Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-03-20
BUILDING PIANOS.
SOME CURIOUS FACTS REGARDING
THEIR MANUFACTURE AND SALE.

SOME CURIOUS FACTS REGARDING |
THEIR MANUFACTURE AND SALE.
Comparatively Few Plano Factories Can
Justly Claim to Make Their Own In
struments-Fspciful Names-Borrowinz |
Good scale-various Successful Tricks.
Pianofortes are no longer manufactured, |
but are built. Only two or three Of tho hun
dre1s Of piano factories in this country can
justly claim to make their Instruments from
beginning to finish Large establishments
devoted to the manufacture Of some particu-
lar portions Of the instrument have sprung
up OF late, and have 30 reyolutionised the art
OF piano making that in some shops not a sim
gle part ii the completed instrument is made
in the factory.
There are probably dozen places In New
York and vicinity devoted exclusively TO the
making Of cases A like number make the
beautiful and delicate piece Of mechanism
known as the action, and as many foundries
| cast the heavy iron plates which sustain the
enormous strain of the strings There are
| also manufacturers Of sounding boards, and
| OF wrest planks, into which the tuning pins
are set; carvers Of legs, Tyres and trsrsses; i'm
| porters Of felts and cloths, winders of wrapped
strings for the lower notes, and drawers Of
thinner wires for the upper notes.
Several large houses make a speciality OF
pianoforte hardware, and half dozen cut
tiers Of ivory supply complete keyboards with
black keys Of ebony and white keys Of a me
dunn quality Of ivory. Other establishments
make keys Of various compositions, princi-
pally of celluloid, and even the stencil plates
for the name are often furnished by the var
nish dealer. Thus. nothing remains to DO
made at the factory but the name, and that
is sometimes of the most adroit workman
ship.
One Of the largest buildings ON the west
side Of this city, with a capacity Of turning
out the enormous number of sixty to seventy
FIVE completed instruments week, makes no
part Of the piano but the name, and quite
frequently even that is furnished to them by
the dealer who buys largely enough to jus
tify having his own name put on as the
maker. Sometimes a name is manufactured
having so close resemblance to that of some
one Of the best known makers as to mislead
the unwary.
UNDER FANCIFUL NAMES.
Besides these, dozens Of names, purely
fanciful, are used by makers whose reputa-
ton will not justify demanding high price
for pianos bearing their own name. 1t il
not, however, to be inferred that all instru
rnents built and put together like blocks in q
puzzle are necessarily inferior
The quality of a pianoforte depends upor
two essentials-the scale, and the care witt
which it is constructed and finished Til
scale is matter of scientific accuracy il
form, balance and proportions of the irol
frame over which the strings are stretched
an its adjustment to the sounding board
: This is generally most readily arrived at b,
borrowing from some leading maker. a frs
/ class piano is secured and taken to pieces, tn
frame or scale is copied, often by making
casting from the original plate, and the nev
g manufacture is equipped with a successful
scale, without experiencing any of the della
t and disappointment incident to experiment
in search of the new and the beautiful.
The casemaker is next visited, and 1t
found that a moderate price will buy cas-
d suitable for high class instrument, and on
r less elaborate, made of lighter material, ca
}, be had for surprisingly small sum. Viii
the case, which is made Of white wood an
ash, vensered with something more expel
$ sive, is getting its first coat of the stat
, which is to turn it into rosewood, ebony {
q cherry, the skilled worknen are putting Il
frame and sounding board together tt
stringing is then done, the pins being drive
If into place with hammer instead of beiI
II carefully screwed in as in the old fashionf
q days of conscientious work and high price
While this is in hand the case is glued t
gether, having received its several coats
le varnish.
Ia More rosewood pianos are made than Of {
70 the other sorts combined; yet few are real
yeneered with rosewood nowadays. This
because it is seldom that varnish will n
T. soon show small ohinks and cracks on I'll
,p veneer, and as very close imitation can
produced by staining, it is usual to yene
the cases with mahogany or haywood
- sometimes with cherry, and then transfer
m it into rosewood or ebozy as preferred
= real ebony is ever used for similar reason
and also because large pieces Of ebony yene
l., cannot be had
nd THE FINISHING TOUCHES.
After the stain comes the vanishing. IT
is frequently done by contract, the varni
be foreman receiving a stated price for each
ur strument finished, hiring his own assistaI
@ and buying the varnish himself. After
case has Joined company with the iron fral
iif- and sounding board, the action is placed
position and the wires get the first rou
tuning. If the piano is to have any soul, I
tone regulator now proceeds to develop it
n bis skill. But if the price at which it is to
mt sold does not justify such Injuries as pu
get round and even tone, and a crisp, respons
do touch, the soul makers responsibilities
lot not exacting. Fly finishing is done Ia
III, This includes putting on lock and hing
he and the instrument is then ready for sale.
an 1t is popularity believed that no plain pia
ce. however fine, can be made to cost the maj
es facturer more than 500, and the fact d
lde some OF the cheapest are wholesaled at
to- than $50 seems to justify that impressi
, 1t is thus a matter OF comment that in nea
sly all catalogues the old extravagant prices
a quoted, although it is well known that in
: a most every case the list price is utterly
S regarded in making sale.
err Only nehouse of any repute has had
of courage to do away with the long price
her tenn. and to face the inference that reduet
gle indicates a cheapening of quality. One g
the establishments vigorously holds to the b
ich list throughout, giving only moderate
not count even at wholesale, but its patrons s.
ade willing to pay the prices, and a reduction
al modification would probably result in a
PIE OF caste.
Inc All the piano makers, however, do
| AVID