Cadenza

Crescendo

1901

The very first Dyer & Bro. harp guitar advertisement known, other than the mention in Knutsen's earlier illustrated flyer.

Does it depict a Knutsen Symphony harp guitar or the first Larson-built Dyer Type 1?

This ad ran monthly through August, 1903.  It was absent for 5 months, then returned (exactly the same) in February, 1904 and ran again through November. 

The exact same ad also ran monthly in the year 1904 in The Metronome (an unusual choice, as it was not part of the "BMG scene").  This exact same ad also appeared in S. S. Stewart's Banjo & Guitar Journal in the January, May and July issues of 1902.

Excerpt from "Trade Department"

As is typical, nothing can be gleaned from the verbiage in this monthly column.  Note how the copywriter assumes that the instrument was "made by" the Dyer Company.

The Crescendo had not yet been created

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1903

During the 5 month harp guitar hiatus, Dyer ran this ad for their Sterling Strings 4 months in a row, starting in October.  

1904

The long-running Type 1 ad was immediately replaced with this one depicting what appears to be the typical Type 2 model.  No fanfare of any kind accompanies this momentous occasion, other than that the ad was moved from its long-standing placement in the back pages to the front of the magazine.  They didn't even get their usual mention in the Trade Department - they would the next month, but only the usual generic mention.

Note the endorsement, which must have been referring to a Type 1 Dyer.

It ran until January, 1906.  No Dyer ads then appeared from February to October.

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1906

After an 8-month hiatus, the Type 2 returned.  Or did it?  The ad now reads "Better than ever" and "1906 model."  What does this mean?!

If it was an improved instrument, wouldn't you think they could spring for a new image?  This is the exact same woodcut from the 1904 ad, now reduced to very low contrast and resolution.

This ad ran through August, 1907; September began another hiatus.

Excerpt from "Trade Department"

I never make any make assumptions from the so-called "trade news."  Here again, the copywriter was only "parroting" what the ad boasted; it is not corroboration of any provenance.

Curiously, in January, 1907, a Dyer ad appeared in the American Music Journal, stating "1907 Symphony Harp Guitars" (Noonan, 2009).  I have yet to examine the image.

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1907

No harp guitar ads appeared from September, 1907 through December, 1907 (at which time Cadenza went on hiatus).  Instead, they first ran this "double drum beater" ad (!).

1907

The next three issues included this ad for their Stetson brand, showing a rather pedestrian "bowlback" mandolin.

1908

Cadenza returns, but Dyer absent 

After the December, 1907 issue, Cadenza disappeared for six months.  It returned in July, 1908 under new ownership - Walter Jacobs, a Guild member.  While the Cadenza had originally been the "official organ" of the American Guild of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists, which had formed slowly during the early 1900's, there was obviously some sort of rivalry going on, and the Guild hierarhcy decided to create a new "official organ, The Crescendo.  Curiously, Dyer did not advertise in the first issue of the newly revamped Cadenza.

The Crescendo made its debut.  This was now the "official organ" of the American Guild of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists, which included many of the same members and ran very similar articles and ads as Cadenza had been, and would continue to do.  For the most part, it overtook  The Cadenza in the BMG world, the latter changing direction by catering more to the piano community (and then back again).  Dyer began advertising in the very first issue, with the old Cadenza woodcut and a general announcement.  Note the mention of five bass strings.  This ad ran for three months.

1908

While Dyer continued to run the harp guitar ad in the new Crescendo, they renewed the Cadenza campaign with this intriguing ad.  For a variety of reasons (discussed on the Dyer Mandolin page) I am inclined to believe that their harp mandolin was indeed an "entirely new creation" at this time.  In fact, I think we are looking at a single prototype instrument - built and shown to enough of an audience to warrant the (exaggerated) claim of being a "revelation to everyone" that has "rapidly sprung into popular favor."  This model - with the body points on opposite corners - has never been seen outside this ad.  Why not?  I have a theory on the Dating page.  This ad only appeared in the next two issues (and only in Cadenza) then disappeared.

