The talking machine world (July-Dec 1927)

[ yPOPEAN HEADQUARTER La Vl IVi^^^^ I mmi ml 1 68 Milton St. (Fore St.) £-C. 2. Clerken well 1448 ' Conditions in the British Gramophone Industry Are Satisfactory, Reports Show Columbia Gramophone Co. Sponsoring a Huge Dance Contest — Awards at International Music Exhibition at Geneva Announced — To Make New Edison Bell Record London, Eng., October 4.— Conditions in the gramophone industry here, based upon detailed reports from the big recording companies, who, of course, set the pace for the whole industry, are most satisfactory, indicating continued progress. It is true that at times things are slow, but every month holds the record of some progress. This, despite the other attractions that industry and invention have brought to the fore during the last few years and which, indeed, only seem to have added fuel to the flames of activity that seem to burn everybody connected with the industry. Columbia Activities Ever to the fore in keeping its name before the public the Columbia Co. also is as versatile in its methods as it is ceaseless in its activity. A few months ago it sponsored the huge Beethoven centennial scheme, and now has in contemplation, I understand, another big scheme for finishing the Schubert Unfinished Symphony. Now comes the news that huge dance contests are to be organized by this company and held in the most important centers in the United Kingdom. Two thousand pounds are to be devoted to prizes, and the finals of the contests will probably be held in the Royal Albert Hall. The accompaniments will be provided, of course, by Columbia machines and records. New H. M. V. Machine Most of the superlative phases in the English language have already been used up by gramophone enthusiasts, so that is hard to find or coin a new word in praise of the new His Master's Voice Electrical machine, which, although not yet shown to the trade at the time of writing, the writer was privileged to hear as a journalist. For months the experimental staff at Hayes has been engaged in perfecting an instrument which would give electrical amplification to records, and in a few weeks the new machine will be put upon the market. I am not permitted, at the moment, to dilate on details, but sufficient to say that the electrical or magnetic pick-up is marvelously efficient and different from the other types on the market here. New Edison Bell Records The Edison Bell six-inch "Bell" record is, I understand, not to receive any additions to the existing catalog. The company states that owing to the great advance in the cost of materials, heavy recording expenses and overhead charges, it finds it impossible to profitably pro duce new "Bell" Records at present prices. A new type of electrically recorded record is to be sponsored by the company, named the "Crown," a six-inch record, which is to retail at 9d. Honors at Geneva The principal awards in the Gramophone section at the recent International Music Exhibition at Geneva have now been announced and are as follows: Hors-Concours; the Gramophone Co., Ltd., "His Master's Voice," Hayes, England. Grand Prix: Columbia Gramophone Co., Ltd, London; E. Paillard & Cie, S. A., Ste. Croix; Herman Thorens, Ste. Croix. Grande Medaille d'Or; Chantecliar, S. A., Ste. Croix. Medaille d'Or: R. Reinert, La Chaux de Fonds. Brunswick-Clifton Deal British Brunswick, Ltd., recently acquired, I understand, a controlling interest in the Cliftophone Co., Ltd., and is now in the throes of a big press campaign for the Brunswick records and the Cliftophone gramophone. Large Columbia Foreign Trade In an interview given by Mr. Sterling immediately prior to his journey to Japan, he said that since April 1 100,000 Columbia machines had actually been shipped abroad, and that it was anticipated that by the end of the Columbia financial year at least 250,000 gramophones would be sold and delivered. In no way behind the Columbia Co. is the Gramophone Co., and, I understand, that the output of machines for this year is 110 per cent greater that that of last year. The Fight Made Sales— and How! — Now Try Football (Continued from page 131) The Utica Radio Supply Co., of Utica, and the C. L. Stone Piano Co., of Syracuse, also reported substantial gains of both sets and accessories. So much for the bout broadcast and its most satisfactory results. Columns of reports of satisfied dealers could be written, but the foregoing is typical of what every radio dealer who was alive to his opportunities could report. It should be evident that