Who was A. J. Oettinger?

In relation to the early 20th century drum makers of Boston, A. J. Oettinger was little more than a tangential figure. It does appear, however, that he was a very active participant in the musical instrument manufacturing and retail scene in Boston during the early 1900s, and a knowledgable one at that.

Oettinger's name is referenced more than a dozen times in Christine Merrick Ayars' Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston, 1640-1936. While most of Oettenger's expertise appears to have been outside the realm of percussion instruments, he did brush shoulders with several well known drum makers of the time including Elias Howe, Thompson & Odell, and Blair & Baldwin. Amongst Ayars' footnotes we see that it was Oettinger providing information to the author about "Grandsire Baldwin" who after leaving Blair & Baldwin went to work for John C. Haynes & Company.

Ultimately, A. J. Oettinger was primarily known as a string instrument dealer, repairman, and provider of raw materials and parts to other makers. Earlier in her book, Ayars includes the following description of Oettinger's Musicians Supply Company which thrived for nearly 30 years until the owner's death in 1935.

"Adolph Joseph Oettinger started work as a boy in W. H. Cundy's shop, was in business for himself for a year or two about 1884, and later worked for the Geo. W. Stratton Co., becoming associated with Elias Howe when that firm took over the Stratton Company from Howard C. Barnes. "The Musicians' Supply Company began in 1905 at 164 Tremont St. with the purchase of the stringed instrument and accessories business of Thompson & Odell. The firm consisted of Mr. Oettinger, Carl and Julius Nelson, the latter two being owners of The Vega Company. Mr. Oettinger later bought out the interest of the Nelsons. The company was located in 1920 at 218 Tremont Street, in 1925 at 83 Newbury Street, and finally at 177 Tremont Street. Mr. Oettinger died Dec. 10, 1935. As his sons had their own business interests elsewhere they did not care to carry on this concern, which is now being liquidated. "This company supplies raw materials, bows and tools for all kinds of bow-stringed instruments to makers located all over the United States and in foreign countries, such as Honolulu, South Africa, South America and the Walker Group of Islands. It is the largest dealer in the United States in wood and tools for these instruments. "The business includes also importing, selling and appraising old violins, violas and violoncellos, repairing all kinds of bow-stringed instruments and selling modern violins, bows and trimmings. "Oettinger Products" include their patented specialties such as a chin rest, a violin tailpiece, a violoncello tailpiece, a banjo tailpiece, a guitar tailpiece, tools, and the products which they sell to jobbers. "From its start the company has had expert violin makers making instruments to order as well as repairing them. For the last eight years Giuseppi (Joseph) Martino, an Italian who previously had his own shop at 181 Tremont St., has been with the company as violin maker and repairer."

The Violinist, March 1913 The Violinist, August 1923

Traces of Dodge

More prominently remembered today for authoring the Dodge Drum Chart (1908) and the Dodge Drum School (1909), Frank E. Dodge and his brother Harry owned and operated a well established percussion instrument manufacturing business in Boston, Massachusetts through the first decade of the 1900s. Surviving ephemera from the F. E. Dodge Company is quite scarce however. One hundred and one years after the operation was succeeded by that of Boston's Nokes & Nicolai in 1912, about all that is left of the Dodge Company is a few surviving drums, keyboard instruments, and traps. While a few tangible scraps of advertising are still floating around in the basements and attics of old New England homes, it is now easier to find mentions of the Dodge Company online thanks to the digitizing of many historical publications. Even then, traces of Dodge are few and far between. But upon running a web search for "F. E. Dodge Co." a few tidbits are brought to light. One of the most interesting finds is this small blurb from the Music Trade Review dated January 19, 1904. From this we gain a fascinating glimpse into the Dodge Company as the brief writeup describes both the amount of business in financial terms that Dodge was conducting, and the size of the workforce employed by the company at that time. Later listings in industry publications indicate that in 1907 the incorporation was legally dissolved though the business clearly continued to function for several more years.

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This little slip of paper recently surfaced on ebay. It is a paid check dated March 12, 1912 made out to the F. E. Dodge Company in the amount $2.50. The check was written by "F. H. Howell" of Calais, Maine, a small town at the northern most tip of New England.

Stamps on the check indicate that it was deposited at the National Shawmut Bank in Boston on March 15th, 1912. And lest there be any doubt that this check was made out to a different "Dodge Company", the back of the check is endorsed with the names of none other than Nokes & Nicolai who were by this time in the process of transitioning into ownership of the business. So what exactly could you buy for $2.50 from the F. E. Dodge Company in 1912? Well, as a point of reference, the 1907 Dodge catalog listed drum sticks for $1.00 and untucked 18" calfskins starting at $1.15. Orchestra drums, available in both 3" x 14" and 4" x 15" sizes, sold for $12.00.

