Posted by Klaus on April 26, 2002 at 21:04:52:
In Reply to: Re: Re: BE2052s or YEP-642s posted by Jeremy Ragan on April 26, 2002 at 19:44:05:
One of the words, that should be in limited use on this board, is "idiot". But you are very close to provoke my use of it.
You might be proud of a possible gain right here and now. But you have disqualified yourself from any special deals in the future.
Brass dealers/repairmen of course are competitors. But if the US situation is anything like where I come from, they are also a brotherhood. Here they have a very tightly knit network, when it comes to bad customers and stolen instruments.
If a certain type of instrument has been aquired through the broken glass of a window's display, it will be very hard to buy a case or a gig bag for that type of instrument without enduring a little asking about the provenience of the instrument, that the case/bag is intended for.
A highly talented brass player, conservatory student, abused the fact, that his girlfriend sang in the big-band, where a brass dealer (and I) played. He got favorable terms. And blew them criminally badly. He is a persona non-grata nationwide for a lifetime, when it comes to aquiring brass. I do not pity him, but he might ending up having students. My very good standing with instrument dealers most certainly was of benefit for my students back when I still worked.
If I should give any advise about being a good custemer then these:
a: it will never hurt you to go for the optimal quality, even if it is within a limited price bracket. Never shy back from a thorough testing, if your test procedure is about finding strongs and weaks in instrument. Playing a simple tune in all 12 keys through the full range of an instrument really is a better test than fanfaring one certain excerpt out 20 times. It might be my personal voodoo, but if even one note in my not too undecent range is dead on a certain instrument, then I get uneasy. I have the theory, that if a note does not speak freely even in the range well above the 8th partial, then it will not contribute duly to the richess in sound from notes below it.
b: be a solid payer, no matter which sort of payment schedule there is involved in a deal!
Of course I expect the same solidity from dealers. There are three shops, that are written with red ink in my little black book, no matter which fame they might claim to have in their respective nations (or even worldwide). And I am still collecting.
Klaus