Music Trade Review

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Why Business Will Be Better
During the Present Year
Harry Pedler & Co.
Harry Pedler, president, says: "We are
planning for the biggest year in the history of
the company, for the past
Fall has been the busiest on
record. 1927 as a whole
made an excellent showing.
Our silver and other metal
clarinets were exceptionally
popular, and we believe
that the demand for this
class of instruments will be
even greater in 1928 thai,
during the twelve months
just past."
Harry Pedler
Chicago Musical In-
strument Co.
M. H. Berlin, general manager, says: "Instead
of going after volume for 1928 I believe the
trade should strive for a profitable business.
Under present conditions the need for the
jobber is most urgent, and the dealers, realizing
that they are dependent upon the jobber, should
make it possible for closer co-operation than
ever before. 1928 will force dealers and jobbers
alike to go after business harder than ever be-
fore, and the aggressive dealer will get his share
of volume as in the past."
Illinois Musical Supply Co.
M. M. Cole says: "Several signs that affect
stimulation of business for 1928 can be seen in
the increased activity of the automotive indus-
try, large volume of business for the steel
industries, and basic soundness of general busi-
ness, which is a good barometer that the year
will bring about a prosperous period for all
business. We are looking forward to an unin-
terrupted demand for all lines during 1928."
Continental Music Co.
J. L. Luellen, president, says: "Business for
1928, I believe, will be just about the same as
it was in 1927. Generally speaking, while it will
not be less, it will not be much more. The
firm that gets the business will be the one that
will go after it in the right way."
Wm. Lewis & Son
F. C. Lewis, president, says: "I am unable
to see that anything is wrong with business in
general, and I really believe that 1928 is going
to show increased sales. It is my impression
that following the inventory period it will be
necessary to replenish very low stocks, and that
will show itself up anywhere from this month
to the middle of April. There are indications
of a better retail business in all sections of the
country, and that is due, in my opinion, in a
large measure to the fact that the professional
musician is working more steadily than he has
been the last six or eight months, also the fact
that the teachers' classes are improving, and
there is a pretty good demand for instruments
for the school orchestras, both in the string
and woodwind divisions."
H. A. Weymann & Son
"The year 1928—our sixty-fourth year in the
musical industry—will, in our opinion, be excep-
tionally prosperous," stated Harry W. Wey-
mann, president, Philadelphia, in voicing his
opinion of business conditions during 1928.
"Most lines are showing advancement," Mr.
Weymann continued, "including the steel indus-
try, which is accepted as the barometer of
American business. The future of the musical
instrument industry, insofar as the lines repre-
sented by our house are concerned, never
looked brighter than it does at present.
"The buying public has learned to appreciate
good music as well as the advantages in paying
the higher prices for the very best instruments
to obtain the best tone qualities necessary for
good music. Our efforts in promoting the sale
of our own factory products, the Weymann
orchestra banjos, have been most successful in
creating a demand for all styles of Weymann
fretted string instruments. A decided prefer-
ence is shown by the musical public for high-
grade instruments that will encourage perma-
nent interest and pleasure in music. Such sales
reflect credit on the dealer and many addi-
tional sales follow as the result. We are
specializing more so than in all previous years
on the better grade of instruments for orches-
tras, bands and string clubs, of which many are
now ready for formation.
"Our national advertising in widely read
magazines, coupled with our sales promotion
plan, will have a very decided influence in great-
ly increasing the volume of sales for Weymann
instruments this year—1928—in which every ac
tive Weymann representative dealer will par-
ticipate."
H. N. White Co.
R. M. White says: "We fully believe 1928 will
be the biggest year in our history. In the field
of band instruments, it is almost impossible to
figure anything except a substantial increase in
business. This increase will come directly from
the high schools of the country who are realiz-
ing the part that music plays in the educational
structure.
"What portion of this increased business the
dealers will get is very hard to determine. A
few dealers will find an increase in their busi-
ness, undoubtedly. But unless the majority of
them radically change their ideas and methods
of selling, there will be no increase for them.
