Presto

PRESTO
12
WHERE DOUBTS ARE DISPELLED
Under This Head Presto Will Answer Any Question Pertaining to Pianos, or
Other Subjects of Direct Interest to the Trade and Musical Public
THE "ELMON" PLAYER.
Independence, Mo., Dec. 24, 1919-
Editor Presto: I will appreciate very much any
information you may give me in regard to the manu-
facturer of the "Elmon" playerpiano. It was sold
here about ten or twelve years ago by the Carl Hoff-
man Music Co., of Kansas City, Mo. They are out
of business now, and their successors cannot give
me the information.
I want some repairs for the player action and do
not know the manufacturer. It has no name to sig-
nify who it might be.
Yours respectfully,
ORLANDO NACE.
Instruments bearing the name of "Elmon" were
marketed for several years by Elmon Armstrong,
who was, at that time, representing a large industry
located at Fall River, Mass. Since that time Mr.
Armstrong has retired from the piano business and
the industry which he represented has passed to the
ownership of the International Piano Mfg. Co., Wm.
J. Ennis, president.
It is possible that Mr. Ennis may be able to give
you some information concerning the Elmon piano.
We suggest that you write to him at Fall River,
Massachusetts.
* * *
THE "AIROPLAYER" ACTION.
Scottsdale, Pa-, Dec. 23, 1919.
Editor Presto: Will you please advise by what
manufacturer, and in what piano is installed the
"Airoplayer" action? This action was formerly
used by the National Piano Co. (Briggs). We
wrote to them and the reply was that they discon-
tinued using this action several years ago.
Yours very truly,
GEO. K. BARKELL & CO.
It is our understanding that there is no player
piano now using the "Airoplayer," which was the
patented property of the National Piano Co. Cer-
tainly if you have addressed that industry and can
secure no further information, we do not know
where else you can get it. We suggest that you
address A. L. Jewett, 621 Albany street, Boston, for
we believe he is more apt to have the information
you want than anybody else.
* * *
"CREMONA" ELECTRIC PIANO.
Ishpeming, Mich-, Dec. 23, 1919.
Editor Presto: Will you please give us informa-
tion about a Cremona coin-operated electric piano
which we have traded in. We are overhauling it
and want all the information we can secure about it.
Very truly yours,
JOHN WHITNEY.
The Cremona coin-operated piano is the product
of the Marquette Piano Co., Chicago. The industry
named has been long established and is of the high-
est responsibility. It is conducted by gentlemen
who thoroughly understand the business and we be-
lieve they will be glad to give you any assistance for
which you may apply.
* * *
PORTABLE ORGANS.
Newton, Kans., Dec. 16, 1919.
Editor Presto: W. J. Adair, of Newton, Kans.,
is going as a missionary to Egypt in a few weeks
and he desires to purchase a portable folding organ.
Can you tell him what firm in Chicago has one of
these to sell? The courtesy of a reply direct to
him will be apreciated by
Yours sincerely,
H. S. DICKEY.
Without question, the best instrument of the port-
able organ kind is manufactured by the A. L. White
Mfg. Co., 215 Englewood avenue, Chicago. We Vill
request Mr. White to send you one of his illustrated
catalogues.
Whatever you may do with Mr. White will, we
can assure you, be satisfactory to you.
* * *
PIANO TUNING SCHOOLS.
Manawa, Wis., Dec. 20, 1919.
Editor Presto: Enclosed find fifty cents in
stamps for which please send us the Presto Buyers'
Guide. Would you also please send us the address
of some good, reliable piano tuning school.
Yours truly,
VOSS BROS.
Polk's School of Piano Tuning, at Valparaiso,
Tnd., is an institution which it will pay you to get
in touch with. Mr. Folk is an experienced tuner and
a practical piano man in every sense of the word.
His school is the oldest in existence devoted to that
kind of work, and we believe it will pay you to ap-
ply for a descriptive booklet.
There is also a tuning school in Boston and an-
other in Lawrence, Kansas.