no matter what efforts are put into a tie-up with events of wide public interest, the results are more than commensurate with the time and money ex World's Classified Advertising Any member of the trade may forward to this office a "Situation" advertisement intended for this Department to occupy a space of four lines, agate measure, and it wil< be inserted free. Replies will also be forwarded withoui cost. Additional space will be at the rate of 25c per line. If bold-faced type is desired the cost of same will be 25c per line. Rates for all other classes of advertisinK on application. One of Chicago's largest phonograph and musical instrument jobbers has good territory open for either side line or full time salesmen. Box No. 1624, c/o Talking Machine World, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York. WANTED : Three salesmen to sell the Brunswick line of Panatropes and combinations. Salary and commission contract. Chance for advancement. Write or apply to: Charles M. StiefT, Inc., 24 North Second Street, Harrisburg, Pa. WANTED Representative of good standing, active — reliable — for large Swiss manufacturer of TALKING MACHINE MOTORSSOUNDBOXES— TONEARMS. Highest references required. Address "Box 1622," The Talking Machine World, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York City. pended. So — the football season is well on its way, but the big games are still to come. In the accompanying columns a partial list of the games of greatest interest which will be broadcast is given. Football has its enthusiasts, and the number of them is steadily growing. Tell them of the play-by-play reports which will come over the air for the next couple of A Few of the Football Games Which Will be Broadcast Oct. 15 Notre Dame-Navy. Oct. 22 Yale-Army. Harvard-Dartmouth. Oct. 29 Pennsylvania-Navy. Yale-Dartmouth. Nov. 5 Pennsylvania-Harvard. Ohio State-Princeton. Nov. 12 Michigan-Navy. Yale-Princeton. Nov. 19 HarvardYale. Nov. 24 Pennsylvania-Cornell. Nov. 26 Army-Navy. months. They all cannot attend every game, for their favorit^; teams travel, but with the purchase of a radio receiver, they can follow their teams through their Schedule, and groan audily when a fumble is made and thrill when the halfback intercepts a pass and runs through a broken field for a sixty-yard touchdown. Merger of Wells-Gardner and Precision Products Go. Wells-Gardner & Co., Chicago, 111., and the Precision Products Co., Ann Arbor, Mich., have merged their radio manufacturing businesses and organized a new Delaware corporation, known as the Consolidated Radio Corp., with C. A. Verschoor, president; A. S. Wells, vicepresident; F. E. Royce, secretary, and Frank Dillbahner, treasurer. The merging companies will continue their present manufacturing plants in Chicago "and Ann" Arbor, but in future the combined business, will be conducted by the new corporation operating the two plants, as separate units, one as the Wells-Gardner division, and the other as the Arborphone Division. One of the first steps of the Consolidated Radio Corp. was the taking out of the licenses under the radio patents of the Radio Corp. of America, the Westinghouse Electric Mfg. Co., General Electric Co., and the American Tel. & Tel. Co. This license combined with their own patents places the company in a very favorable position in the radio field. W. W. Kimball Go. Plant Operating at Gapacity The W. W. Kimball Co., Chicago, according to recent reports, has been operating its phonograph factory at capacity speed for some time past. Reports that the phonograph business is not enjoying prosperity are met at the Kimball office with production and sales figures denoting the contrary. It is not unusual for the Kimball factory to work overtime many days in succession in order to keep pace with the demand for its products. Excerpts from letters received by the Kimball Co. indicate the enthusiasm among dealers for the Kimball phonograph, especially Style 110. The firm has received numerous complimentary letters from dealers throughout the country praising the tone quality and volume of this particular style. Plaza Go. Announces New Table Model Phonograph The Plaza Music Co., New York City, has announced the Fine Arts micro-phonic table phonograph designed on the new improved sound reproduction principles. The equipment consists of a micro-phonic reproducer and tone arm and despite the fact that it is a table model contains a four-foot sound chamber. It is attractively cabineted in genuine mahogany and has a duo-tone finish. 132