Presto

PRESTO
PRESTO
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT 407 SOUTH DEAR-
BORN STREET, OLD COLONY BUILDING, CHICAGO, ILL.
Editors
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT
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partments. Cable Address (Commercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the Post Office, Chicago, Illinois,
under Act of March 3, 1879.
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charge in U. S. possessions, Canada, Cuba and Mexico.
Address all communications for the editorial or business departments to PRESTO
PUBLISHING CO., 407 So. Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
Advertising Rates:—Five dollars per inch (13 ems pica) for single insertions.
Complete schedule of rates for standing cards and special displays will be furnished
on request. The Presto does not sell its editorial space. Payment is not accepted for
articles of descriptive character or other matter appearing in the news columns. Busi-
ness notices will be indicated by the word "advertisement" in accordance with the
Act of August 24, 1912.
Rates for advertising in Presto Year Book Issue and Export Supplements of
Presto will be made known upon application. Presto Year Book and Export issues
have the most extensive circulation of any periodicals devoted to the musical in-
strument trades and industries in all parts of the world, and reach completely and
effectually all the houses handling musical instruments of both the Eastern and West-
ern hemispheres.
Presto Buyers' Guide is the only reliable index to the American Pianos and
Player-Pianos, it analyzes all instruments, classifies them, gives accurate estimates
of their value and contains a directory of their manufacturers.
Items of news and other matter of general interest to the music trades are in-
vited and when accepted will be paid for. All communications should be addressed to
Presto Publishing Co., 407 So. Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1920.
TO CORRESPONDENTS.
PRESTO IS ALWAYS GLAD TO RECEIVE NEWS OF THE
TRADE—ALL KINDS OF NEWS EXCEPT PERSONAL SLANDER
AND STORIES OF PETTY MISDEEDS BY INDIVIDUALS. PRESTO
WILL PRINT THE NAMES OF CORRESPONDENTS WHO SEND IN
"GOOD STUFF" OR ARE ON THE REGULAR STAFF. DON'T SEND
ANY PRETTY SKETCHES, LITERARY ARTICLES OR "PEN-PIC-
TURES." JUST PLAIN NEWS ABOUT THE TRADE—NOT ABOUT
CONCERTS OR AMATEUR MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENTS, BUT
ABOUT THE MEN WHO MAKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND
THOSE WHO SELL THEM. REPORTS OF NEW STORES AND
THE MEN WHO MAKE RECORDS AS SALESMEN ARE GOOD. OF-
TEN THE PIANO SALESMEN ARE THE BEST CORRESPONDENTS
BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE TO READ AND HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FINDING OUT WHAT IS "DOING" IN
THE TRADE IN THEIR VICINITY. SEND IN THE N E W S -
ALL YOU CAN GET OF IT—ESPECIALLY ABOUT YOUR OWN
BUSINESS.
METAL PIANO CASES
A group of piano men were discussing the possibility of some
substitute for wood in piano cases. One of them told of a plan, sug-
gested by a Mid-west scientist, for making cases of pressed paper. He
seemed to think that the anticipated objection, that paper fibre would
be lacking in the essential of resonance, was not much of an argument.
"We do not get much tone quality from the case," he argued, "and
the degree of added tone volume is not appreciable. It is the sound-
board that is sensitive and amplifies the tone, and not the bulk of the
wooden sides or back posts."
He pointed to the fact that we have pianos of splendid power
and quality that have no wooden back posts, but are strengthened by
metal, and others that have no perpendicular supports at all. He also
recalled the piano displayed in New York, years ago, the case of
which was covered with heavy plush. And he asked how much the
wooden case thus smothered by wool or silk could have had to do
with augmenting the piano's volume.
And then another member of the group sprang a suggestion that
brought to mind a piano case long since forgotten. He wanted to
know why a cast iron case was not feasible. And the question recalled
the fact that, many years ago, there was a metal piano case introduced
with considerable success. It was the square piano of Robt. McCam-
mon at the time manufacturing in Albany, N. Y. The McCammon
metal rim extended about half the width or depth of the case. It
was a slender but strong casting, and it was finished to represent
mahogany. The piano was of seven octaves and its tone was in every
way satisfactory. In appearance the McCammon metal rim case was
even more attractive than the average built-up round corners of that
time.