* * *
BOOKS ON PIPE ORGAN.
Fort Morgan, Colo., Dec. 23, 1919.
Editor Presto: Have you a reference book, or
pamphlet, of all the pipe organ manufacturers of
this country? If so, please mail me one. Enclosed
you will find stamps to pay for book and postage. If
this amount of stamps is not sufficient to pay all
expense, please inform me and I will send you the
desired amount.
Do you know where I could get one or more in-
struction books describing pipe organ building, tun-
ing and repairing?
Very respectfully,
D. SCHEIDEGGER.
The only book of ours that contains a list of organ
manufacturers is the Directory of Music Industries,
a copy of which we are sending you. We also pub-
lish Presto Buyers' Guide, which contains a com-
plete list of piano "manufacturers with descriptions
of their instruments.
We new have in press Presto Trade Lists, a series
of three small books which will contain a list of all
music dealers, musical instrument manufacturers
and phonograph dealers.
About pipe organ books, we suggest that the pub-
lication called "Organ Building for Amateurs," by
Wicks, is a very popular one. It may be had at
Lyon & Healy, Chicago. There are, of course, a
great many similar publications, one of which is
"Clarke's Manual of Pipe Organ Construction."
* * *
PHONOGRAPH CABINETS.
Topeka, Kansas, Dec. 28, 1919.
Editor Presto: Wish you would kindly give me
the names of one or two cabinet makers of talking
machine cabinets.
Prefer some companies as near Chicago as can
get as would be better for me than further East.
Very respectfully yours,
J. F. BROUGHTON.
There are a great many industries devoted to the
manufacture of talking machine cabinets. The Genoa
Mfg. Co., Republic Bldg., Chicago, is in condition
just now to furnish good cabinets on short order.
If you write to Lem Klein, in care of the company,
just named, your wishes will have prompt attention.
Other cabinet companies are:
C. J. Lundstrom Mfg. Co., Little Falls, N. Y.;
Grand Rapids Brass Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.; S. E.
Ovcrton Co., Holland, Mich.
* * *
WANTS TALKING MACHINES.
Haddam, Kans., Dec. 17, 1919.
Editor Presto: We are engaging in the phono-
graph business and want a book or guide of all the
makers of such instruments and their addresses. We
aim to add them as a side line and want to get in
touch with makers of standard instruments.
You can advise any makers of such instruments
to send us their propositions. We may take the
agency for two makes. How is the Elti-Nola?
Does it give good satisfaction? Find inclosed fifty
cents in stamps for Presto Buyers' Guide and in-
formation.
Yours truly,
YODER & ROSAMOND.
Presto Trade Lists, covering the phonograph in-
dustry and trades, and the music trades and indus-
tries are not yet ready. They will be just what
you want.
About phonographs, there are a great many now
manufactured which present special advantages to
the trade. We suggest that all of the following are
manufacturing talking machines which possess
points of special merit:
Ampliphone Phonograph Co., 220 S. State St., Chi-
cago; Mandel Mfg. Co., 1455 W. Congress St., Chi-
cago; Perkins Phonograph Co., 831 N. Wood St.,
Chicago; Kreiter Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; L. S.
Priess, Minneapolis, Minn.; Holland Piano Mfg. Co.,
Minneapolis, Minn.; Bush & Lane Piano Co., Hol-
land, Mich.; Brooks Mfg. Co., Saginaw, Mich.; The
Delpheon Co., Bay City, Mich.; The Compton-Price
Co., Coshocton, Ohio; Goldsmith Piano Co., 1223
Miller St., Chicago; Magnola Co., 711 Milwaukee
Ave., Chicago; S. N. Swan & Sons, Freeport, 111.;
Milwaukee Talking Machine Mfg. Co., Milwaukee,
January 15, 1920.
Wis.; R. C. Wade Co., 110 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago;
Weser Bros., 524 W. 43rd St., New York; Oro-Tone
Co., 1810 Irving Park Blvd., Chicago; Deterling Mfg.
