Posted by Rick Denney on February 26, 2001 at 12:46:07:
In Reply to: Salesmen posted by Wondering on February 25, 2001 at 01:43:19:
Lots of folks have bashed Custom, but let me offer a moderating data point or two.
When I was looking for a used, cheap tuba for my wife's uncle, I stopped by Custom while in Detroit on business. I called ahead to let them know I was coming, and when I got there I told them what I wanted. Partly I just wanted to see the place, and I told them that, too.
They really had no choices in the appropriate price range, but they let me wander around anyway. I had a nice chat with Neal Campbell. Fred Marrich suggested that I give Dave Fedderly a call when I got home--perhaps he would have something like what I was after. He said that Dave was a good man and would treat me right.
And many years ago I bought a Sanders tuba from them that was everything Jeff Funderburk told me it was (he was working for them at the time). Sure, it was a rebadged Cerveny (which I figured out later--and was actually happy to know it), but it was a nearly new demo horn that only cost $1500--one-third the price of a similar Miraphone at the time. Was it the best horn made? No. But it was one of the best horns available for the price I was willing to pay at the time, and it served me well.
I'm not saying that others have not had bad experiences there, but just that sometimes people take their own bad experiences with them, and sometimes the stories you hear are not based on the personal experiences of the teller. I tend not to have bad experiences with salesmen, but then I don't expect them to be my best friend. If you ever have to sell anything in your life, you'll get a different perspective when your family's groceries are at stake. That is no excuse for dishonesty, but it does explain why salesmen want you to buy something, and why they'll try to talk you into buying something.
At the Army conference I wandered into a booth to try out the Willson F. While I was there, I also tried out a few other top-line instruments, all in the $8000-plus price range, and all either CC or F (hey, I was smelling the roses, okay?) and when I finally asked if he had a Willson BBb (a $9000 instrument), the response was, "No, but have you tried the St. Petersburg?" I had to laugh at the incongruity of it.
But I also spent time with Matt Walters and David Fedderly, both of whom were helpful, congenial, and forthright. But I could have done business with them even if they weren't, it just would not have been as fun.
Rick "not expecting a salesman to be my best friend" Denney