Music Trade Review
Issue: 1927 Vol. 84 N. 23 - Page 31
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
31
The Music Trade Review
JUNE 4, 1927
The Technical and Supply Department (Continued from page 29)
Standards, waste elimination, methods of edu- accepts that rule only so far as it continues to
I do not wish to be taken as meaning that the
cating
personnel, methods of handling materials, apply, being the first to give it up when new
industry is to be accused of wilful stupidity in
data are discovered which disagree with it.
the past. Conditions with which most technical analysis of lumber properties, conservation of
It is precisely here that we need to watch
lumber,
substitutes
for
scarce
species,
mechani-
men are unacquainted have brought about the
state of affairs of which I speak. What is cal improvements in construction, all these are most carefully our future doings. This indus-
past is past, however, and there is no more to be in due course to receive the attention of the try of ours deals with highly scientific matters,
said about it. Let us now look forward to the technicians. But the big underlying objective and hitherto has dealt with them in a highly
must be fundamental research. An when I say unscientific manner. Most of us actually must
future.
The question is, what can the N. 1\ T. A. that the technicians can accomplish more by en- begin to work up our ideas all afresh, go back
accomplish? And the answer is, that it can ac- couraging such research and making.it the basis to our physics, and reorganize our fundamental
complish just as much as its members know of their program, than by doing anything else thinking, in order that we may learn to grasp
scientific concepts as against unorganized per-
enough to try for, and their employers, the at all, I am only telling the truth.
ceptions.
In this direction the National Piano
Self-Education
manufacturers, to permit. I need hardly say
Technicians Association must steadily work—in
that there is not much probability of getting a
And this leads me to say that one of the chief
lot done unless the executive end of the* indus- needs to be discovered to-day among piano the direction of educating its members up to an
try understand what is going forward and technicians is the need of better self-education. understanding of the language and the methods
takes a. definite interest therein. One has heard It is a great pity that the application of common to all scientific matters and understood
of manufacturers telling their superintendents mechanism to tone production has been studied by all scientific men.
I do not expect that this reform will be
that they ought not to "waste their time" at so much in the light of craftsmanship and so
technical meetings; and of other manufacturers little in the light of science. But because this brought about rapidly. Perhaps a new genera-
saying that they do not want their "secrets" dis- is so, and because it has been easier to follow tion must first grow up. But if the executives
cussed in meetings. Of course any piano work- the lead of pioneers than to strike out for them- of the industry are wise they will encourage
man could tell these gentlemen that the selves, the technical men of the trade have and co-operate with the National Piano Tech-
mechanics who work first in one shop and then gradually lost all interest in science as such nicians Association to the end of securing for
in another carry all the news with them as they and now find themselves faced with the neces- themselves a race of physicists, engineers and
travel. And it would be just as easy, and quite sity of dealing with ideas, with a technical lan- music-craftsmen who will be able to speak the
true, to tell the gentlemen who worry about guage and with a method of reasoning quite language of science and of engineering, under-
waste of time that the only time-wasting now alien to them. Much of the scientific work which stand the concepts which underly these dis-
going on in the industry is the time-wasting by the N. P. T. A. is laying out for itself will have to ciplines and learn to apply them to the task of
men who do not know how to improve their be undertaken in the most elementary manner at designing and building perfect pianos.
product. But there is little use in arguing with first, in order that it may gradually be brought
men who will not see facts.
within the comprehension of men who, no mat-
Encouragement is, however, not entirely lack- ter how excellent their craftsmanship, are little
ing and the signs become each day more favor- accustomed to thinking along scientific lines or is solicited and should be addressed to William
able. The technicians are then wise in going to dealing with scientific ideas. The difference Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago.
forward steadily and refusing to be upset be- between science and non-science is simply the
cause some of the executives cannot see the difference between accuracy and inaccuracy, in
light. And the direction along which they are thinking and in doing. The man of science
working appears to be wen cnosen.
simply insists on knowing all the facts and draw-
The Right Start
ing on his conclusions from them without con-
August Gross, head of the August Gross
For the technicians are starting with funda- sidering whether these are or are not in accord Piano Co., 3933 North Kedzie avenue, and one
mental knowledge. They have laid out a pro- with his prejudgments. The man of science is of the oldest retail piano merchants in the city,
gram of research, and at the very head of it the man who organizes his knowledge and who, left recently -on his annual European trip. He
they have placed acoustic experiment. In the when he discovers that a rule can be formu- will visit Germany and other European coun-
program which the association adopted last lated to cover all cases of a given phenomenon, tries and will be gone for several months.
