Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
The American Music Trade Weekly
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT •
Editor*
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com*
merclal Cable Co/a Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29. 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 5. 1ST9.
Subscription, $2 a ys.a p » 6 months, $1; Foreign. $4.
Payable In advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions. Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Payment is not accepted for matter printed in the
editorial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of pro-
duction will be charged if of commercial character,
or other than strictly news interest.
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is
requested that their subjects and senders be carefully
indicated.
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat-
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago^ III.
SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1927.
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur-
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that
is not strictly news of importance can have
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they
concern the interests of manufacturers or
dealers such items will appear the week follow-
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the
current issue must reach the office not later
than Wednesday noon of each week.
A PIANO MOVEMENT
Mr. A. (i. Gulbransen started something when
he proposed the destruction of the old pianos
by the potent method of fire. A few dealers
have actually applied the torch to a pile of an-
tique and tuneless instruments, but the effects
of Mr. Gulbransen's words in addresses and in
articles printed in Presto-Times are in evi-
dence in the reform noticeable in dealers' ad-
vertising.
Mr. Gulbransen's proposition had the poten-
tialities for developing into an actual movement
had a financed plan to compensate dealers for
destroying the old taken-in-trade pianos been put
into operation by the National Association of
Music Merchants or some official body created for
that purpose. The average dealer will not sur-
render what he regards as property without some
compensation. The old pianos taken in trade, no
matter how decrepit, "look like money" to him.
Nor is he impressed with the altruistic thought
that his sacrifice in burning up his own old trade-
ins would help to stop or decrease the general
accumulation of the derelicts. But observing
piano men admit that Mr. Gulbransen's expres-
sion of strong views has helpfully changed some
detrimental publicity customs.
Sales of used pianos are not so strongly
featured as they used to be. The "last a life-
time" argument has been sealed up in the
can of obsolete phrases and thanks to the
tuners' follow-up on Mr. Gulbransen's words,
the "this piano needs no tuning" fiction is no
July 16, 1927.
longer used by salesmen in first class piano
stores.
In short, many old practices that resulted
in little good to the dealers, but in a tremen-
dous harm to the piano business generally, are
being discontinued. The old thumpboxes are
still taken in trade with ridiculous valuations
placed upon them, but quite a few representative
houses have accepted Mr. Gulbransen's cure for
the used piano problem—the torch or an equally
drastic means of eradication.
George at dinner. Among the necessities for
Egyptian gorgeousness which were installed
was a gold piano; not gilt, but the pure metal
as far as the case and back and hardware was
concerned. In the printed account of the
royal function the name of the piano is
omitted, which makes it incomplete for the
piano men. It may be a tuneful instrument
and free from metallic drawbacks and then
again it may be a sacrifice of tone by the mak-
er in order to comply with the requirements
of the gold scheme for Fuad's party. Any-
way, what Mr. William Braid-White, the
MR. PARNHAM'S ADDRESS
acoustic
expert of the American Steel & Wire
In an address to the convention of the West-
Co.,
or
Mr.
J. Piquette, instructor of the Am-
ern Music Trades Association in San Fran-
pico
Traveling
School, might think about its
cisco this week, Mr. John Parnham, president
harmonious
possibilities
would be interesting.
of the Cable-Nelson Piano Co., South Haven,
*
*
*
Mich., presented the unmistakable demand of
A
street
dance,
even
of
the vociferous kind,
the public today for taste in the manufacture
is
a
justifiable
means
to
the
satisfactory end—
of any commodity it buys. It is not a new at-
more
piano
sales—according
to that expert on
titude, Mr. Parnham pointed out, but one
piano
promotion,
Mr.
Frank
J. Bayley of De-
which has become more pronounced within
troit.
