th Avenue and 13th Street