This was also the first appearance of the tern "sole factors," which we take to mean "agents."  Note also that they now specifically use "Symphony" in quotes unlike all earlier ads, a practice they would do consistently for the remainder of production.  I believe these clues have specific meaning to our study, but interpreting what exactly they signify is proving elusive.

Excerpt from "Trade Notes": 

Nothing special here, other than Cadenza's new editor Walter Jacobs took over original editor Clarence Partee's Trade column, and he was hilarious - coming up with a completely different long-winded and irrelevant introduction for each of the manufacturers advertising in the issue.  He did this month after month!   Did the reader now feel like they were at least getting their money's worth with new information and a new perspective on the brands?

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1908

Using the same woodcut, Dyer reworded the Crescendo ad and specifically mentioned that "flats are as easy as any other key."  This might seem to indicate that they were not using Knutsen's original GABCD sub-bass tuning, but were using some other tuning.  However, I am convinced it is simply an indication that Dyer's instructions recommended and directed one on how to tune individual basses down a half step as needed to accommodate any key.  This would lend accuracy and truth to the claim that "they give you an open bass for every chord in any key" (specifically, retune to achieve the necessary pitches for the standard I, IV, V, II and VI chords in any key - 5 notes would just do it, if they suggested the G could go down to either F# or F).  This ad ran one more month.

Excerpt from "Trade Notes":  The Cadenza writer finally read the ad that they were running a second time.  I suspect that he had no idea whether the harp mandolin was truly new, something common, or even in production.

1908

The old woodcut was replaced with one of an actual 5-bass Style 8 specimen.  Unfortunately, a reversed image was sent to both magazines.  The text is identical in both ads, with Cadenza adding six testimonials.

Note the "Department" number on the address.  Using different numbers for different magazines was a common practice - a simple means of telling which advertising source solicited the response.

Though the image of the "prototype" harp mandolin was dropped, they were still advertising "Symphony" harp mandolins (but no image).

1909

The reversed image was corrected, while all text remained the same.

The Cadenza version ran continuously through April, 1910, the Crescendo version ran monthly also, but went through subtle changes as seen below.

May

1909

Above ad still running

The ad text was replaced with the six testimonials from 1908.  Strangely, the listed harp mandolin was now dropped from Cresendo ads, though Cadenza would keep running the January ad which included it.  Yes, I have hypothetical scenarios for all of this as well on the Dating and Dyer Mandolin pages.  Note that they also dropped the "sole factor" claim.  This ad continued monthly.

1909

Above ad still running

Crescendo mentions receiving a (presumably new) Dyer catalog, which includes complete descriptions of the harp guitars.

1910

Above ad still running

The ad was revamped with text similar to that introduced in December, 1908. Nothing new introduced.  It then continued monthly.

Other than one issue, Cadenza ran Dyer's January, 1909 ad this entire time, and continued for another three months.

1910

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1910

Above ad still running

  Finally!  The first mention of the Dyer tuning.  It never appeared in their ads (which is where the editors copied their Trade Notes information from), so this editor must have read the catalog mentioned earlier, and decided to actually provide extra, useful information.  Not surprisingly, the tuning is the same as Knutsen's - descending D, C, B, A & G.  Even this is part guesswork (though obvious), as the editor stupidly omits listing the D, just after mentioning the 5 bass strings.  He mentions again the ease of playing in any key, which would seem to prove my theory above.

He also mentions a price for the harp guitars!  $27 and upwards.  We can postulate that the plain Style 4 then cost this much in 1910 - unless that was the harp mandolin price, and the editor was again being careless.

1910

  Dyer got a big boost with an endorsement from Valentine Abt. 

Abt was an unusual multi-instrumentalist "BMG" player in that his two main instruments were the mandolin and the pedal harp.  Like most in his field, he played and taught guitar as well.

Abt may never have owned or played a Dyer, but clearly had first-hand experience hearing and assessing it, or he would not have written his testimonial.

The two ads featured identical text, with the same Style 8 image continuing in Cadenza, and a lovely period illustration appearing in Crescendo.  Each continued monthly until the next ads appeared.

