PIANOS SOLD OR REPAIRED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17660, 22 December 1920, Page 9

PIANOS SOLD OR REPAIRED.

BUSINESS OF MR. C. G. HODGES.

An observant visitor to New Zealand years ago remarked that every cottage appeared to contain its piano. It is not a subject to which statisticians are likely to devote time in investigation; but were the figures collected, the proportion of pianos in use to the population would, without question, prove surprisingly fiigh. In that case there must follow a constant public demand for a good instrument. Hand in hand must go the need for establishments where tuning and repairs are reliably executed. A business which meets all the demands of the musiclover seeking a piano, as well as of the owner of one whose instrument requires expert attention, is that of Mr. C. G. Hodges, 119, Karangahape Road. Mr. Hodges is well known in the piano business in Auckland. Before commencing independent operations he was for manv years engaged in the trade, acting as foreman in large piano warehouses in the city. With the fruit of this long experience at his command, he undertakes to supply a reliable and satisfactory instrument to patrons, and equally to refit and make as good as new pianos which they may happen to own. Anyone possessing an instrument of which he wishes to dispose, would do equally well to consult Mr. Hodges, as the expert treatment which his workshops can supply is virtually certain to transform what might be a sacrifice in price into a profitable transaction. Tuning, needless to say, is done also in the establishment. The up-to-date character of the workshop is claimed to be a special feature "of the business. All the material necessary for renovating old instruments is in good supply. In common with so many other types of business, the piano industry has suffered during the past few years from the scarcity and high price of materials. Mr. Hodges has been able to secure plentiful supplies of celluloid for key covers, wire of all gauges for restringing and of felt for the various portions of the action. The action of a piano, it may be noted, comprises about 3000 parts. The workshops contain a special cramp for the recovering of keys. Old and worn ivory is removed, and the keys covered with hard celluloid of special quality. For very many years ivoiy has been accepted as the standard material for key covers. Unfortunately, it is practically unprocurable to-day. What is available, moreover, is of doubtful quality. Ivory remained secure in favour when elephant tusks source of supply. Now that grade of material is not procurable, the market being stocked only with what is known as fish ivory, from walrus tusks and similar products. The quality is greatly inferior to that of elephant ivory. The composition "with which Mr. Hodges undertakes to cover the keys is, .he claims, harder and far more lasting than the cheap ivory in use to-day. One of the things most dreaded by the owner of anything of value involving wood in its construction is the borer. -Mr. Hodges handles no pianos for sale which are so affected. But to the owner of an instrument already infested, he can give an assurance of effective treatment. The piano is taken to pieces, and the wooden portion placed in a large square bath made so as to accommodate the ordinary upright instrument. The bath is filled with benzine, and the infested wood subjected to a thorough,soaking. The volatile benzine penetrates the fibre of the wood, killing all borer. The wood remains impregnated with the spirit, so that if any eggs are subesequently deposited, the worms will almost certainly be poisoned as soon as hatched. Benzine is the only substance which can be successfully utilised without doing the piano the slightest injury. The desire to own a piano, and to be able to perform upon it sufficiently well to please oneself and one's friends, continues to frow in the community. Consequently, 19, Karangahape Road forms a good rendezvous for the music-lover, especially the man of moderate means. The instruments for sale, where not new, have been subjected to expert treatment to make them as good as the day they left the maker's hands. The piano which goes there for treatment and return has an even firmer guarantee of complete recovery than the patient submitting himself to a skilled surgeon. Mr. Hodges, as the medical adviser to a piano, can replace parts where the surgeon cannot, and can make absolutely certain in his diagnosis of the trouble.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR MOTOR REPAIRS 1 THE WINDMILL ENGINEERING WORKS. The works referred to are situate next the Tivoli Theatre, Karangahape Road, within half-a-minute's walk of either Grafton Bridge or Queen Street. The principals are Messrs. McLeod, Rev burn and Aitken" and all three of them are expert practical engineers, who specialise in motor-repair work of every description, and also undertake all kinds of wood, machinery, and timber mill work as weii. They are clever at repairing joinery machinery also. < Although only recently established, their business is making rapid headway and they announce that they will be in a position to take orders for new machinery, of any sort, after the holidays. Meantime, motorists who afe looking' for the services of really competent engineers to repair their motor-cars can hardly do better than patronise the firm' under notice. ** They know how," and are to be relied upon.