Posted by Rob P-M on January 19, 2002 at 12:21:22:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Brookmays Prices posted by David on January 19, 2002 at 03:18:58:
I really find it hard to be sympathetic to the "high priced stores" on tubas: the only horn I bought new was from Dillon Music, where I got an excellent price and the service is as good as any, anywhere in the world, and better than all but a very few.
My experience in buying other instruments for my kids, flutes and trumpets has been instructive. My older daughter's first decent (a Yamaha 581H) flute came from a local music store, but I got them to match come pretty close to matching the prices from Woodwind and Flute World. As to service, they were abysmal, because they weren't good at it. Luckily, we found one of the top flute repairmen in the country who lives nearby and who looks after her flutes and piccolos. Frank is a Haynes dealer, but doesn't push sales and keeps no inventory, just orders flutes for you if you'd like him too. But, when we found her a used handmade Powell that needed an overhaul, he couldn't do it for over a year (demand for his work is so high) so we had to go to Powell, but at least we'll get good work.
My other daughter is a trumpet player and we got her first decent Bb Bach Strad from Brasswind. Turned out to be an absolutely first rate instrument. Her other trumpets (a Bach C, a Stomvi Eb/D and an old Selmer Pic) I got on that auction site, and are all excellent instruments, per her pro teachers. All of our trumpet work (what little we need) has been done by Chuck McAlexander at the Brass Lab, who does the work for her teacher. I'd take the trumpets to Dillon in a heartbeat, too, but I get door to door service from her teacher who takes the horns in with him to his standing appointment with Chuck.
So, I see service as a very separate function from the sale of instruments. The real service specialists are few and far between and don't necessary do a lot of sales. Some, like Dillon, do combine superior service with sales, and do it at fair sales and repair prices. I guess I wouldn't want to be a customer of a music shop that would either gouge me on the front end to fund the shop or one that would stick it to me in the shop because I hadn't let them get the big profit up front. The guys at Dillon seem to do just fine. And I'd guess people like Osmun Music and Dave Fedderly at Baltimore Brass and Tony Clements in the Bay Area are fine too. All good ethical people. (Gad,I remember having to deal with Sherman-Clay back in the '60s -- no comment). Likewise, discount seller Brasswind seems to do ok too without the big consumer repair business.