Music Trade Review
Issue: 1926 Vol. 83 N. 18 - Page 40
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The Music Trade Review
40
OCTOBER 30, 1926
The Technical and Supply Department—(Continued from page 39)
have of emitting tone of adequate richness, since could not even have imagined as existing and
their rigidity is in any case great enough to to which consequently his words were neither
resist the natural tendency to break up into intended to have, nor could have, applied. It is
many harmonic segments. A tension of 160 time for us to realize that this is so, that we
pounds per wire represents about one-half the must simply cease calling upon the memories
breaking strain of No. 13 wire and, in my opin- of the departed great to justify our own supine-
ion, should not be exceeded in the highest re- ness and laziness.
It is just because this is so that the Western
gions or, indeed, throughout the instruments,
save in the bass. On the other hand, the bass Division of the N. P. T. A. has set for itself
wires are thick enough to stand a great deal the great task of investigating the whole ques-
more tension, which indeed they are entitled to, tion of piano construction in a scientific and yet
on account of the desirability of obtaining from thoroughly practical spirit. To this end it needs
them a strong fundamental vibration. Even and bespeaks the assistance and encouragement
so, however, I think that it is desirable to limit of every piano manufacturer, tuner and mer-
oneself to 200 pounds at the highest. This chant. I address myself now particularly to the
manufacturers and to the tuners. The latter
indeed is less than half the breaking strain of
these heavy wires, but there are other points I know are thoroughly with us on the question
to be considered, a-s, for instance, maintaining of betterment. They know, as no other men so
something like balance of stress throughout the well can know, that pianos have gradually been
plate. Such constructional points must be con- degenerating, that tone has been pushed into
sidered, because the piano must be able to stand the background, that there is not the same spirit
well in tune. Great inequalities in stress in of optimistic enterprise that used to prevail.
neighboring regions present an irresistible ob- They know, too, as no others know so well, that
the people meanwhile have been obtaining new
stacle against stability of tune.
The matter then stands thus: Capo d'astro ideas of tone, new ideas of music, and that
bar is best for the upper treble, say, for the there is more music in the United States to-day
thirty unisons from Nos. 59 to 88. For the than there ever was. They know, in short, that
the piano ought to be better, ought to be more
rest of the scale the agraffe is superior. If
agraffes pull out, the scale is overloaded, and adequate to the musical feelings and ideas of
should at once be critically examined with a to-day. And I believe they are with the factory
men in any attempt to remedy these conditions
view to isolating and remedying the defects.
and to put the piano into the 1926 class.
A Word About N. P. T. A.
To the manufacturers one may say that their
Before I end our business for this week, how-
ever, I should like to say a word for the West- task is in a number of ways not at all enviable.
ern Division of the N. P. T. A. We have put The manufacturer has had to be a banker and a
on a program for this and succeeding seasons, financier. He has had to work through a system
which will keep us busy. We propose, in fact, of distribution that has forced him into un-
to investigate, from end to end, the technical healthy and often disastrous competition. He
and practical problems which surround piano has had every temptation to forget quality and
manufacture. In this we include pneumatic to concentrate on quantity and cheapness. But
manufacture also. Our object in doing this is the tide is turning. The better pianos are to-
to provide something like a foundation of scien- day the prosperous pianos. The whole tendency
tific inquiry on which may be built the pianos of the trade is towards readier sale of the finest
of the future. We all believe very thoroughly pianos. Of one, the very finest, the report is
that the piano industry needs a going over from that they cannot turn out enough instruments
the technical standpoint, that the old ways are
in need of polishing up and that what was done
by the great pioneers of days gone by can no
longer be feebly copied by their successors with
any hope of future success. If the giants of a
former day were with us now, they would be
the first to insist that the whole question of tone
production be reinvestigated. In their day they
were pioneers, who forced a reluctant public,
musical and lay, to follow them and to admit
that they were right. To call upon their ghosts
now to justify us in refusing to attempt going
a step beyond them is just about as wise as
to drag in something that George Washington
said 140 years ago to justify an attitude of ob-
scurantism towards the world at large, in the
midst of conditions which the first President
of desired quality to satisfy their dealers' de-
mands.
