562 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



double over the old style of stringing; the case is also, generally, larger 

 both in depth and length. It would be useless to chronicle the thousand 

 small inventions which were claimed positive improvements upon the piano, 

 but which were radically of but little importance. Sound boards have 

 been crumpled up on the plea that increased vibratory surface was obtained; 

 plates have been insulated and completely detached; bottoms have been 

 taken out, a second sound board has been added; hammers have been made 

 to strike downward; the case has been half filled with blocks of wood, and 

 again the case has been left entirely empty; the oblique strain of the 

 strings is claimed to have been remedied; iron has been substituted for 

 wood for the cases; the key-board has been arranged with a semi-circular 

 sweep; tuning forks, or metallic tongues, have been substituted for strings; 

 but none of these infinitesimal inventions have succeeded in establishing 

 their claims as permanent improvements. The improvements which have 

 really been accomplished in the past twenty years are: First, the enlarge- 

 ment of the scale; second, the increased length of the string; third, the 

 heavier stringing; fourth, the increased area of the sounding board; fifth, 

 the increased power of the action and heavier hammers; sixth, the scien- 

 tific adaptation of the iron plate, combining the utmost poseible strength 

 with lightness, and seventh, the system of over-strings in the bass. 



These accepted and permanent improvements are now adopted by every 

 maker, and the superiority of any one instrument is dependent upon for- 

 tuitous circumstances, such as the best seasoned material, the most skillful 

 artisans in the various departments, and the amount of honest care 

 bestowed upon the manufacture. The belief that the best instruments (we 

 speak, of course, of square and upright pianofortes) can only be made by 

 the largest manufacturers, is a popular fallacy that should be exploded. 

 There ai'e many small makers in this city, whose instruments are eminently 

 beautiful and whose work is faithful and sterling in every respect. There 

 is another fallacy which is rapidly exploding itself, namely, the value of 

 professional testimonials. So long as professional players and teachers, 

 whether for a consideration or not is a point between themselves and the 

 munu/acturers, gave their testimonials, or written opinions, to all good 

 makers, they were of value to each according to his use of means to adver- 

 tise the facts to the world; but as soon as certain playei's and teachers 

 bind themselves to certain houses, and declare that what they have testi- 

 fied to for other houses before is all fol-de-rol, or a tissue of no-such-things, 

 their so called testimonials become of less value than the paper on wliich 

 they are written, and their motives arc left open to very grave suspicion. 

 The public begins to understand the value of testimonials! Good wine, 

 they say, " needs no bush," neither does a good piano need testimonials 

 from professional gentlemen, four-fifths of whom are profoundly ignorant 

 of the construction of the instrument, or of what constitutes its real merits- 



The cycloid piano, made and patented by Lindeman & Sons, of this city, 

 presents a radical change in the form of the piano, and while adopting all 

 the improvements which have resulted from past experience, exhil)its a 

 novelty in construction which adds a value to all that has gone before, and 

 presents incveascd advantages of such importance that they cannot be 

 overlooked. The form of the cycloid may be described as a square piano, 