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Do you have an instrument made by F. E. Dodge? I want to hear from you! Send Lee and email at lee@vinson.net.

The New Dodge Folding, Piano-Action Pedal Bass Drum and Cymbal Beater

Nokes & Nicolai American Drummer No. 5, published circa 1914, modestly describes the "New Dodge Folding, Piano-Action Pedal Bass Drum and Cymbal Beater" as follows: ALL THE GOOD QUALITIES ever claimed for any ten pedals are combined to make this PERFECT LITTLE 18 OZ. BEAUTY. All the faults formerly found in pedals are eliminated. It is INSTANTLY attached to ANY SIZE bass drum. It is detached and packed up in THREE SECONDS. EVERYTHING is right under the foot from a DEAFENING CRASH to a most delicate PATROL APPROACH. It can be played from the FRONT or from EITHER SIDE. There is NOTHING to get OUT OF ORDER AND NO SPEED LIMIT. The same pedal is later advertised by Nokes & Nicolai as the "All Metal Folding, Piano-Action Pedal, Bass Drum and Cymbal Beater".

There is no such pedal included in the 1907 F. E. Dodge Company Catalog so this design must have been introduced after 1907 but no later than about 1912 when Nokes & Nicolai took over the business from Dodge. Early examples of the pedal are stamped with the Dodge name while later ones appear with the Nokes & Nicolai marking pictured below. Production of these pedals likely continued for the remainder of Nokes & Nicolai's existence until the company was sold in 1926.



Nokes & Nicolai American Drummer No. 6, circa 1918
The first decade of the 1900s was a time of transition and innovation for Nokes & Nicolai's predecessor, F. E. Dodge. Wording appears stamped into many Dodge components of that era stating that patents were pending. Those designs include a hollow steel claw for drum hoops which housed a fully swiveling nut to receive the tension rod, a simple snare drum throw-off which allowed for the snare wires to be fully disengaged from the bottom head, and the metal bass drum pedal seen here. For whatever reason, none of these patents appear to have ever been granted as there is no record of them in patent databases. Also, later examples of each of these products appear with no patent wording at all whereas had the patents been granted, the applicable patent numbers would likely have been stamped into the parts.


The most unique feature of Dodge's pedal is its ability to quickly fold down into a flat position allowing it to be stored and transported more easily. This would have been an especially desirable quality for theater drummers who were always on the move.

Do you have a percussion instrument manufactured by Nokes & Nicolai or F. E. Dodge? I want to hear from you! Send Lee an email at lee@vinson.net.

Stone Catalog K Shelf Life

George B. Stone & Son's Catalog K featured the widest and most comprehensive array of products ever offered by the company. The catalog was prepared in 1924 during the tenure of Sales Manager J. W. Neptune for the 1925 calendar year. The inside cover of Catalog K reads "Printed in U.S.A. / 1925" but price lists referencing Catalog K are dated as early as October, 1924 suggesting that it was in fact published sometime late that year.

Then under the command of second generation owner George Lawrence Stone, the family business was nearing the end of it's prime as their wood hoop snare drums were quickly becoming old fashioned. At the same time, Stone's hands-on construction methods were proving to be inefficient and uneconomical on a scale large enough to compete with the industry titans of the Midwest. By the mid 1920's, the younger Stone was gradually shifting away from manufacturing and more towards writing, teaching, and overseeing the Stone Drum School which operated concurrently alongside George B. Stone & Son Inc. Ultimately, George Lawrence was unwilling to modernize the operation and allowed Stone & Son to fade from prominence over the next decade and into obscurity by the late 1930s. Nevertheless, Catalog K provides a fascinating look into Boston's largest and most complete drum company as it neared the end of its golden age.

Stone Catalog K - Front Cover

Stone Catalog K - Inside Cover

The catalog spans 63 pages and displays the largest and most complete array of instruments ever offered by Stone. The Master-Model Drum is prominently featured as the company's premier snare drum offering. Two full pages are devoted to the Master-Model which is pictured in both natural and black finishes and is listed in only the 5" x 14" size. The Separate Tension Snare Drum, formerly the flagship snare drum offering, is still included but now takes a back seat to the Master-Model. Eleven snare drum models in total are included in Catalog K and all but the "Metal Shell Drum" appear to be built in house at the time the catalog was written.

Stone Catalog K - Master-Model Drum

Stone Catalog K - Separate Tension Orchestra Drum

Complete drumsets were offered for the first time and came in eight configurations. The most elaborate kit catalogued was the "Stone De Luxe Stage Outfit" which consisted of a 5" x 14" Master-Model Snare Drum and 12" x 26" single tension bass drum with covers for each, a snare drum stand, bass drum pedal and spurs, a 13" cymbal with suspension holder, a chinese tom-tom, a woodblock and cowbell with trap holder, a snare drum mounted cymbal holder, as well as a tambourine, a slapstick, a pair of brushes and a pair of sticks.