Every manufacturer then stands to win by im-
proving his product. Which precisely is why
they owe it to themselves to support the Na-
tional Piano Technicians' Association.
Incidentally, it may be added that the trans-
actions of the Association will in due course
be published, forming a record of technical in-
quiry such as the industry has never yet had
on like scale. It may also be added that the
Eastern Division of the Association is in thor-
ough sympathy with this same program.
Correspondence
is solicited and should be addressed to William
Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago, 111.
Technicians' Book to
Be Issued Shortly
Pamphlet to Contain Complete Summary of the
National Piano Technicians' Association
An announcement of special interest to piano
technicians, tuners and factory superintendents
was made at the meeting of the Superin-
tendents' Club of the New York Piano Manu-
facturers' Association last week by A. K. Gut-
sohn, president of the National Piano Tech-
nicians' Association, who stated that his asso-
ciation's booklet will be ready for distribution
by November 1. The pamphlet will comprise
a complete summary of the activities of the
technicians' body since its inception two years
ago last June. The booklet will have twenty-
two pages and will outline the aims of the Na-
tional Piano Technicians' Association and in
addition include a digest of the most important
papers dealing with research and suggested im-
provement in piano manufacture. Mr. Gutsohn
stated that the booklet will be distributed gratis
to all piano factory superintendents and tuners.
TUNERS
AND
REPAIRERS
THIS EXPENSE
CAM BE ELIMINATED
HOSE losses heretofore sustained
T
through mark-downs caused by scar-
red finishes can easily be eliminated. A
valuable booklet, "How to Repair Dam-
age to Varnished Surfaces" tells all.
A copy will be sent to you free—upon
request. Why not write for your copy
now?
The M. L. Campbell Co.
1OOS W. 8th St.
Kansas City, Mo.
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Standard of America
Alumni of 2000
PUao Toaiaf. Pipe and Reed O r t u
and Pl«r«r Piaa.. Tear Book fim*.
27-29 Gainaboro Straat
BOSTON, MASS.
Our new catalogue of piano and
Player Hardware, Felts and
Tools is now ready. If you
haven't received your copy
please let us know.
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co.
New York. Since 1848
4th Ave. and 13th St.
The Music Trade Review
40
OCTOBER 30, 1926
The Technical and Supply Department—(Continued from page 39)
have of emitting tone of adequate richness, since could not even have imagined as existing and
their rigidity is in any case great enough to to which consequently his words were neither
resist the natural tendency to break up into intended to have, nor could have, applied. It is
many harmonic segments. A tension of 160 time for us to realize that this is so, that we
pounds per wire represents about one-half the must simply cease calling upon the memories
breaking strain of No. 13 wire and, in my opin- of the departed great to justify our own supine-
ion, should not be exceeded in the highest re- ness and laziness.
It is just because this is so that the Western
gions or, indeed, throughout the instruments,
save in the bass. On the other hand, the bass Division of the N. P. T. A. has set for itself
wires are thick enough to stand a great deal the great task of investigating the whole ques-
more tension, which indeed they are entitled to, tion of piano construction in a scientific and yet
on account of the desirability of obtaining from thoroughly practical spirit. To this end it needs
them a strong fundamental vibration. Even and bespeaks the assistance and encouragement
so, however, I think that it is desirable to limit of every piano manufacturer, tuner and mer-
oneself to 200 pounds at the highest. This chant. I address myself now particularly to the
manufacturers and to the tuners. The latter
indeed is less than half the breaking strain of
these heavy wires, but there are other points I know are thoroughly with us on the question
to be considered, a-s, for instance, maintaining of betterment. They know, as no other men so
something like balance of stress throughout the well can know, that pianos have gradually been
plate. Such constructional points must be con- degenerating, that tone has been pushed into
sidered, because the piano must be able to stand the background, that there is not the same spirit
well in tune. Great inequalities in stress in of optimistic enterprise that used to prevail.
neighboring regions present an irresistible ob- They know, too, as no others know so well, that
the people meanwhile have been obtaining new
stacle against stability of tune.