The music dealer in 1928 will have to create
business instead of merely attempting to get a
portion of what is already created. The smaller
towns will yield a proportionately larger per-
centage of business than the larger towns if
properly worked and followed up.
"The demand in the band instrument game is
increasingly tending towards higher quality and
better construction. The sale of imported and
cheap instruments is declining rapidly.
"The public's preference for band instruments
is changing, but not at the expense of any one
particular instrument. All instruments are re-
ceiving their fair share of popularity. The
saxophone has declined to its normal propor-
tion as found in the average band or orchestra.
The cornet, trumpet and trombone, and other
horns, have increased slightly in demand."
Harmony Co., Chicago, Celebrates Its
Thirty-Sixth Anniversary With Dinner
Many Leading Trade Figures Join With Firm in Event—Jay Kraus, President of Com-
pany, Acts as Toastmaster at Dinner Held January 6
/ C H I C A G O , ILL., January 14.—Executives of
^ Chicago and out of town musical mer-
chandise wholesalers were the guests of the
Harmony Co., Chicago, at an anniversary dinner
held at the Standard Club, Chicago, Friday
evening, January 6. The occasion was the
thirty-sixth anniversary of the founding of the
Harmony Co., January, 1892.
The celebration was made the occasion of
introducing three new Instruments known as
the Roy Smeck Vita guitar, tenor guitar, and
Plectrum guitar. Experimental work on these
instruments has been carried on at the Har-
mony plant for the past six months, following
the success made by the Roy Smeck Vita Uke
when it was introduced last year. The new in-
struments are distinguished by novelty of de-
sign and tonal quality.
Roy Smeck, who has assisted in the design
of the new instruments, was unable to be pres-
ent personally to demonstrate them on account
of previous theatrical engagements. Demonstra-
tions were made by Paul Gardie, the stringed
instrument artist who has become noted for
his perfection of touch and tone in spite of the
handicap of total blindness, and the demonstra-
tion aroused a great deal of attention among
those present. It was announced that the in-
struments would be ready for distribution to
the dealer about February 1.
Jay Kraus, president, and members of the
Harmony Co. organization, acted as hosts for
the occasion, and the following guests were
present: Charles Sonfield, of C. Bruno & Son,
Inc.; Felix Bauer, of Buegeleisen & Jacobson;
M. H. Berlin, Chicago Musical Instrument Co.;
Joseph Dunas and L. H. Glassman, of Cole &
21
Dunas Music Co.; John Luellen, of Continental
Music Co.; Henry Gerson, of Carl Fischer, Inc.;
M. M. Cole, of the Illinois Musical Supply Co.;
Frank C. Howard, of the J. W. Jenkins Sons
Music Co.; R. H. Roberts, of Lyon & Healy;
Max Targ and Sol Dinner, of Targ & Dinner
Music Co.; Paul Mocnnig, of Tonk Bros. Co.,
and J. Tienian and M. Farny, of the Rudolph
VVurlit/.er Co.
When the Harmony Co. first ventured into
the instrument field, its initial products were
guitars, mandolins and violins. The ukulele, the
banjo ukulele, the Taropatch, the tiple, and the
tenor banjo, which now form so large a portion
of its output, were then unknown. A number of
years ago the manufacture of violins was dis-
continued, but the other original products, gui-
tars and mandolins, together with the recently
developed instruments, form its present output.
James A. Markley With
G. F. Martin & Go.
Among the new faces on the road this month
will be noted the pleasant smile of James A.
Markley, who is now on his maiden trip for
C. F. Martin & Co., guitar makers, at Nazareth,
Pa. Mr. Markley's previous experience has
been outside of the music trade, but a six
weeks' course of instruction at the factory
has given him first-hand knowledge of the fine
points of the Martin line; and as a talented
amateur musician he understands string instru-
ments from the player's side. After calling
on the trade in New York State, Mr. Markley
will visit New F.ngland.