Stone Catalog K - Complete Drum Outfits

Stone Catalog K - Victory Model Drums

The Victory model line of drums, Stone's more economical series of instruments, are listed in five sizes under the headings of the "Victory Orchestra Drum" and the "Victory Band Drum". Victory model bass drums are also offered in five sizes. The "Stone Trap-Door Bass Drum" appears for the first time along with the Separate Tension Bass Drum, several single tension snare drum models, and the Stone Military Bass Drum which was a double strung rope drum with leather ears.

Stone Catalog K - Trap Door Bass Drum

Stone Catalog K - Stone Lite-Weight Bass Drum Pedal

The catalog also lists a wide variety mallet percussion instruments - some of which were made in house but many of which were produced by Deagan and merely distributed by Stone. The 'Stone Lite-Weight Bass Drum Pedal', which is of metal construction, is the first bass drum pedal pictured and is touted as "the easiest working bass drum pedal ever invented". Metal bass drum pedals by Ludwig and Fraser are listed on the following page. A full line of small instruments, traps, parts and accessories was available as was an expanded selection of music including method books and xylophone solos.

The two price lists pictured below are from 1924 and 1932 respectively, and are very similar in terms of the products they offer although there are a few differences, the most notable being the inclusion of a "Pyralin" wrapped Master-Model in the 1932 version. Interestingly, the prices listed in 1932 are actually lower than those published almost exactly eight years earlier. Perhaps this was a response to the economic conditions of the time as the Great Depression was setting in. The bleak financial times could also help to explain why Stone was continuing to use outdated advertising materials. Regardless, the very fact that Stone kept the same catalog in circulation for so many years is clear evidence that George Lawrence was allowing the company to fade.

1924 George B. Stone & Son Catalog K Price List

1932 George B. Stone & Son Catalog K Price List                                               photo: ebay

There is in existence a "Booklet L" from Stone & Son though I do not own a copy or know the date of publication. But if Catalog K was still being used in 1932, Booklet L may well have been released after that time and could have been the last large scale advertising publication put out by Stone. It is also possible that Booklet L was only an updated supplement to the larger Catalog K. It would be fascinating to compare the two volumes if and when a copy of "L" can be located.

Do you have an instrument by Geo. B. Stone & Son? I want to hear from you! Send Lee an email at lee@vinson.net.

Made by Stone vs. Sold by Stone

In addition to manufacturing their own professional quality drums and traps in house, George B. Stone & Son Inc. catalogued instruments and accessories purchased from other companies. This is very apparent in Catalog K dating from 1925 where many Deagan keyboard instruments are included as top of the line offerings. This particular arrangement with Deagan may have had something to do with Advertising Manager F. W. Neptune, formerly of J. C. Deagan. Also available through Stone & Son for many years was Ludwig & Ludwig's early bass drum pedal which proved to be so popular that it helped establish the Ludwigs' place in the market as their young drum manufacturing business grew. The wording used by Stone in Catalog G dating from circa 1915 is very clear in stating that in addition to manufacturing high end maple shell drums themselves in house, they also sold "ready made veneer shell drums from another manufacturer". This information is further corroborated by former Stone employee and future Leedy Sales Manager George Way who stated the following in a 1932 business proposal: "Wells Manufacturing Company, Brooklyn - A very small shop employing three or four men who do not make an assembled product, but supply wood shells to other drum factories such as Duplex, Stone, and a few jobbers who make up cheap models."

George B. Stone & Son Catalog I, 1919

So perhaps this was the source of Stone's entry level drums distributed through the 1910s and '20s. The catalog page seen below further explains that these drums are of lesser quality and and are intended as budget level instruments.

George B. Stone & Son Catalog G, ca. 1915

It is also worth noting that just because a drum bears a strainer marked 'Stone', that the instrument may not neccesarily have been produced by Stone & Son. The "Stone Patent Snare Strainer and Muffler" was available for purchase separately and sometimes surfaces as an after-market addition to drums. These examples are not normally stamped with the Stone name so as not to confuse the make of the drum. All of this is to say that identifying a drum as having been built by Geo. B. Stone & Son relies on a number of different factors. To further muddy the waters, Stone sometimes assembled drums using what appear to be 'generic' parts. This was especially true during the very early 1900s before the company's hardware was unique to Stone, and in the 1930s by which time the manufacturing business was being allowed to fade. Stone was generally very good about labeling their house made instruments and at times even date stamped drums as they were assembled.

So in the absence of a manufacturer's badge or label, the best way to definitively identify a Stone drum is by looking at combination of characteristics and matching them up against known examples of factory labeled instruments. Do you have a drum made by George B. Stone & Son? I want to hear from you! Send Lee an email at lee@vinson.net.