The McCammon piano, with its traditions and the influence of
its fine old name, are now the property of William Tonk & Bro., Inc.,
of New York City. That fact is alone enough to imply that the Mc-
Cammon is still an instrument of superior quality. But whether Mr.
William Tonk would consider the possibilities of applying the metal
September 18, 1920.
case idea to the uprights is very doubtful. But, in any event, the
suggestion of the piano man that metal cases might be introduced
did not possess the merit of extreme novelty, as we have shown.
It is interesting, furthermore, to consider that at the time of the
McCammon metal rim case, the piano was fairly reveling in its period
of invention and experimentation. The "Cycloid," of the late Henry
Lindeman, had appeared. J. W. Brackett, of Boston, had brought
out his pedal piano. George M. Guild had completed his eccentric
tuning pin device, and the Mathushek "Calibre" had come out of
New Haven, Conn. It was a period of piano industrial novelty
amounting almost to excitement.
And today, when lumber is becoming scarce, and in consequence
very expensive, it is not strange that even papier mache is considered
as a possible substitute. The idea of pressed piano cases seems almost
fascinating. We have paper railway rails, paper clothing and paper
other things, large and small. In fact, it is difficult to side-step the
temptation to say something about the fact that even the sale of
pianos has for many years been very largely a matter of "paper." But
it is certain that, if ever the metal piano case again appears, it will
not be without precedent and the name of McCammon will eventually
become the center of reminiscent discussion.
THE GERMAN INDUSTRY
Have the German music industries shared the fate of the ex-
Kaiser and shut up shop, or retired to some resort with high fences
around them to be heard of no more? Or have they issued again from
the caves of their country's defeat and hung out their signs higher
and bigger than ever? These questions may not seem so very im-
portant to us, on this side the water, just yet, but they may become
of significance later along.
Of course you all remember how deep were our anathemas dnly
a few short years, even months, ago, whenever any suggestion of Ger-
many's return to the arena of industrial music in a world of reason
was uttered. You recall how our English cousins met together and
in solemn tones declared that German music, and especially German
musical instruments, should nevermore invade the smug little isles.
And they meant it. Things seemed to look bad for Germania and her
songs were for a time missing and her piano factories almost silent.
But what about it today?
A copy of the Leipzig "Zeitschrift Fur Instrumentenbau" of Aug.
15 may give us a good moving picture of the piano, and other musical
instrument activities, of the land of heavy debts. The paper is the
same that has been put forth through calm and storm, by Mr. Paul
DeWit, for forty years. And this particular copy of the Leipzig trade
paper is for some reason designated the "Gute Ausgabe," or "Quality
Edition." But as an index to what the Germans are doing in musical
instrument manufacture the advertising pages of the "Zeitschrift Fur
Instrumentenbau" present a perfect illustration. And if there were
any in the industry on this side who thought that defeat at arms
would crush the energies of the piano makers of Berlin, Leipsic,
Barmen and Dresden, the fact that the Leipsic trade paper of the
date named carried 411 aggressive display advertisements is enough
to reverse the judgment as to what the Teutonic music makers are
doing.
There is no other people so deeply in earnest in matters musical
as the Germans. They have returned from the fields of battle as
eager to hear music, and as earnest to make the instruments that
produce it, as ever they were, and seemingly more so. And there is a
special interest in the fact that among the advertised names in the
Leipsic paper are several that are supposed to belong over on this
side. There is, for instance, the "Pianola" advertised as if a Berlin
product; and the "Autopiano" is announced in big type as the ex-
clusive pride of Kastner & Co.—but the Autopiano is a trade factor
the world over. There are, too, a number of novelties which seem to
have been developed since the war. The "Moon Guitar" is an in-
strument designed to represent the moon, the twin sound-holes repre-
senting the eyes, another the nose, and the string pegs of white form-
ing the row of teeth. Of course the body of the guitar is as round as
the full moon. There is a novel piano stool with a double seat, one
of which is raised by a saw-buck device, for the use of children. A
Berlin piano-maker advertises a new "oval soundboard," and there
is a large industry devoted to the production of coin-in-the-slot de-
vices designed for the general piano industry. The familiar Soss
hinge appears with the name of "Peres" as the producer in Berlin.
But about the most significant feature of the very active Leipsic
music trade paper is the number of advertisements calling for ex-
clusive agencies of German instruments by English representatives
and established houses. Considering that it is but a short time ago
that the English piano associations met and inscribed "nevermore"
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