Presto

September-October, 1932
PRESTO-TIMES
12
THE TUNERS' NATIONAL CONVENTION
AT DETROIT
By Henry MacMullan
No false notes jarred, against Nature's chime to
mar the harmony and spoil the readjustment of the
piano and the piano business at the twenty-third an-
nual convention of the National Association of Piano
Tuners, Inc., held at the Hotel Statler, Detroit, in
August last. The delegates, members and visit-
ors attended from many states and countries—they
were present from Los Angeles, from Quebec, from
Ontario, New York. Cleveland, Ann Arbor, from
Wyandotte and Pontiac Mich., from Newark, Ohio,
from Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee, from De-
troit and Toledo, from Windsor, Out., from Ypsi-
lanti and Saginaw, from Lansing and St. Louis, and
from almost everywhere else on th-e North American
Continent. There were one hundred and thirty tuners
present.
No Depression Talk
They didn't talk of depression from want of tuning
to do or of oppression from sumptuary laws, but
every man who spoke looks upon the making, selling
and regulating of the piano as a sound business
proposition.
Instructive in Technicalities
No convention that this writer has ever attended
provided better technical discussions, for these ex-
perts command inimitable technical skill and their
sessions engaged in an exchange of facts, of theo-
ries and of practical and tried-out ideas. Their facts
were fascinatingly presented, and each participant in
the round table discussions seemed to bring to his
task the humility of the tradesmen, the joy of the
sportsman and the conscience of the artist. Not one
was false to his credo.
Conquerors of Difficulties
As a class oi piano workers, they are men who
have found that many things that appear easy are
fuH" of •difficulties".' And one of their diplomatic tasks
is to prevent the dissatisfaction whic'i arises from
the ignorance or carelessness of piano owners or
users in mishandling the piano.
Got Excited Over Exacting Things
The speakers got excited over the most exacting
things, showing how- much importance they attach to
work requiring extreme accuracy. For extreme ac-
curacy held t'.ie focal interest in several departments
of the discussions, as in the questions and answers
following a paper by Charles W. Dowling of Newark,
Ohio, on "The Advantages of the Tapered Tuning
Pin." Mr. Dowling recommended the tapering pin
used in the Yose piano, hundreds of which make he
had tuned. He said the tapering hole, distributed the
strain along all parts of the hole equally. Auto man-
ufacturers had turned to the use of this sort of bore
for their tapered roller bearings. They called them
"tuning pin tapered roller bearings."
Universal Pitch for Band Instruments
Accuracy again was the keynote in the speech of
J. F. Boyer, secretary of C. G. Conn, Ltd.. Elkhart,
Ind., whose subject was "Put the World in Tune."
"We have a few things in common," he said to the
tuners in explanation of a manufacturer appearing
on the program of the technicians. And he went on
to prove that they had many things in common.
He gave great credit to tone researches made by
William Braid White, of Chicago, and others and
spoke in favor of the universal pitch for band in-
struments.
A Royal Welcome
Mayor Frank Murphy of Detroit gave the opening
greeting on the first day of the convention, while
Dr. Hall, formerly of the School Board, now of the
City Council, and John W. Bethune of Wyandotte,
chairman of the Detroit Division, gave the address
of welcome. Mr. Bethune said: "We want you to
partake of that hospitality for which Detroit is noted.
Detroit is proud today in having as its guests mem-
bers of this great organization from almost every
state in the Llnion and from Quebec and other places
outside of the L T nited States."
Limitations of Radio and Phonograph
President A. V. Miniiie of Pontiac, Mich., spoke
broadly of the work in which the members of the
association are engaged. He said: "Neither the
radio nor the phonograph supplies the human need
for real music, so the piano will never cease to occupy
a deservedly important place in our artistic and es-
thetic affairs. The idea that radio, phonograph and
other devices have relegated the piano to the 'what-
not,' junk-pile, so to speak, is erroneous. To be sure,
the time is past when one is purchased as a piece of
decorative furniture. Now they are bought to be
played."
