Music Trade Review

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nencans
Here's What
Latin Americans
Want in Pianos!
Latin American countries—
lancially—there is a worth-
nerican pianos of all types
Baby Grands
WMOND VOORHEES
Large Uprights
market to a greater extent than they are in to-day.
"In the first place the people here like the mellow tone
that is to be found in German pianos much better than they
like the brilliant tone of the American piano. Many people
think that the piano with a brilliant tone is a used piano and
no amount of talk on our part will convince them otherwise.
This is purely a question of the felt on the hammers as I
see it and one that could easily be remedied. The felt on
the American hammers is harder and produces a more
metallic or brilliant tone whereas the felt on the German
hammers is softer and produces a mellower tone. Without
regard to the musical value of each type of tone, the people
here like the mellow tone and naturally we must try to give
them what they want. The insides of American pianos are
just as good and give just as much satisfaction, with this
single exception, as do the insides of European made pianos.
"One policy of many American manufacturers that I dis-
tinctly dislike is that of trying to get an extra ten or fifteen
or twenty-five dollars out of a dealer for the tropicalizing
of a piano. I do not know what these manufacturers do for
this extra money and I have never been able to discover that
they do anything. On the other hand, the German made
pianos give just as good satisfaction in this climate and
never once has a German manufacturer asked for extra money
for the tropicalizing of a piano. I will say this, the American
piano is improving every year and if manufacturers would
only stop trying to get this extra money out of us I believe
they would soon improve their business here. Frankly we
like to buy in the States because they are so near us that
shipments come through in short order.
"The English style of lid with softer lines is very much
liked here, whereas the American piano frequently has a lid
with hard harsh lines which find but little favor here. It
would seem to me that the lines of some American pianos
could be softened a bit with considerable advantage to the
manufacturer because there isn't much beauty in many of
the hard lines that are so much used today.
"I know that the packing question is an old one that has
been discussed time and time again, yet I must say a word
or two about it also. It is a positive pleasure to unpack a
German piano because of the case that is used. German
packing cases are screwed together, which makes them very
easy to handle. And after we have removed the piano it is
possible to sell the case for from ten to fifteen Colones, which
represents that much extra profit which is lost to us when
we import American pianos, since by the time we have re-
moved the piano the case is generally useless except to be
burned. This is a small matter but every ten or fifteen
Colones helps in these countries."
Vincente Lines C, another dealer in San Jose, has about the
same report to make. A few months ago he received his
first call for a baby grand. Since then others have asked
{Please turn to page 12)
Retailing at $900 up
Retailing at $450 to $500
Player Pianos
Retailing at $550 up
Mellow Soft Tone.
Attractive Cases With Soft Lines.
Bright French Varnish Finish.
Instruments Built for Tropical
Climate Withgut Extra Charge
for "Tropicalizing."
Solid and Substantial Packing
Along European Lines.