Joe Hale's Last Laugh!

[Les Smith]

Greetings, All!

Joseph Hale (ever own a "Hale" tuning hammer?) is sometimes referred to
as the "Father" of the commercial piano. He was the original out-sourcer
and his one over-riding goal was to build his pianos as cheaply as pos-
sible. His concern was not quality. It was cost. Pure and simple. He
succeeded admirably. His instruments were inexpensive, cheaply-made, bot-
tom-of-the-barrel PSO's from start to finish. As might be expected, he
sold all of these  he could make--and made a bundle on money in the pro-
cess--due to an innovative marketing approach called "The Stencil System".
His pianos were made without a name on the fallboard or plate. Later,
when a customer would buy the piano, he could have any name he wanted,
put on the fallboard. While there were certainly a large number of
Stineways, Chickrings, Knabees and the like sold, the system, of course,
invited even greater abuse. In the best American tradition, however,
the ethical concerns didn't bother Joe at all, he just kept raking in
the bucks and eventually became a very wealthy man.

I can't help but comment what a big laugh Joe would be having--if he
if he were still alive today-- when he saw new Young-Chang pianos being
sold with the name "Knabe" on their fallboards. While the old American
firms like Chickering, Knabe, George Steck and Weber are long gone,  the
notorious "stencil system" which they universally decried is alive and
well. Joe wouldda loved it!

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net