But
the
celebration
in the form of a
recent years.
street
dance
last
year
has
developed
into the
The condition he said produced its healthy
"Detroit
Music
Carnival"
for
which
four
band-
reaction in the observing piano manufacturers
stands
will
supply
music
for
four
huge
dance
and one marked result is the development of
the Period models in their piano lines. In his stands where a hundred thousand enthusiasts
topic "Period Model Tendencies in Pianos," can shake a leg in celebrating piano playing
Mr. Parnham also alluded to the mistaken be- contest finals.
lief of some dealers that taste in the appear-
Foster & Waldo, Minneapolis, Minn., is spon-
ance of the piano is a secondary consideration.
soring
the Melody Way method of piano lessons
The demand for taste is not limited to the
which
the
Minneapolis Journal has made the basis
rich. The great middle class; people fairly
of
a
well-advertised
teaching plan. And of course
well off, he said, have an unmistakable ten-
Foster
&
Waldo
is
doing its part in the whole-
dency towards furniture and pianos in which
hearted
manner
that
has distinguished the firm
the artistic features in appearance have been
since
it
was
established
in 1877. In a special page
developed. The presentation of art and Pe-
display
in
the
newspapers,
the company quotes the
riod models in upright and grand pianos is
opinions
of
the
most
prominent
men in the musi-
the response by piano manufacturers to an
cal
field
of
Minnesota
on
the
Melody Way
urgent demand, in Mr. Parnham's opinion.
scheme.
* * *
After all, the basis of prosperity in the mu-
The
young
pianist
who was declared cham-
sic industry is in the farmer's ability to buy
pion
of
the
recent
piano
playing contest in
commodities of all kinds. When he is heart-
Chicago
believes
the
greatest
privilege gained
ened by a good crop he is better inclined to
by
his
proficiency
is
the
ability
to buy a Stein-
listen to his daughter's plea for a new piano
way
piano.
In
a
letter
reproduced
in the
to replace the secondhand thumpbox, qualified
news
columns
this
week
he
expresses
his
opin-
by age and inadequacy for bonfire fuel. In a
ion
of
the
instrument.
The
letter
too
pro-
year of good crops and prices he is enabled to
vided
good
advertising
material
for
Lyon
&
wipe out or cut down his bill in the general
Healy.
store, which emboldens the owner's wife to
* * *
press her proposition for a new baby grand
It
is
certain
that
the trade isn't getting all it
piano. Which considerations make more in-
could
out
of
automatic
pianos. The possibilities
teresting the opinions of Mr. Elmon Arm-
of
the
instruments
are
undeniably
great, as every
strong on Texas farming anticipations ex-
keenly
observant
man
of
the
music
trade must
pressed in a letter printed elsewhere in this
see.
As
now
constructed,
and
considering
the
iissue.
almost limitless field it afford, the automatic and
The most progressive piano s a l e s m a n
frankly ignores all consideration of the old
piano in negotiation for the sale of a new one.
Apart from the greater tonal merits of the
new instruments there is the element of mod-
ernity in the design of the latter as well as
decorative treatment to fit the artistic char-
acter of rooms. The modernization of homes
in accordance with period schemes involves
the purchase of something suitably artistic.
The cheerful decorative methods of today call
for brightly treated piano cases. The sales-
man who presents these considerations in ap-
peals to the prospects can politely set aside
the suggestion of a trade-in value in the an-
tique.
* * *
King Fuad of Egypt, who is cutting a royal
swathe in his visit to England, had the Egyp-
tian legation in London done over to the tune
of $2,500,000, before he entertained King
electrically operated piano should be a source of
large profits to the dealers almost everywhere.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio, has been made a center for the
promotion of the desire to learn to play the piano
and a potent means to that end is the Toledo
Blade which has started a Melody Way Club.
Of course the scheme is endorsed by the Toledo
music dealers in practical ways, one of which is
the free use of pianos for study.
* * *
The spread of the band and orchestra move-
ment is phenomenal. Literally hundreds of the
smaller cities and towns are resounding with brass
band music where heretofore the sound of it was
only occasional. The band instrument department
is now a necessity in the progressive music store.
* * *
The piano in the schools idea is spreading
rapidly. It is the natural result of the piano
playing contests in many large cities. Piano
dealers everywhere should take advantage of it.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/