Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Jesse French & Sons Introduce the
"Uniframe" Eliminating Heavy Back Posts
Finest Dampp-Chaser Prize
Won by Dr. John C. Kendle
Recent trade advertisements by Jesse
French & Sons. Elkhart, Ind., have
described their newest model, the Al-
The highlight of the 1954 Conven-
tion activities of Dampp-Chaser, Inc.
of Hendersonville, S. C. was when
Rosemary Meyer. Chicago model with
a friendly smile, told fortunes and
had visitors fill out door prize tickets
which were dropped into a novel mov-
ing container which continually shuf-
fled the cards.
In addition to this, Dampp-Chaser in
beginning its eighth year of service
to the music industry gave away a
small package of Life Savers properly
inscribed, due to the fact that the
aluminum tubes which were first in-
troduced al the 1948 Convention six
years ago are known as "piano and
organ lifesavers' 1 .
The door prize drawing was made
by ] 5-year old Joan Kochford and was
witnessed by Mrs. Alfred E. Knight.
London. England; Mrs. Hiram W.
Harling. Houston. Tex.; Mian Efram
of Bala Cynewad, Pa.; Mrs. J. Koch-
ford, Lincolnwood, 111.; 0. Jack Buck-
ley, Sales Manager of the company,
and Allen M. Foole, President.
The first prize: 5 Dampp-Chasers
and 1 Kitchen Crisper was won by
Dr. John C. Kcndlc, Vice-President
and General Manager of the American
at the music trade convention last
month. It was the Uniframe pictured
herewith in two candid shots taken at
TWO VIEWS OF THE NEW JESSE FRENCH 'UNIFRAME" ANNOUNCED
AT THE CONVENTION.
legro Console, as a mystery piano.
"How is it possible." the advertisement
read, "lo build a piano with bass
strings up to 3 inches longer, while the
case itself was 5/8 inch lower; to
have full length keys, while the case
was 2M> inches shallower; to produce
a larger tone in a case whose area was
a square foot smaller?"
The solution to the mystery was on
view in the Jesse French display room
SENSATION
OF THE
MUSIC SHOW
No exhibit at the Show at-
tracted more interest than
Play-It, the miracle piano
guide that permits anyone
to play compositions on the
piano at once, without pre-
vious instruction or train-
ing. Dealer after dealer
agreed that this was the
hottest new item of the de-
cade for all music mer-
chants, and the greatest
stimulator of piano sales
since the player piano.
Write today for complete
details.
PLAY-IT, Inc.
Kimball Hall
30
Chicago 4. I'l.
the display.
The Uniframe differs from the usual
piano construction in two important
respects. Flanges projecting from the
rear edges of the plate are designed
to enclose completely both the sound-
board and the wrest pin plank. Both
are installed in the Uniframe as com-
plete assemblies, and can be removed
or replaced with equal facility. The
primary advantage. the company
claims, is that the entire stress is taken
ii}) by the rigid iron framework, and
as a result, the case is free from the
stresses for which heavy backposts are
used in conventional pianos.
Elimination of these posts in the
Jesse French Allegro accounts for the
2 J 2 inches less depth. The second
structural change is the metal key-
frame, which has also become an in-
Ifgral part of the Uniframe. Keys and
action arc now installed in the frame,
rather than in the case. Jesse French
engineers assert that this construction
is rot only more compact—keys are
standard height from the lloor. but
leave 1 inch more knee room—but so
much more rigid that there is virtu-
ally no chance for th:> action or harp
lo become misaligned.
Can Be Played Without Case
Thus the Allegro is a self contained
mechanical unit, that can actually be
assembled to the point of being a
playable piano without any case at all.
Jesse French has supplied a modern
case for the Allegro, which takes full
advantage of the slender profile made
possible by the Uniframe construction.
Models displayed at the convention in-
cluded mahogany and bleached mahog-
anv finishes.
Pianos and Organs easily moved with
ROLL-OR-KARI DUAL TRUCK
NEW Piano and Organ Model Truck
designed specially for piano and organ dealers.
SPECIAL FEATURES—
Rubber and heavy felt cushions pro-
vide cpmplete protection against
marring fine finishes. Wide aluminum
angle base. Patented Step-On-Lift—
Retractable swivel wheels at BOTH
ends. Only $51.50 f.o.b. Zumbrota,
Minn. Shipping weight, 48 lbs.
Write Dept. M
ROLL-OR-KARI CO.
Manufacturers ZUMBROTA, MINNESOTA
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUGUST, 1954