1910

Above ad still running

In the Q & A column, a woman asks specifically what the tuning is for six sub-basses.  The type of instrument is not specified.  The editor answers with the same Dyer 5-bass tuning as above (though this time they at least remember the "D").  This would seem to indicate that no new catalog describing the new option of a 6th sub-bass has yet been put out.  In fact, despite the several other existing brands of harp guitar with six subs (including Gibson, who published their own tuning in 1903), and Dyer themselves offering it as an option several months prior (see Feb, 1910), the editors had no clue what people were tuning them to.  For the 6th string, they "recommend" either F (Gibson's) or Bb (?)!  The editor does not answer the lady's question about how to hold the harp guitar either.

1910

Another 6-bass Dyer (looks like a brand new Style 7)

Aha!  A "smoking gun"?  The second dated appearance of Dyer instruments offers evidence, clues, frustrations and one red herring.

For evidence, we have proof that the Dyer harp mandolin - in its standard form, not the 1908 "prototype" form - was being built and sold by this time.  Exactly when is of course impossible to say - we have to factor in the lead time of the photo's submission to the editor to the printing date, and how well the November "street date" matched up with the calendar month for these periodicals.  The group could have been in existence for some time, or they could have unpacked their Dyer shipment, thrown on their tuxes and snapped an immediate photo for a hopeful magazine spot (I certainly would have!).  In any event, the instruments were certainly available in numbers by early Fall of 1910 at a minimum.

The important thing is where it falls in line with the two early harp mandolin patents.  This photo appears smack in-between the expiration dates of the Gaskin patent and the Livermore patent.  Is it a clue?  If so, it is sure a frustrating one! (see the Dyer mandolin page)

The red herring is the mention of the instrumentation, which includes "two mandolins and mandola"  When my Cadenza-research associate, Paul Ruppa, sent me a copy of this many years back, I remember thinking "how cool - a group with all Dyers, including a mandola!"  Later, I realized something was odd, so when re-visiting it again during my Dyer Dating re-investigation, I carefully assembled the three instruments in Photoshop to compare, without changing scale.  I'm not a forensic expert, but I attribute the slight variation in size and scale length to each instrument's relationship to the camera - some are tilted much more than others.  The center one looks a bit shorter, but I think it's an illusion of perspective - I don't think the Larsons built a mandolin with a slightly shorter scale than their normal X" (though who knows?).  None are a true mandola, which would have had not only a notably longer scale, but a very different body shape - as will be seen further down the page when they actually were introduced.

No, I think the group simply wanted the quartet to match (note how they honored Dyer with the name "Symphony Harp Quartet"), and, with no harp mandola yet being available, the player simply strung and tuned his Dyer mandolin to tenor mandola pitch.

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1911

  The harp mandolin came back, and this time it was the actual production model, which we know from the previous photograph and a dated specimen that it was available at least a few months, and likely a year or two prior.

There was nothing about a "new model," and "sole factors" had been previously abandoned.  

This must have been the Dyer harp mandolin's heyday - while the Crescendo ad ran continuously for 11 months, the Cadenza ad ran monthly for a staggering 47 months!

1911

Above ad still running

In Questions & Answers, someone enquires as to who was making mandolas.  The Crescendo editors certainly don't list all the manufacturers, but do mention Dyer - who was almost certainly not making the harp mandola yet.  I think this is a red herring, with the editor either making a mistake, or referring to a Stetson or other non-Dyer brand standard non-harp mandola they knew from a Dyer catalog.

1912

Above ad still running

1912

Above ad still running

1913

Above ad still running

The Boston Ideals, with a six-bass Style 5 or 6.

1914

Above ad still running.

Though no new ads have appeared, or would for awhile, mention is made of a new catalog received at the Crescendo offices.

1915

For reasons unknown, on the last month of the harp mandolin's 4-year ad campaign, Cadenza re-vamped the ad slightly - and then Dyer immediately retired it; this only appeared once.

Dyer now stopped advertising in the Cadenza for a full 31 months - perhaps because the journal was now catering to pianists far more than the original banjo, mandolin and guitar community.

And yet...they also stopped advertising in the Crescendo - also for exactly 31 months.  What was going on with sales and the company?

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1917

Ads still absent

1917

Ads still absent

After over 2-1/2 years, Dyer was back, and with a vengeance.  They returned with the classic harp guitar with a fine print mention of the harp mandolins and now mandolas and mandocellos!  This rather low key ad continued monthly. Note that they now (finally) listed six sub-basses as standard.

