Wichita eagle., 1888-02-08
BUILDING PIANOS.
SOME CURIOUS FACTS REGARDING
THEIR MANUFACTURE AND SALE.

THEIR MANUFACTURE AND SALE.
Comparatively Few Piano Factories Ca
Justly Claim to Make Their Own In
struments-Fancifui Names-BorrOwir-
Good SOLICITATIONS Successful Tricizs
Pianofortes are no longer manufacture1
bat are built Only two or three OF the hun
Greds of piano factories in this country car
justly claim to make their instruments from
beginning to finish. Large establishmeTt5
devoted to the manufacture Of some partic,a
lar portions of the instrument have spruIs
lp of late, and have SO revolutionized the art
of piano making that in some shops not sir
gle part of 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 e mechanism
known as the action. and as many foundrics
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 trusses; 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
ters of ivory supply complete leyboarCls 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 tho var
nish dealer. Thus, nothing remains to be
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 capacity OF turning
out the enormous number of sixty to seventy
five completed instruments a week, makes no
part of the piano but the name. and quite
frequently ever 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 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
farciful. are used by makers whose reputa-
ton will not Justify demanding a high price
for pianos bearing their own name. It is
not, however, to be inferred that all instru-
ments built and put together like blocks in a
puzzle are necessarily inferior.
The quality of pianoforte depends upon
two essentials-the scale, and the care with
which it is constructed and finished. The
scale is a matter of scientific accuracy in
form, balance and proportions of the iron
frame over which the strings are stretched,
and its adjustment to the sounding board
This is generally most readily arrived at by
borrowing from some leading maker. A first
class piano is secured and taken TO pieces, tbs
frame or scale is copied, often by making q
casting from the original plate, and the new
manufacture is equipped with a successful
scale, without experiencing any of the delay
and disappointment incident to experiments
in search of the new and the beautiful
The casemaker is next visited, and it is
found that moderate price will buy a case
suitable for a high class instrument, and one
less elaborate, made of lighter material. can
be had for a surprisingly small sum. While
the case, which is made of white wood and
ash veneered with something more e1pen-
sive, is getting its first coat of the stain
which is to turn it into rosewood, ebony or
cherry, the skilled workmen are putting the
frame and sounding board together. The
stringing is then done, the pins being driven
into place with a hammer instead of being
carefully screwed in as III the old fashioned
days of conscientious work and high prices
While this is in hand the case is glued to-
gether, having received its several coats OF
yarniSh.
More rosewood pianos are made than of all
the other sorts combined; yet few are really
veneered with rosewood nowadays This is
because it is seldom that varnish will not
soon show small chinks and cracks On this
veneer. and, as a very close imitation can be
produced by staining, it is usual TO veneer
the cases with mahogany or haywood or
sometimes with cherry, and then transform
ii into rosewood or ebony as preferred No
real ebony is ever used for similar reasons,
and also because large pieces of ebony veneer
cannot be had
THE FINISHING TOUCHES.
After the stain comes the vanishing This
is frequently done by contract, the varnish
foreman receiving q stated price for each in