Music Trade Review 1895

Die Zeitschrift Music Trade Review ist online verfügbar:

• Music Trade Review

• Music Trade Review

RENE GRUNEWALD.

Within the past decade New Orleans has made rapid advances in all lines of manufacture, and it seems that the name of Grunewald is to be prominently associated with the manufacturing interests of New Orleans as it has been in the past in a commercial sense. It was Rene Grunewald who realized the importance of New Orleans as a manufacturing center for musical instruments. The geographical location of the city gave it a decided advantage as a distributing point. It was in '94, when he purchased lots on Conti street, where he immediately commenced the erection of a large and spacious brick building, which was to be particularly constructed for the manufacture of mandolins. Mr. Grunewald having been associated with the music business in a retail way the greater portion of his life, knew precisely what the people needed in mandolins.

After completing his factory at 818-22 Conti street, he placed therein the latest wood-working machinery, suitable for all the intricate carving, sawing and boring" which is necessary in the construction of mandolins. This machinery was made especially for Mr. Grunewald. His next move was to secure the best skilled artisans from the South and from Europe. He then commenced the manufacture of the Grunewald mandolin. From its very inception the Grunewald mandolin proved a success, and has become a vast favorite with the people of New Orleans and vicinity. As his product became wider known, the demand was constant and steady from outside towns and cities for the mandolin which bore the name of Grunewald and the stamp of the Crescent City. Live music dealers in the South quickly saw the selling qualities of these mandolins, and bought them in goodly numbers—in fact, the remarkable business which Mr. Grunewald has built up in so short a time can only be attributed to the excellent class of work which comes from his factory. It is his thorough knowledge of the music business, his close acquaintance with the trade, and the personal supervision which he gives to every detail of his factory that enables Mr. Grunewald to give to his customers such a pleasing line of musical instruments. He now manufactures over nineteen different styles of mandolins. It is possible that in the near future he will add to this the manufacture of guitars and drums; as well as other musical instruments. Dealers who have not seen the Grunewald mandolin should lose no time in placing a sample order. Already these goods have been shipped as far north as Milwaukee, and everywhere have given satisfactory results.

Rene Grunewald has made a careful study of natural woods of which he makes a specialty. These are shipped direct to him from Mexican and South American ports. His knowledge of woods is thoroughly appreciated by some of the Northern manufacturers, who have purchased from Mr. Grunewald a large number of mandolin necks and finger boards. In a recent conversation about woods and where purchased, the proprietor of the lirst mandolin factory in New Orleans said:

"Here is a fair sample of mahogany," continued Mr. Grunewald, pointing out a large pile of the beautiful wood; "Spanish cedar, direct from Bocas del Toro, Colombia, while here is an oddity in wood— figured cypress.

"Now, the idea struck me to turn out mandolin necks of various designs and woods, and samples have been sent to various factories North, East and West, and many orders have already been the result.

"With wood laid down on our wharf and turned out properly, there is no reason why it will not be advantageous to distant factories to buy direct from me, avoiding the expense of handling the log in the rough by rail and afterward by machinery. It goes to say that having all advantages to obtain necessary material direct, the saving in freight and handling, we can manufacture necks, bodies, or the mandolin complete, at a lower rate than any factory in the United States.

"Factories throughout the country, if not realizing this altogether, have some exceptions, and a number of orders for 'necks' are already on file and are being prepared for shipment. These, you see, are of perfect workmanship and the finest of material, and I am satisfied cannot be duplicated for the money in any factory of the country. "

Rene Grunewald has the same genial traits which are the main feature in all the Grunewalds.

Aside from a personal supervision of his factory, he is associate director in the L. Grunewald Co.

On the opposite page we present to our readers a reproduction of a few of the many testimonials given to Rene Grunewald by eminent musicians of New Orleans. A perusal of these will show how highly the Grunewalds are appreciated by men who have gained a national reputation as musicians. The indorsements speak eloquently for the musical qualities of the mandolins, and certainly must be very pleasing to Rene Grunewald to have attained such lecognition on the qualities of his musical instruments.

Source: http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1895-20-16/28/ and http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1895-20-16/29/

More articles about René Grunewald: http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1897-24-14/35/

http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1898-27-11/09/

http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1895-21-18/15

http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1895-21-18/18/