Music Trade Review 1901 - Regal Mandolins

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Where the " Regal " Instruments Are Made.

Something of One of the Representative Mandolin, Guitar and Banjo Factories of the World—An Important Hove Which Will Make the Regal Products Hore Popular Than Ever—The Manufacturing Interests Severed From the Jobbing Department—Instruments Will Be Sold From the Factory to Customers Direct in Future—Some Reasons for the Augmentation of "Regal" Influence.

This is the age of concentration in the commercial world. Wherever we turn, we find great institutions combining and utilizing manufacturing forces to the end that the greatest possible results may accrue— results that have unquestionably a distinct bearing on the quality of the product produced, the selling price to the dealer, and of course to the purchaser. In other words, economy in production and perfection in manufacture are the cornerstones of success in the twentieth century.

In conformity with this trend of the times, the Wulschner Music Co. on April ist decided to separate the manufacturing and jobbing interests of their business, and the former hereafter will be conducted by the Regal Manufacturing Co. in Indianapolis, Ind. The object of this move is to deal directly from the factory with all customers; to cut down expenses, which will be at a minimum as compared with those of a large jobbing institution, and to better enable the manufacturers to meet with promptness the demand for Regal mandolins, guitars, banjos, etc., which has been steadily growing during the past few years.

The Regal instruments are to-day not only famous throughout the United States, but are known in Australia, South America, the European Continent, and even into India. The first shipment of musical instruments made to Honolulu after the Hawaiian Islands came into the possession of the United States was that of the Regal. Wherever the American flag goes, it may be said, "there goes the Regal." In Mexico Regal instruments have a large foothold, and their popularity is steadily augmenting.

The line of instruments manufactured by the Regal Manufacturing Co. embrace three grades—the "Regal," for which is claimed a superiority unsurpassed; the "University," a strictly high-grade machine-made instrument which is put in competition with the different brands of other makers; the "Twentieth Century," a line of low-grade instruments for which only a quality is claimed in each instance equal in value to the price asked. It is the intention of the Regal Manufacturing Co. to do much more for the dealer in this line, especially, than heretofore.

In advance of the new catalogue, which is now being compiled by the Regal Manufacturing Co., it may be asserted that they promise a saving of at least twenty per cent, to the trade in future. They will submit to their salesmen this summer an entirely new line of low-priced instruments, and will be able, undoubtedly, to offer values heretofore unknown in this line.

The aim of the forces connected with the Regal Manufacturing Co. will be in the future, as in the past, to give the greatest possible value to the trade—to make instruments superior in musical qualities to anything before attempted.

They realize that a really good value once delivered is the surest method of securing further trade, and dealers in placing orders should never fail to bear in mind that every instrument made by the Regal Manufacturing Co. and sold by him, proves of necessity a constant advertisement and recommendation of his firm.

This applies not only to the Regal mandolins and guitars, whose artistic value is of the highest, but to every instrument made in the Regal factory.

The cuts which accompany this article furnish an idea of the vast extent of the plant controlled by the Regal Manufacturing Co. A study of these pictures is more eloquent than words in conveying an idea of the magnificent equipment of this institution, which enables them to turn out annually thousands of instruments, together with the great many made especially to order for some of the large houses of the country, who have their own distinctive lines.

The factory is carefully departmentized, each branch being under the charge of a competent foreman, a trained master of his art, who is accountable for the thoroughness and correctness of the work done. It is this attention to the minutest details that insures the Regal being the perfect artistic creation it is—that makes, as well, all other products turned out from this factory so eminently satisfactory to musicians and the trade.

Perhaps the secret of the success of the instrument made by the Regal Manufacturing Co. is the fact that the gentlemen connected with this enterprise have spared neither time nor money to produce instruments so meritorious as to win a distinct reputation.

Talking along these lines, a member of the firm said recently: "Why, even last year and the year before, after our factory was firmly established, the experiment necessary in constructing the two instruments, the Regal Mandolin Quartet, and the Regal Contra Bass Guitar, ran into the thousands of dollars, and now some of our experts are1 working on a new theory that may revolutionize the manufacture of these instruments, the cost of which we can as yet barely estimate.

"However, we last year reached highwater mark, and the tide turned the other way. Our very large sales, brought about by many years of patient and conscientious effort, were so great an increase over all former years as to yield a profit for the first time."

All music dealers must honor the management of a concern who, in their determination to achieve a result believed possible, spares no labor or capital even year after year, and decline to even consider for a moment the cheapening of a product that would mean the sacrificing of an ideal.

The same conscientious striving after the best is observable in the departments devoted to the manufacture of the "University" instruments, which rank next in prestige to the Regal. Each has a worth distinct in itself, and the same may be said of the "Twentieth Century," which appeals more to the general public than to the great artists who are such enthusiastic admirers and users of the Regal instruments.

During the past year we have referred on several occasions to the numerous artists, headed by Samuel Siegel, who have played the Regal, and noted the triumphs scored wherever these artists were heard. The honors won in this connection are many.

The severance of the factory or Wulschner manufacturing interests under the title of the Regal Manufacturing Co. will not interfere in any way or have any connection with the general wholesale business of the Wulschner Music Co., which, however, will be conducted along the same active lines as heretofore.

Mr. Keyes, so long identified with the latter concern, will in future give his entire attention to the interests of the Regal Co. He will help, no doubt, to develop the business of this institution in his usually progressive and competent manner. Arrangements will be announced later in regard to the gentleman who will take his place in the Wulschner Music Co.

Arrangements are also under consideration consideration wherein the factory will be still further enlarged. In fact, expansion is, and will be, the keynote of the Regal Co.—expansion of ideas, of values.

The progressive dealer will do much to advance his interests by becoming better acquainted with the products of this great manufacturing concern, the growth of which is perhaps among the most remarkable in the history of our great country.

source (with additional pictures from the factory:

http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1901-32-14/28/

and: http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1901-32-14/29/