Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
Nnv.-IJec, 1933
derous quantities. Maiiv say that the slump of the player piano and the other automatic
pianos is the main cause of their own downfall and of the calamity which hetell the trade in
general.
* * * *
Now. with the lessening- of piano producing power, with factories closed, half closed, and
many others unable to operate, what will be the result? Will the piano making power, the
present day capacity of factories, not over a half of what it was a few years ago. be able to
supply the demand? Not just present demands of today while the effects of depression still
grip and hold back the music business, but for the days not far off, let us hope, when normal
conditions shall again be with us and sales of pianos and everything else in music shall thrive.
* * * *
And other conditions arise today coming about by circumstances of the day: What will
be the leaders in the days to come? How long will old names survive, and will others come
forward to take their places? But of these and other things, more anon.
He said, however, that the industry is now on a
40-hour week basis and the company of which he
:s president recently increased employment fifty per
cent.
THE CHARLES FREDERICK STEIN THE BYERLY BROTHERS OPENING
A GALA EVENT
FOR A LEADER
Presto-Times calls the attention of the trade to the
announcement on the Charles Frederick Stein piano
appearing in this issue.
Every dealer, and certainly every representative
music house, should have for its leading piano one of
marked quality and acknowledged superiority. A good
leader sells easily and is an important factor in help-
ing to sell other pianos.
By all means your leader should he one of quality,
quality combined with attractiveness, and it may be
well to bear in mind quality leaders are somewhat
limited nowadays. The Charles Frederick Stein piano
will fill every requirement of a high-grade instrument
and a good leader. Mr. Charles Frederick Stein,
under whose personal supervision all Charles Fred-
erick Stein pianos are made, will be very glad to hear
from the trade.
The daily papers are printing an illustration show-
ing the taking away of an upright piano from the
Angelus Temple, Los Angeles, Calif. The story is
that the piano belongs to David Hutton, the estranged
husband of Amy Semple McPherson Hutton, who
had to go to help get it himself when it was refused
delivery to the piano movers. The question is not
so much who took it away and who it belongs to but
what the trade wants to know is the name of the
manufacturers of the instrument.
The Byerly Brothers Music House, Peoria, Illinois,
now comfortably located in their new establishment at
106 North Adams street, that city, had a big opening on
the occasion of moving from their former store.
On this occasion a great band contest was on the pro-
gram in which some two dozen bands participated, and
an ensemble led by Mr. George Byerly, senior member
of the house, so that the occasion was an auspicious af-
fair in the business annals of that locality. The event
brought numerous friends of the Messrs. Byerly Brothers
and all in all the occasion was, as one visitor put it, "In-
teresting and Glorious." The Byerly Brothers' Music
House, owned by George and Eldred Byerly, has made an
enviable record during the past year in the sale of pianos
as well as of band instruments. The Byerlys are prom-
inent in the Peoria Musical Festival activities.
Special piano sales by the Byerly Brothers' House re-
cently have included Steinway, the Baldwin line of Bald-
win, Hamilton and Howard pianos, and the Kimball.
CAME, BOUGHT, PAID AND RETURNED
R. B. Oslund, hustling piano man of Spokane,
Washington, was in Chicago several days recently,
making the trip East in quest of purchases; pianos,
radios, piano benches and even player pianos and
little midgets of which he bought a half a dozen or
so to help fill up a carload of his purchases. Mr.
Oslund "ran amuck," if the term may be applicable,
All along the line, "Prices are going up." The catch when, in trying to buy fifteen to twenty second hand
phrase used by Steinway dealers; "Steinway prices grands and uprights, he found hard work in getting
cannot remain at this low level much longer," is an together half a dozen. Mr. Oslund says he always
axiomatic expression; good and correct and true to has in stock instruments for all conditions, all purses
the letter and the condition not only controls a few and all classes of people: "Therefore," said he, "I do
houses but the entire piano and musical instrument business rain, shine, or downpour."
manufacturing industry. Higher wages and shorter
hours add their quota to manufacturing costs and
Louis S. Kurtzmann, who passed away recently at
prices of material are rising rapidly.
his home in Buffalo, N. Y., had long been disassociated
from C. Kurtzmann & Company, piano manufactur-
The C. A. House Music Company, Wheeling, W. ers, but he was the head of the Kurtzmann retail
\ a., is now celebrating its sixtieth year in business. store in Buffalo. His last piano-making activities were
Of course, a sixtieth year anniversary sale is going in connection with the Capen Piano Company at
Brockport, N. Y., at which he was the principal
on, for a birthday like this without an anniversary sale
owner for a while.
wouldn't be of much consequence.