The matter then stands thus: Capo d'astro ideas of tone, new ideas of music, and that
bar is best for the upper treble, say, for the there is more music in the United States to-day
thirty unisons from Nos. 59 to 88. For the than there ever was. They know, in short, that
the piano ought to be better, ought to be more
rest of the scale the agraffe is superior. If
agraffes pull out, the scale is overloaded, and adequate to the musical feelings and ideas of
should at once be critically examined with a to-day. And I believe they are with the factory
men in any attempt to remedy these conditions
view to isolating and remedying the defects.
and to put the piano into the 1926 class.
A Word About N. P. T. A.
To the manufacturers one may say that their
Before I end our business for this week, how-
ever, I should like to say a word for the West- task is in a number of ways not at all enviable.
ern Division of the N. P. T. A. We have put The manufacturer has had to be a banker and a
on a program for this and succeeding seasons, financier. He has had to work through a system
which will keep us busy. We propose, in fact, of distribution that has forced him into un-
to investigate, from end to end, the technical healthy and often disastrous competition. He
and practical problems which surround piano has had every temptation to forget quality and
manufacture. In this we include pneumatic to concentrate on quantity and cheapness. But
manufacture also. Our object in doing this is the tide is turning. The better pianos are to-
to provide something like a foundation of scien- day the prosperous pianos. The whole tendency
tific inquiry on which may be built the pianos of the trade is towards readier sale of the finest
of the future. We all believe very thoroughly pianos. Of one, the very finest, the report is
that the piano industry needs a going over from that they cannot turn out enough instruments
the technical standpoint, that the old ways are
in need of polishing up and that what was done
by the great pioneers of days gone by can no
longer be feebly copied by their successors with
any hope of future success. If the giants of a
former day were with us now, they would be
the first to insist that the whole question of tone
production be reinvestigated. In their day they
were pioneers, who forced a reluctant public,
musical and lay, to follow them and to admit
that they were right. To call upon their ghosts
now to justify us in refusing to attempt going
a step beyond them is just about as wise as
to drag in something that George Washington
said 140 years ago to justify an attitude of ob-
scurantism towards the world at large, in the
midst of conditions which the first President
of desired quality to satisfy their dealers' de-
mands.
Every manufacturer then stands to win by im-
proving his product. Which precisely is why
they owe it to themselves to support the Na-
tional Piano Technicians' Association.
Incidentally, it may be added that the trans-
actions of the Association will in due course
be published, forming a record of technical in-
quiry such as the industry has never yet had
on like scale. It may also be added that the
Eastern Division of the Association is in thor-
ough sympathy with this same program.
Correspondence
is solicited and should be addressed to William
Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago, 111.
Technicians' Book to
Be Issued Shortly
Pamphlet to Contain Complete Summary of the
National Piano Technicians' Association
An announcement of special interest to piano
technicians, tuners and factory superintendents
was made at the meeting of the Superin-
tendents' Club of the New York Piano Manu-
facturers' Association last week by A. K. Gut-
sohn, president of the National Piano Tech-
nicians' Association, who stated that his asso-
ciation's booklet will be ready for distribution
by November 1. The pamphlet will comprise
a complete summary of the activities of the
technicians' body since its inception two years
ago last June. The booklet will have twenty-
two pages and will outline the aims of the Na-
tional Piano Technicians' Association and in
addition include a digest of the most important
papers dealing with research and suggested im-
provement in piano manufacture. Mr. Gutsohn
stated that the booklet will be distributed gratis
to all piano factory superintendents and tuners.
TUNERS
AND
REPAIRERS
THIS EXPENSE
CAM BE ELIMINATED
HOSE losses heretofore sustained
T
through mark-downs caused by scar-
red finishes can easily be eliminated. A
valuable booklet, "How to Repair Dam-
age to Varnished Surfaces" tells all.
A copy will be sent to you free—upon
request. Why not write for your copy
now?
The M. L. Campbell Co.
1OOS W. 8th St.
Kansas City, Mo.
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Standard of America
Alumni of 2000
PUao Toaiaf. Pipe and Reed O r t u
and Pl«r«r Piaa.. Tear Book fim*.
27-29 Gainaboro Straat
BOSTON, MASS.
Our new catalogue of piano and
Player Hardware, Felts and
Tools is now ready. If you
haven't received your copy
please let us know.
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co.
New York. Since 1848
4th Ave. and 13th St.
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