Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-19
PIANO-FORTES.
A WORD OF CAUTION TO
PURCHASERS.

THE GREAT REPUTATION OF
i the " srEEvAI PIAEos,' aud the extensive
AMI ever Increasing demand FOR them, haze in
dUced interruptions piano manufacturers and
callers adoUt all sorts OF disbonoTable devices
and eApcdients whish they automatically follow
with zeal and perseverance worthy Of better
cause.
At one time these persons assert that these pi-
made sold BY them are the same as q Stein
way's;' at smother, that they are made by Stein
ways foreman, or best wOrKmaD," and are just
good, etc ; and 80 widely have these misrepre-
seHtatseHs been circulated that we are continually
receiving letters from all parts Of the country, in
quiring into the nth Of these assertions, and
revealing the fact that most Of the smaller
makers in this city pretend to have been foremen
in Cur factory or are represented as such by their
AGENTS throughout the country, while in reality
not one in twenty Of them have ever been en-
pl.-yed by Us in any capacity. Up to the present
time. not one OF our fOremsn has gone into bust
for him-elf, and this fact rlune Is sufficient
refatatOn Of the false assertions TO which have
alluded.
Again il is our duty to forcwarn the musical
public against the misrepresentation Of a host
Of f" Piano making Associations, pretending TO
be composed Of "a 'tsteinwsy's best workmen,' and
making pianos exactly like " steinway's g." and
just as good, &c.
This is not true. Several inventions and I'M
proyments, from which slise the chief eKeellen-
cies of our instruments, are patented by our frm,
and cannot be used by any other maker. For in
stance: our "Patent ACraffe Arrangement"
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 mu h is derived
fcom th-t) but there are essential differences and
improvements ofoonstruction, the right TO employ
which belongs TO Us only, as it was ours, too, TO
irst introduce them.
Aside, then, from ths u=truthfulaess Of the
pretensions thus expose, the risk Of purchasing
a piano. and relying upon any statement OF assu-
rance that emenates trom 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, viii probably be aPpret lated
by all rejecting purchasers
1t has frequently occurred thst persons intend
ing TO embark in BUSINESS independently, as piano
makers and tuners, have worked for a few weeks
in factory, their sole object, we have subse-
quently learned, being to found claim 10 have
been ore Of - Stenways" workmen, and alth ush
this only tends to confirm the fact that our in
struments are universally regarded as possessing
the highest degree Of perfection, yet tie satisfac
tiOn We might take IN his homage is more than
counterbal1nced by the loss and modification that
but too often result TO those vhO become the vic
tins OF such practices.
80 cert inly must be poor piano which cannot
Be sold on its own msrits, and when a dealer has
really good instruments for sale. he will be sure
to oaer them for what they are When be is
anxious TO persuade his customers that they are
- the sarae thing" something else, It is com
monty arsAttsmpt TO palm OF poor article on the
reputation Of better one