AN ATTRACTIVE HARDMAN GRAND MODEL
The illustration herewith is
that of a very popular Hard-
man grand model, the Hard-
maii Louis XV. which in its
setting as shown in the illustra-
tion completes a most attrac-
tive ensemble.
This design, furnished in va-
rious veneers is made in three
sizes: 4 ft. 11 in.. 5 ft. 3 in., and
a larger model, 5 ft. 10 in.
Larger sizes in this Louis XV
case can be supplied on special
order.
'
The carving along the entire
lower edge of the rim is a piece
of exquisite workmanship which
adds greatly to its attractive-
ness.
All in all this Hardman
model will be found to meet the
requirements of the m o s t
scrupulous and discriminating
home and a perfect instrument
for studio or concert stage.
If music publishers on this side of the Atlantic
could be benefited by the passing of a law, as recently
done in England, they would have occasion to feel
happy in the thought that a new income would be in
sight. Over there hotels, restaurants and similar
public places are liable for fees for copyrighted music
received by radio.
In an article by E. C. Mills which appears in the
new publication, the Bulletin Quarterly, a paper pub-
lished in the interest of composers, lyricists, writers,
that gentleman makes a clear conception of the close
relationship existing between the music publisher and
the p:ano maker, showing how the two, music pub-
lishing and composing and piano making, help each
other. Mr. Mills says:
"Business as it was prior to 1929, particularly in
the popular field, is not likely to revive until there is
a universal revulsion of public taste, sickened of
mechanical music and returning to the playing of
pianos. Unless there can be a widespread movement
upon the part of the general public toward self-expres-
sion in music through the medium of the piano we
cannot hope for the return of normal sales for our
sheet music."
In another paragraph Mr. Mills says, but which
statement will be rather widely disputed, that "the
public appetite for music is now so sated by its over-
production, hour after hour, endlessly and repetit'ous-
ly over hundreds of broadcasting stations, that there
remains but little desire to hear music by other
means."
The disagreement with Mr. Mills would be that,
contrary to his assertion, there will be a desire to hear
music by other means than over the radio. The
satiated radio listener will want to get away from
"over the air" and produce something manually or
hear something produced ry seme other means than
"over the air" or automatically.
With the discontinuance of radio manufacturing by
the Gulbransen Company, Chicago, through the sale
of its entire radio business and equipment back to
Messrs. Wells, Gardner & Co., from whom purchase
was made some years ago, the last and most notable
of the piano manufacturers that added radro to their
line of production has come about. In the earlier
days of radio development piano factories appealed
to the radio folks and the radio looked good to piano
manufacturers. Some piano manufacturers "got in
good" but most of them got in bad and suffered severe
losses.
Radio manufacturing at that time appeared to be
an "opportunity extraordinary" for filling a gap
occasioned by the decrease in piano output. Some
factories started in an experimental way—a sort of
quasi-assembling venture, an interchange between
chassis makers and piano manufacturers that could
make cabinets and do other woodwork. In this way
complete receiving sets could be quickly and easily
assembled and with great convenience because of the
excellent space afforded in piano factories. Other
piano manufacturers simply purchased or had made
for them receiving sets and so supplied their trade
"stencil" instruments, so-called. The few piano man-
ufacturers that produced instruments made almost
entirely in their own establishments made sets of high
grade.
Adieu to Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition
for this year; good-bye until 1934; adios hasta un
otre vez; auf wiedersehen. We have had glorious times
with you this year and expect even a better time next
year. Again, adios and "we'll be seeing you again."
Buit, really, this Chicago Fair ought not to be just
"another year" enterprise. Why not make it an annual
event? Why not make it a great Chicago Fair pat-
terned, in a general way, after the renowned Leipzig
Fair, the great Leipzig Messe held annually and which
draws buyers from all parts of Europe and from
abroad. Perhaps not so strictly commercial as the
Leipzig Fair but something to draw dealers and
visitors to Chicago to select their supplies? Such a
fair would be a great thing for Chicago.
Mr. A. G. Gulbransen, president of the Gulbransen
Company, Chicago, was once a member of a Sunday
School class at Brattleboro, Vermont, taught by the
late Julius J. Estey, who succeeded his father, Jacob
Estey, who established the Estey business. This was
years ago when Mr. Gulbransen as a young man was
a journeyman reed organ maker at the Estey Organ
Factory. This item might possibly be placed with a
column bearing the caption, "Strange as it may seem."
seem."
Drake's Music Store, Madison, Tnd., has moved
to a location just north of the electric light office, that
city.
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