1917

Meanwhile, a much more elaborate Cadenza campaign began a month later in the Cadenza, which in the interim seems to have given up on their piano focus and returned to serving the interests of its original core group.   In fact, it, rather than the Crescendo, is now the "official organ of the American Guild of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists.  The first Cadenza ad echoed Crescendo's - perhaps they wanted to remind everyone first of the successful harp guitar?

As we have seen, the Trade column rarely offered any real corroboration or new information.  However, in this case, the editor did not simply place an ad, but made mention of receiving the new catalog.  They note the "new" mandolas and mandocellos also.  While the writer may not have been familiar with Dyer's full production, I would think that they were indeed reporting correctly the information in the catalog itself - that Dyer was introducing the new mandolas and mandocellos for the first time.  Also, despite the ads not picturing the new instruments until a bit later, we can assume that they were already fully illustrated in the new catalog, and thus had been designed and built well prior to this (at least one of each).

1917

.Above ad missing from this one issue

1917

Above ad still runningv.

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1918

Above ad still running.

1918

Above ad still running

1918

. Another newly worded harp guitar appeared but only ran once.

Above ad still running.

1918

One last gasp in Cadenza.  This text-only ad appeared just once.

.Above ad still running

June

1918

Ad campaign over

Dyer continues advertising the line in Crescendo with three more updated ads over the next few months.  This ran 2 months.

August

1918

Ad campaign over

This ran 3 months.

November

1918

Ad campaign over

. This final illustrated ad ran for 9 months.

1919

1919

Ad campaign over

And then there were none.  The harp guitar and mandolin orchestra heyday had not ended by any means, but the "craze" had ended and manufacturers no longer seemed to bother pursuing that clientele.  Dyer now turned briefly to ukulele music.  After running the string ad just once more, they ran this uke method ad for 8 consecutive months.  

1920

. I don't have a record of the exact Cadenza issue this small image appeared in, but even better, the text mentions the exact day the photo was taken (May 23, 1920).  Yet another Dyer player sneaks into an otherwise all-Gibson mandolin group.

Above ad running

1923

Gibson and Dyer harp guitars continued to battle it out within the same group in the pages of the BMG journals.  The interesting 6-string guitars remind me of the New York Italian Puntolillo harp guitars found.

Ad campaign over

1925

Ad campaign over

The BMG Movement refers to a time before radio (does anyone reading this article even remember such a thing?) when Americans entertained themselves by making music.  The most popular were the main instruments in the fretted strings family: the Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar.  Over the four to five decades that Americans enjoyed this pastime, numerous journals were created to cater to the many thousands of mostly amateur musicians.  Sometimes new journals were started by instrument manufacturers like banjo maker S. S. Stewart (Stewart's Banjo Journal) or music publishers like F. O. Gutman (The F.O.G. Journal).  There were about a dozen different publications in total.  Some came and went in just a few issues, while others became indispensable to the plectral community.  The two biggest of these were The Cadenza and The Crescendo.

Other than certain dedicated musicians or instrument collectors that learned of these magazines and tracked them down for musical and historical research, the larger musical public has almost no awareness of this important musical era.  Harpguitars.net readers have naturally been exposed to it, as the period - reflected in these periodicals - was the heyday of the American harp guitar.  In fact, the more research one does, the more one realizes how normal and even indispensable these now-rare instruments actually were.

The best and virtually only book (other than thesis's by researchers Paul Ruppa and Scott Hambly) in which to learn about this era is Jeffrey Noonan's The Guitar in America, published in 2008.  His 2009 bibliography The Guitar in American Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar Periodicals, 1882-1933 provided me with many additional harp guitar entries that I might have otherwise easily overlooked.  Thanks for your passion, Jeff!

- Gregg Miner

Updates:  

January, 2010: Article created
March, 2010: Added the October 1903 string ad, the July 1909 catalog mention, and the April and September 1910 tuning mentions.
April, 2010: Added the 1907 drum ad.  Clarified the 1908 Jan-July Cadenza period (the magazine was sold and so absent for 6 months).