Beginners Learn in Factories
Speaking of the qualifications of the piano tuner
and why tyros take up the profession at all, Mr. Min-
ifie said: "The reliable adept at tuning begins his
schooling in a piano factory, in the majority of cases.
He shows an aptitude for a certain line of activity,
and his keen ear-sense makes itself manifest in the
stringing of the instrument. He cultivates his gift—
and that is what it is—until he is able to qualify as
a tuner. In addition to being able to set the correct
pitch with the aid of a tested tuning fork, a man
must know the mechanism of the instrument and be
able to make virtually all essential repairs. Many
homes employ a tuner by the year, and every three
months, or oftener if the occasion arises, visits are
paid and the instrument is tuned and put in con-
dition."
A Profession Not Overcrowded
Speaking of the tuning profession in general, Mr.
Minifie said piano tuners are born, not made. And
that is one of the reasons why the tuning profession
is not overcrowded. It takes a rare character to
make a successful trained nurse or piano tuner.
Neither profession will ever be crowded.
Moth-Eaten Hamimer-Heads
On the trite subject of moths in pianos, Mr. Min-
ifie said in part: "The presence of moths in a piano
does not argue poor or inefficient housekeeping. But
they get into the felt on the hammers, gorge them-
selves and destroy the usefulness of the instrument."
How Radio Helps
Many of the delegates to the convention reported
that pianos are being restored to favor, put into the
best condition and music lessons started or resumed.
In some instances reports were made that radio had
acted as an incentive to such resumption.
MATHUSHEK
And the
SPINET
GRAND
To keep up production and success in manufac-
turing and marketing a high grade piano and along
with this to add an entirely new product and get it
well established is an accomplishment to attract more
than ordinary attention.
This is what the Mathushek Piano Manufacturing
Company has accomplished with the Spinet Grand,
and this within considerably less than two years'
time; since, to be exact, the days of the Music Trade
Convention at Chicago in June 1931. which was the
time of the first public showing of this beautiful and
exceedingly musical little piano:
It is a particularly important event in the business
of a music house career, that when in bringing out a
piano of this character, one original in construction,
that it should not be too far-fetched, not so ultra-
radical in its musical construction or in appearance
as not to meet with favor by the critics; the profes-
sion and artists, the best class of musical people, and
the music trade, for these folks will not accept nor will
they tolerate eccentricities and in no case inventions
and self-styled "improvements" in the piano that do
not show positive proof of vital improvement. The
Mathushek has long been regarded as a piano of
remarkable musical qualities and of superior con-
struction and build in every way and now, with the
Spinet grand which has been on the market long
enough to have been well tried out this conservative
manufacturing concern has a product to be proud
of in giving to the musical world an instrument of
marked individuality and distinctive musical quality,
for development in perfecting the instrument has con-
tinued from month to month, resulting in the product
as we see it today.
The Spinet has been on exhibition in many places
aside from important music stores and is now spe-
cially displayed at the National Alliance of Art and
Industry, located at the Art Center, 65 East 58th
street, New York, N. Y.
In addition to producing the Spinet Grand in early
American design, quite a number of instruments oi
other periods, such as Late Jacobian, Spanish, Dun-
can Phyfe, and others have been supplied. All in
all, the Spinet Grand is an instrument of distinctive
beauty and design in any and all of the models made.
Although compact in size the tone produced is of an
unexpected volume, rich in quality and depth of tone,
features made possible by distinctive Mathushek con-
struction.
