Presto

21 PRESTO May 19, 1923 NEW COLUMBIA ROLL IS OUT The June Release for 65-Note Electric Pianos Contains Ten "Hot Ones." Columbia Music Roll Co., Chicago, announces the release of Roll No. 1755, the new June roll for 65-note electric pianos. The new Columbia roll includes the following ten "very latest hot ones": Swingin' Down the Lane, Fox-trot; Don't Think You'll Be Missed. Fox-trot; I'm Drifting Back to Dreamland, Waltz; Beside a Babbling Brook, Foxtrot; Down By the River, Fox-trot; Who's Sorry Now, Fox-trot: River Shannon Moon, Waltz; Think of Me, Fox-trot; Baby Buntin', Fox-trot; Wet Yo' Thumb, Fox-trot. T. WILSON'S NEW MACHINE Wilson Bros. Mfg. Co. Introduces New Process of Manufacturing Fret Wire. A new departure in the manufacture of fret wire for stringed instruments is being introduced by Wilson Bros., Chicago drum manufacturers. A new machine, invented by Tom Wilson, head of the .firm, some years ago, is now being used by Wilson Bros. Mfg. Co. with decided success. The new process is revolutionary. It is a distinct contribution to the trade, in that it remarkably improves the quality and reduces the cost of fret wires. It is claimed that the Wilson process increases the footage per pound from ten to thirty per cent. This, of course, means a sharp reduction in the cost of manufacturing. The new wire is also claimed to be much improved in quality over the ordinary kind. The Wilson invention guarantees a more uniform wire, and eliminates the filing which ordinary fret wire requires. A special head, with barbs which are guaranteed to hold equally well in hard or soft wood, are also features. The barbs on both sides of the wire, tightly held in place by a "fish-hook" principle in construction, explain why the new wire has been named the "Hold-fast Fret Wire." Samples of the new product have been sent to six of the leading manufacturers of stringed instruments in the country. From these six, Wilson Bros, have received orders for more than a ton of "Hold-fast" wire. And if the bigger manufacturers adopt it, believe the Wilson officials, the smaller firms must come to use it, for they have no cheaper or better method than those used by the larger houses. In short, the Wilson Bros. Mfg. Co. see a brilliant future for their new product. The machine which manufactures the "Hold-fast" wire was invented by Tom Wilson almost twenty years ago, when he was with Lyon & Healy of Chicago. The drum business, however, kept him too busy to fully work out the process, and the invention was left idle until lately. The present popularity of the ukelele and banjo, however, led the firm to take up the idea. Now they have perfected it, put it into operation and have jumped with both feet into the fret wire manufacturing business. This is not the first contribution that Tom Wilson has given to the trade. He has already four or five inventions in connection with drums to his credit. This latest promises to be one of the most important of his successful productions. The new process is, naturally, a secret one. It is not sold, and is used solely by the Wilson Bros. Mfg. Co. TALKING MACHINE MEN MEET. A meeting of Talking Machine Men, Inc., was held on Wednesday, May 16, at the Cafe Boulevard, 41st street, near Broadway, New York City, when an election of officers for the coming year took place. The final reports of the entertainment and other committees were presented and matters relating to several events were discussed. What the association has done in connection with Music Week and the Music Memory Contest was told and in five minute talks from dealers, ways to improve our business were suggested. There also was a demonstration of new songs by two popular composers, Louis Breau and Charles Tobias. FACTS FOR WOOD USERS. Another valuable piece of research work for the benefit of wood using factories has been started by the Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis., in which the Government institution will study the proper methods of filing the common cabinet woods. This will involve the study of methods and materials. The necessary information is being got together by means of questionnaires and by special visits to wood using plants. TUNERS' Here are BASS STRINGS Special attention given to the needs of the tuner and the dealer OTTO R. TREFZ, Jr. 2110 Fairmount Avenue PHILADELPHIA, PA. The Piano Repair Shop Get Our New Cir ulati and Price* Pianos and Phonographs Rebuilt by Expert Workmen Player-actions installed. Instruments rehnished or remodeled and actions and keys repaired. Work guaranteed. Prices reasonable. Our-of-town dealers' repair work solicited. Write for details and terms. PIANO MOVERS SUPPLY COMPANY THE PIANO REPAIR SHOP PRACTICAL PIANO MOVING SUPPLIES INCREASE SELLING POWER One-Man Steel Cable Hoist; Two-in-One Loaders, Trucks, Covers, etc. BUCKINGHAM, PA. 425 South Wabash Ave. Chicago AN ERRONEOUS UKULELE IDEA Not Ancient as Commonly Stated, But Had Origin Less Than Fifty Years Ago. Occasionally daily newspaper writers, more imaginative than correct, allude to the ukulele as "the ancient instrument of the Hawaiians." It is an erroneous bit of description because you could hardly call a thing invented about 1879 ancient. But, although the origin of the ukulele is comparatively recent, it is interesting. It really represents the musical birth of the Hawaiian people. The so-called ukulele craze may be said to have its beginning in 1901. when "The Bird of Paradise," Tully's poignant drama, began to tour this country. Then people began to ask what were those little guitar-like instruments used in several of the scenes whose haunting strains provided accompaniments to characteristic songs. Now Hawaiian music is common, Hawaiian orchestras familiar everywhere, Hawaiian records and rolls are among the popular things, and the ukulele itself one of the easy-selling instruments in the musical merchandise stock. The original ukulele was but a strip of bamboo with two or three strings of cocoanut fiber. From this developed the tarpotch, invented about 1879, which had the shape of a guitar and was equipped with five strings. Then followed the modification, the present ukulele, which reduced the number of strings by one and reduced the length from twentyfive to seventeen inches. Conn band goods are featured by the L. A. Taylor Co., Davenport, la. LEATHER FOR PLAYERS ORGANS PIANOS PNEUMATIC LEATHERS A SPECIALTY Packing, Valves, All Special Tanned Bellows Leather T. L. LUTKINS, Inc. 40 Spruce Street NEW YORK DEALERS AND TUNERS! Big Cut in Prices Piano Key Repairing Celluloid, Complete Tops, Set Keys $7.00 Ivorine (grained), Complete Tops, Set Keys 8.00 Composition, Complete Tops, Set Keys... 10.00 Sole manufacturers and distributors of H. P. & O. K. Co. famous Ivory White Glue. Needs no Heating. Applied Cold. Sent anywhere in U. S. P. P. $1.00 can. HARLEM PIANO & ORGAN KEY CO. 121-123 E. 126th St. New York Cits', N. Y. MAGOSY & BUSCHER PERFECTION PLAYER ROLL CABINET Furnished in 5 ply veneered 13/16 stock in Mahogany, Oak and Walnut Designed and Manufactured By Perfection Piano Bench Mfg. Co. Capacity, 150 Rolls 614-618 So. Canal St. CHICAGO First Class OVAL AND ROUND METAL SPINNERS Makers of high-grade hammered Cym-, bals in Brass and German Silver, from 2 to 18 inches; Brass Mutes for Cornets, Trombones, French Horns. Our Hammered Cymbals are as Good as Turkish Cymbals in Sound, and they don't cost as much. Drum Major Batons in Wood and Metal. Makers of the BESTONE Banjo Resonators We Can Manufacture Any Specialty in Our Line to Order. 232 Canal St. and 118 Walker St., NEW YORK 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/