Winter the first part was headed "Fundamen-
tals" and envisaged a series of papers and dis-
cussions upon the fundamentals of tone pro-
duction, starting with the analysis of sound and
running through all known or ascertainable data
on strings, soundboards and hammers in their
physical relations with the production of musi-
cal sound. It must be evident, of course, that
LIGHT—COMPACT—SERVICEABLE
in the present state of the industry no scientific
analysis of these data can be undertaken in a
form which will be intelligible to or practically
Weighs Only 6 Pounds
applicable by the majority of the men who are
to-day in charge of piano construction. It is
When closed the aluminum
extremely probable that fundamental research
trays
nest together over the large
will have to be undertaken by a small and
select group whose findings will then have to
compartment, which measures
be reduced to practical application in due
137/ 8 " x 6" x 4". The two left hand
course, although they will, of course, be avail-
trays measure 13^8" x 2*4" x \y%
able to all who can make use of them. Sooner
or later, however, fundamental analysis must
and the two right hand trays 13^4"
be taken as the foundation of all improvement,
x 334" x \yk". The partitions in
and, naturally, those who set themselves to make
right hand trays are adjustable or
use of research in this form will find them-
Outside measurements 15j4 inches long, 7
selves ahead of their less active brethren.
may be removed. Case is fitted
inches wide, 8 inches high.
No. 150—Covered with seal grain imitation
with a very secure lock and solid
leather. Each $13.00
brass, highly nickel-plated hard-
No. 200—Covered with genuine black cow-
ware.
hide leather. Each $20.00 F.O.B. New York.
Standard of America
Alumni of 2000
Correspondence
Gross Goes Abroad
Tuners Carrying Case
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Piano Tuning, Pipe and Reed
Organ and Player Piano
YEAR BOOK FREE
27-29 Gainsboro Street
We have a separate Department to take care of special requirements
of tuners and repairers. Mail orders for action parts, repair materials,
also tuning and regulating tools are given special attention.
BOSTON, MASS.
Tuners and Repairers
Our new illustrated catalogue of Piano and
Player Hardware Felts and Tools is now
ready. If you haven't received your copy
please let us know.
OTTO R. TREFZ, JR.
2110 Fairmount Ave.
Phila., Pa.
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co,
Piano and Player Hardware, Felts and Tools
New York Since 1848
4th Ave. at 13th St.
31
The Music Trade Review
JUNE 4, 1927
The Technical and Supply Department (Continued from page 29)
Standards, waste elimination, methods of edu- accepts that rule only so far as it continues to
I do not wish to be taken as meaning that the
cating
personnel, methods of handling materials, apply, being the first to give it up when new
industry is to be accused of wilful stupidity in
data are discovered which disagree with it.
the past. Conditions with which most technical analysis of lumber properties, conservation of
It is precisely here that we need to watch
lumber,
substitutes
for
scarce
species,
mechani-
men are unacquainted have brought about the
state of affairs of which I speak. What is cal improvements in construction, all these are most carefully our future doings. This indus-
past is past, however, and there is no more to be in due course to receive the attention of the try of ours deals with highly scientific matters,
said about it. Let us now look forward to the technicians. But the big underlying objective and hitherto has dealt with them in a highly
must be fundamental research. An when I say unscientific manner. Most of us actually must
future.
The question is, what can the N. 1\ T. A. that the technicians can accomplish more by en- begin to work up our ideas all afresh, go back
accomplish? And the answer is, that it can ac- couraging such research and making.it the basis to our physics, and reorganize our fundamental
complish just as much as its members know of their program, than by doing anything else thinking, in order that we may learn to grasp
scientific concepts as against unorganized per-
enough to try for, and their employers, the at all, I am only telling the truth.
ceptions.
In this direction the National Piano
Self-Education
manufacturers, to permit. I need hardly say
Technicians Association must steadily work—in
that there is not much probability of getting a
And this leads me to say that one of the chief
lot done unless the executive end of the* indus- needs to be discovered to-day among piano the direction of educating its members up to an
try understand what is going forward and technicians is the need of better self-education. understanding of the language and the methods
takes a. definite interest therein. One has heard It is a great pity that the application of common to all scientific matters and understood
of manufacturers telling their superintendents mechanism to tone production has been studied by all scientific men.
