Expert: Kenton Scott - 8/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have found an antique J.W. Pepper Baritone and  I am trying to find the history on it. It has an older serial number on it #9427 I want to see how old it is and determine it's value if restored.

Thank you

ANSWER: It was made right around the turn of the century.

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QUESTION: I had seen this page before and figured the same. Do you know anywhere else to find the history? I would like to restore it but am affraid of damaging its value by having work done to it.

Answer
The sale of musical instruments was added when Pepper's first retail store opened at 832 Filbert Street in Philadelphia in 1877.

A New York retail outlet was established in 1880. Pepper, hirrd Henry Distin, to mov aggressively into the instrument manufacturing and importing business.  Another location was established in Chicago in 1886.

Pepper secured numerous patents in the 1880s. Many of his instruments are on display in the National Headquarters in Paoli, Pennsylvania.

As a publisher, the company developed relationships with many leading composers including John Phillip Sousa, Charles Ives, Arthur Pryor, Max Drefus, T.B. Boyer, F. Von Blon, Harry Von Tilzer, W.P. Chambers, H.W. Petrie, and Pepper's most prolific arranger/composer, Mackie-Beyer.

In spite of the fact that Pepper would briefly employ some highly regarded makers, he also flooded the market with imports.  As a consequence, and in spite of his rather significant contacts in the musical world, his products never developed a consistently good reputation for quality.  As a result, most don't garner much value today.

In 1909, the company moved to 33rd and Walnut Streets, and they discontinued its instrument manufacturing operations and the sale of imported instruments. However, the company continued to sell from a large inventory.