Co., Tipton, Ind.
These are some of the good ones and, of course,
there are many more. The Endless-Graph Mfg. Co.,
4200 W. Adams street, Chicago, also makes a very
attractive novelty in the form of a combination talk-
ing machine and parlor lamp. This is a good arti-
cle for popular sale.
* * *
FRANCIS BACON AND CORNISH.
Morgantown, Ky., Dec. 30, 1919.
Editor Presto: Would it be presuming too much
to ask your advice in regard to buying a piano?
Is there any comparison between a Francis Bacon
piano and the Cornish?
We have tried out the Cornish and found it exactly
as represented, and in our estimation it competes
with the Francis Bacon, but find you have very little
to say in Presto Buyers' Guide about the Cornish,
but a great deal about the Francis Bacon, the
Chickering and Baldwin—also a great many other
high grade pianos.
We don't want a cheap, commercial piano, or
trade-mark, but a good high-grade piano to be
bought at a reasonable price, and not be over-
persuaded by an agent.
Fraternally yours,
T. T. MOORE.
There can be no doubt whatsoever about the
character and quality of the Francis Bacon piano. It
is manufactured by one of the most powerful in-
dustries and it has its origin 'way back in the first
beginning of the American piano industry. As a
matter of fact, there are but very few older names
associated with the musical instrument manufacture
in this country than that of "Bacon." For the rea-
sons named, and the equally important fact that
materially and musically the Francis Bacon is a
thoroughly good and reliable instrument, we feel we
are safe in commending it.
The Cornish piano is comparatively little known.
It is manufactured for the mail order trade, as we
understand, and it has no special standing among
the music merchants. Without doubt it is a well
made instrument and, perhaps, in some sections, it
stands as well as most of the little-known pianos.
There is no reason to doubt that the purchase of a
Cornish would be secure enough, but there is, of
course, as you must realize, a name vaiue in high
grade instruments which it is often well to consider
where the investment is a matter of importance to
the buyer.
In this case we suggest that as good a way as
any would be to buy the instrument that you can
buy at the price you want to pay and that meets
your views in appearance and musical effects. The
amount of space devoted to instruments in Presto
Buyers' Guide has nothing to do with their relative
merits.
* * *
PEEK & SON PIANO.
Whiting, Ind., Dec. 31, 1919.
Editor Presto: How can I obtain a copy of the
Presto Buyers' Guide? Or perhaps you can inform
me as to who has been handling the old "Peek &
Son" piano. In my work as a piano tuner I find it
necessary that I have this information.
Yours very truly,
CLARENCE EGGERS.
The Peek & Son piano is now manufactured in
New York City by a subsidiary industry of Jacob
Bros. Co., 539 W. 39th street. We suggest that
you write to the industry named for any further
particulars concerning the Peek & Son instrument.
The Peek & Son piano is briefly described on
page 79 of Presto Buyers' Guide, 1920 edition.
Price of the book is 50 cents postpaid.
* * *
PHONOGRAPH CABINETS.
[Telegram.]
Waldron, Ark., Dec. 26, 1919.
Editor Presto: Wire me, collect, and give me the
name of the company in Michigan that makes
phonograph cabinets, and what else do they manu-
facture? Your paper told, in a back number. The
paper has been misplaced-
LAMAR HARRIS.
Several Grand Rapids phonograph cabinet indus-
tries have been described in Presto, among them
that of the Sonora Company. The S. E. Overman
Company, of Holland, Mich.,-Js making them; the
United Phonograph Co., of Sheboygan, Wis., has
made thousands of them; The Genoa Mfg. Co., Re-
public Building, Chicago, makes a specialty of them;
Lundstrom Mfg. Co., Little Falls, N. Y., is a big
cabinet concern; Grand Rapids Brass Co., Grand
Rapids, Mich., makes them; Great Eastern Mfr.'s
Association, Chicago, jobs them largely; and there
are many, many more. Presto Trade Lists will
give them all.
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