Presto-Times has watched tlie progress of the
Spinet Grand with special interest and our observa-
tions show that dealers who become interested and
exploit them in the many ways that they are
capable of being exploited are meeting with success,
not only in sales of the Spinet itself but in its attrac-
tive features on the floor of the salesrooms and in
window displays. In fact, it has come to the atten-
tion of Presto-Times that dealers handling exclusively
other makes of pianos have secured Spinet Grands
to attract attention as window displays, for the Spinet
is so unique and, withal, so attractive in design and
general appearance that it immediately commands the
attention of passers-by and few piano prospects w r ill
pass a Spinet Grand displayed in a window. One
dealer who does not aim to make sales of the Spinet
Grand said that he considered his Spinet window
display a very valuable advertising asset. As he put
it, "I consider it worth more than my hundred dollar
a month advertising contract with our local paper."
This new Spinet Grand, the instruments now com-
ing from the factory, have several outstanding fea-
tures. One of these is the modern Wessel, Nickel
& Gross grand repetition action, as also the use of
the regular damper action and damper head as used
in the grand piano of today.
The trade is particularly directed to the special
Mathushek display advertisement which appears on
the back cover of this issue of Presto-Times. Deal-
ers cannot make a mistake in getting acquainted with
the Spinet Grand proposition; in fact, it will be a
profitable thing for them to do.
The registration certificate from the government
registering the name "Spinet Grand" has been re-
ceived by the manufacturers giving, of course, sole
rights to the name and entire protection against in-
fringements.
Speaking of the advantages offered by the Spinet
grand, its "drawing attraction," so to speak, Mr. Ben
Strub, general western representative of the Mathu-
shek Company, cites an incident in New York where,
in a small room on Broadway, two Spinets were
placed on exhibition in the window, resulting in
scores of daily inquiries and, naturally, many piano
sales prospects.
The Piano's Predecessor
John Challis gave a demonstration lecture on old
piano forms. Mr. Challis' .talk on the construction
of t'ie harpsichord was extremely interesting to the
technical audience.
Fifteen Million—Gosh!!!
Incidentally, mention was made at the convention
that there are 15,000,000 pianos throughout the coun-
try which need to be tuned today.
Stein's Lively Business
Charles Frederick Stein, piano manufacturer of Chi-
cago, was met at the convention by Presto-Times'
representative. He said: "Times are decidedly better.
I have not a grand of the six-foot variety on my fac-
tory floors. I sold three six-foot grands the last
week in July, two more later and last week I parted
with the last one to a most urgent customer. Yes, I
look for much better trade in pianos." Mr. Stein
was booked for a speech on Wednesday but was
unable to meet that engagement on account of illness
of Mrs. Stein, which required his attention and ab-
sence from the Wednesday meeting. He did give
an interesting talk at the Tuesday evening banquet,
however, which was listened to with much interest
and. by the way, he was honored by his piano, the
instrument used for the banquet program. This piano
was the seven-foot Charles Frederick Stein concert
grand.
Pianos Exhibited
There were two notable exhibits of pianos at the
convention: the Mathushek Piano Manufacturing
Company, New York, and Charles Frederick Stein of
Chicago. The Mathushek exhibit was centered par-
ticularly on their now famous little grand, the Spinet
grand, an instrument that has well-nigh swept the
country in popularity since it was brought out two
or three years ago. Mr. Ben M. Strub, general West-
ern representative of the Mathushek interests, did the
Mathushek honors at the convention.
The other exhibit was two grand pianos by Charles
Frederick Stein of Chicago; one a seven-foot con-
cert grand which, by the way, was the piano used
for the Tuesday night banquet; the other the five
foot two inch parlor grand, a piano which Mr. Stein
says he is "wonderfully proud of for it has more
than met my expectations in salability and quality."
New Officers and Committees
The following are the officers for the ensuing year:
Nels C. Boe, President; Richard Kamperman, Vice-
President; Arthur P. Schneider, Treasurer; Miss Gub-
bins, Executive Secretary.
The Executive Committee consists of: Nels C. Boe,
chairman; Richard Kamperman and Erwin H. Bacon.
The P. L. Parker Music Company, at Salina, Kans.,
(Continued on page 13)
has resumed business at that place.
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