I do not expect that this reform will be
that they ought not to "waste their time" at so much in the light of craftsmanship and so
technical meetings; and of other manufacturers little in the light of science. But because this brought about rapidly. Perhaps a new genera-
saying that they do not want their "secrets" dis- is so, and because it has been easier to follow tion must first grow up. But if the executives
cussed in meetings. Of course any piano work- the lead of pioneers than to strike out for them- of the industry are wise they will encourage
man could tell these gentlemen that the selves, the technical men of the trade have and co-operate with the National Piano Tech-
mechanics who work first in one shop and then gradually lost all interest in science as such nicians Association to the end of securing for
in another carry all the news with them as they and now find themselves faced with the neces- themselves a race of physicists, engineers and
travel. And it would be just as easy, and quite sity of dealing with ideas, with a technical lan- music-craftsmen who will be able to speak the
true, to tell the gentlemen who worry about guage and with a method of reasoning quite language of science and of engineering, under-
waste of time that the only time-wasting now alien to them. Much of the scientific work which stand the concepts which underly these dis-
going on in the industry is the time-wasting by the N. P. T. A. is laying out for itself will have to ciplines and learn to apply them to the task of
men who do not know how to improve their be undertaken in the most elementary manner at designing and building perfect pianos.
product. But there is little use in arguing with first, in order that it may gradually be brought
men who will not see facts.
within the comprehension of men who, no mat-
Encouragement is, however, not entirely lack- ter how excellent their craftsmanship, are little
ing and the signs become each day more favor- accustomed to thinking along scientific lines or is solicited and should be addressed to William
able. The technicians are then wise in going to dealing with scientific ideas. The difference Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago.
forward steadily and refusing to be upset be- between science and non-science is simply the
cause some of the executives cannot see the difference between accuracy and inaccuracy, in
light. And the direction along which they are thinking and in doing. The man of science
working appears to be wen cnosen.
simply insists on knowing all the facts and draw-
The Right Start
ing on his conclusions from them without con-
August Gross, head of the August Gross
For the technicians are starting with funda- sidering whether these are or are not in accord Piano Co., 3933 North Kedzie avenue, and one
mental knowledge. They have laid out a pro- with his prejudgments. The man of science is of the oldest retail piano merchants in the city,
gram of research, and at the very head of it the man who organizes his knowledge and who, left recently -on his annual European trip. He
they have placed acoustic experiment. In the when he discovers that a rule can be formu- will visit Germany and other European coun-
program which the association adopted last lated to cover all cases of a given phenomenon, tries and will be gone for several months.
Winter the first part was headed "Fundamen-
tals" and envisaged a series of papers and dis-
cussions upon the fundamentals of tone pro-
duction, starting with the analysis of sound and
running through all known or ascertainable data
on strings, soundboards and hammers in their
physical relations with the production of musi-
cal sound. It must be evident, of course, that
LIGHT—COMPACT—SERVICEABLE
in the present state of the industry no scientific
analysis of these data can be undertaken in a
form which will be intelligible to or practically
Weighs Only 6 Pounds
applicable by the majority of the men who are
to-day in charge of piano construction. It is
When closed the aluminum
extremely probable that fundamental research
trays
nest together over the large
will have to be undertaken by a small and
select group whose findings will then have to
compartment, which measures
be reduced to practical application in due
137/ 8 " x 6" x 4". The two left hand
course, although they will, of course, be avail-
trays measure 13^8" x 2*4" x \y%
able to all who can make use of them. Sooner
or later, however, fundamental analysis must
and the two right hand trays 13^4"
be taken as the foundation of all improvement,
x 334" x \yk". The partitions in
and, naturally, those who set themselves to make
right hand trays are adjustable or
use of research in this form will find them-
Outside measurements 15j4 inches long, 7
selves ahead of their less active brethren.
may be removed. Case is fitted
inches wide, 8 inches high.
No. 150—Covered with seal grain imitation
with a very secure lock and solid
leather. Each $13.00
brass, highly nickel-plated hard-
No. 200—Covered with genuine black cow-
ware.
hide leather. Each $20.00 F.O.B. New York.
Standard of America
Alumni of 2000
Correspondence
Gross Goes Abroad
Tuners Carrying Case
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Piano Tuning, Pipe and Reed
Organ and Player Piano
YEAR BOOK FREE
27-29 Gainsboro Street
We have a separate Department to take care of special requirements
of tuners and repairers. Mail orders for action parts, repair materials,
also tuning and regulating tools are given special attention.
BOSTON, MASS.
Tuners and Repairers
Our new illustrated catalogue of Piano and
Player Hardware Felts and Tools is now
ready. If you haven't received your copy
please let us know.
OTTO R. TREFZ, JR.
2110 Fairmount Ave.
Phila., Pa.
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co,
Piano and Player Hardware, Felts and Tools
New York Since 1848
4th Ave. at 13th St.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).