Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-21
A WORD OF CAUTION TO
PURCHASERS.

HNHE GREAT REPUTATION OF
l. the s SrEINwAT PIANOS, /" and the extensive
and ever Increasing demand for them, have in
dueed unscrupulOus piano manufacturers and
dealers to adopt all sorts dishonorabls devices
and expsiisnts whi,h they systematically follow
with neal and perseverance worthy OF a better
cause.
At one time these persons assert that these pi-
amos made or sold BY them the as - Stein
ways" at another, that they made by Stein
ways foreman, or best workman, and are just
as good, eto q; and go widely have these misrepre-
sentations been circulated that we are continually
receiving letters from all parts of the country, in
quiring into The Truth Of these assertions, snd
revealing the fact that most Of the smaller
makers in this city pretend 70 have been f'remen
in our factory, represented as such by their
agents throughout the country, while in reality
not one in twenty of them have ever been EN-
Ployed by us in any capacity. Up &c the present
time, not one Of our foremen has gone into busi-
ness for himself, and this fact alone is sufficient
refotatiOn of the false assertions TO which We have
alluded.
Again it is our duty to forewarn the musical
public against the misrepresentation Of a host
Of - Piano-makiug Associations, pretending to
be composed Of "stSBway's best workmen, and
making pianos ex Actly like "steinwAys ., and
just as good, &C.
This is not true. Several inventions and i'm
provments, from which arise the chief excellen-,
cies OF our Instruments, are patented by our firm,
and eaAnoi be used by any other maker. For in
stance! our "Patent AgrRfis Arrangement, 3
most essential and important improvement that
all our instruments now contain.
The great superiority of our pianos is therefore
not only the result Of better material and more
thorough workmanship Though much is derived
from thst), but there essential differences and
improvements ofoonstructieu, the right to employ
which belongs to rs only, as it was ours, too, to
/ first introduce them.
| Aside, then, from the ustruthfulness Of the
pretcnsiOns thus expose, the risk Of purchasing
K = piano, and relying upon Any statement or ASST
rance that emenates from an irresponsible body Of
men without name, capital or experience. and
whose warranty, in any case, is not worth the pa
per that contains it, will probably be appreciated
/ by all rejecting purchasers
| It has frequently occurred that persons intend
/ ing TO embark in business Independently, as piano
| makers and tuners, have worked for a few weeks
in our factory their sole object, we have subse-
| quently learned, being to found claim to have
| been oneof Stenway's" workmen, and although h
| this only tends to confirm the fact that our in
| strumen;s are universally regarded possessing
the highest degree Of perfection, yet tie satisfac-
| tion We might take in this homage is more than
eounterbalanoed by the loss and modification that
but too often result to those WhO become the VIC
| tins of such practices.
| 1t certainly must be poor piano which cannot
1 be sold on its own merits, and when dealer has
really good instruments for sale he will be surs
| 10 oter them for what they are. When he il
/ anxious to persuade his customers that they are
/ ss the same thing" as sOm-thing else, i1 is com.
| monty an attempt to palm OF poor article the
reputation Of q better one.