Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade Review
Carload Shipment of 3,200 Banjo-Ukes
to Bruno Shows Instrument's Revival
Instruments, Manufactured by Musical Instrument Specialties Co., Elkhart, Ind.,
Bring Immediate Series of Orders to New York Jobber
f NDICATIONS of the revival of trade interest
in the banjo-ukulele were shown in no uncer-
tain fashion recently in the purchase of an entire
carload of these instruments by C. Bruno &
Son, Inc., wholesalers of musical merchandise,
353 Fourth avenue, New York. This concern,
which is the oldest wholesale house in the busi-
ness and will shortly celebrate its one hundredth
anniversary, proved again that age and stability
are not incompatible with enterprise and acu-
men by anticipating the returning demand for
these popular instruments in the purchase of
the carload shown here.
This deal, which brought 3,200 banjo-ukuleles
indicate that they are quick to take advantage
of the opportunity.
"Thirty-two hundred banjo-ukuleles are quite
a few instruments," declared Mr. Sonfield to a
representative of The Review, in discussing the
purchase this week, "but we have noted a de-
cided revival of interest in this popular instru-
ment. This particular number was always one
of the best we have had and when the oppor-
tunity presented itself to provide the trade with
this special purchase, we felt that we could do
the trade a real service. It is gratifying to
notice the rapidity with which the orders have
been coming in on this shipment, which will
OCTOBER 29, 1927
He has always been a favorite, but leaped
into national popularity when he began broad-
casting with his Weymann Banjo, when George
Olsen's Orchestra was on the air from the
Hotel Pennsylvania, New York.
When asked about his banjo, his playing of
which is one of his features, he answered, "A
Weymann, yes, one trial convinced me that
this is the banjo I have always wanted."
Weymann dealers in Philadelphia and New
York, where "Good News" is now playing, and
in other cities where Bob Rice is well known,
have been taking full advantage of his publicity
in window displays and store selling.
Gratz Import Go. Showing
New Jazz Instruments
Joseph Mock, of the William R. Gratz Import
Co., importer of musical merchandise, New
York, is proudly displaying some real novelties
Carload Shipment of 3,200 Banjo-Ukuleles to C. Bruno & Son
to the House of Bruno, was engineered by
Charley Sonfield, the veteran merchandise man-
ager of the company, whose accuracy in pre-
dicting the trend of the trade toward particular
instruments long ago gained him a reputation.
The instruments were the output of the Musi-
cal Instrument Specialties Co., of Elkhart, Ind.,
the largest manufacturer of metal rim banjo-
ukuleles in the country.
The shipment is the largest single shipment
of banjo-ukuleles ever made and every instru-
ment is of the latest model. They are of vari-
ous colors and of popular design, and were
placed upon the market immediately and many
of them are already on dealers' counters
throughout the country or in transit to deal-
ers' stores.
The instruments are of the type listed in the
Bruno catalog as the Maxitone banjo-ukulele
No. 550. They are metal rim bracket style
banjo-ukuleles in very attractive styles and fin-
ishes. They are durable in construction and have
a very snappy tone. They have a seven-inch
metal rim with fancy "f" hole design, closed
resonator back, twelve nickel-plated brackets,
heavy nickel-plated straining hoop, calfskin
head, birch neck finished in color, fancy design
headpiece and patent pegs.
The instruments have been specially priced
and dealers are able to make a special offer to
stimulate Fall business and the results from
the preliminary announcement of the purchase
0
OLIVER DTTSON CQ
BOSTON. MASS
probably be the means of stirring up interest
in another big banjo-ukulele year."
Bob Rice Enthuses Over
His Weymann Banjo
Artist With George Olsen's Music Plays Banjo
Solo Nightly at Performance of "Good
News"
Bob Rice, with George Olsen's Music,
which furnishes the musical program for "Good
Joseph Nicomede a Visitor
to the New York Trade
Among the visitors to the New York trade
last week was Joseph Nicomede, head of the
Nicomede Music Co., Altoona, "Pa. Mr.
Nicomede's company manufactures a number
of accessories that have a ready sale with music
dealers and also publishes a number of popular
methods for playing various instruments. He
reported that he had found no evidences of
trade depression in any of his lines, for he
found that dealers are always able to sell popu-
lar items. Mr. Nicomede promised to make
certain announcements in the near future.
Black Diamond
Strings
0
Manufacturers
Importer* and Jebbera ef
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
Attractive Specialties
Modern S e r v i c e
ESTABLISHED ISM
in musical instruments for the Fall trade which
are innovations in the way of jazz instruments.
One is a jazz violin, which is a well-made violin
with a bell horn on it, giving a unique tone and
a flash effect for orchestras. Other instruments
of the same type in the collection include a one-
string 'cello with horn, a jazz 'cello with three
horns and a violin with two horns. Mr. Mock
expects that as soon as these instruments are-
shown to the more enterprising dealers there
will be a big demand for them, for the up-to-
date orchestra likes new instruments that will
give novelty and flash.
Bob Rice
News," is one of the big hits of the show.
Each night as the between-the-scenes curtain
goes down there are excited exclamations,
"Here he is!" and he then delights the audience
with collegiate song hits to the accompaniment
of his Weymann Orchestra Banjo.
THE WORLD'S BEST
National Musical String Co.
New Brunswick, N. J.