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Brass Master David Williams


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garynuke
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Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Maine

PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:19 pm    Post subject: Brass Master David Williams Reply with quote

I sent my 65 Mendez to this fellow who is advertising on eBay and The Trumpet Herald as charging only $350 (back in October--now $395) for a complete overhaul of trumpet. He includes re-fitting valves, all dent work, and choices of lacquer finishes for that price, with a 4-6 week turn around time. I do not have the money that reputable shops charge for this work, nor even local shops. So, I checked out samples of his work on ebay, saw pretty good feedback and comments from some very happy customers, and decided to spin the wheel and see how he did on my Mendez.
I bought a pair of Saturn waterkeys from a certain Mr. Wedgwood, and sent them along with my horn, some instructions for minor modifications, and a new mouthpiece to be drilled out a bit. Mr Wedgwood (a great guy I wish I could hang out with sometime), messed up and sent me a second set of Saturns. I contacted him about the error, and he told me to keep them and do as I wish with them. I sent them to Brass Master David Williams as bonus payment for the modifications and mouthpiece drilling.
After about 7-8 weeks, and no contact from the Brass Master, I emailed to see how things were going. I got no answer. 2 or 3 weeks later, I inquired via email again, to see if he was injured or dead, and to see if my horn unexpectedly combusted, or if anything else was causing the delay. I did get a reply that everything and everybody was just fine; my horn would ship within the next week or so.
A few more weeks pass, another email from me, a reply from Mrs. Brass Master to the effect that her husband was very busy and working very hard, my horn would go out by the end of the week. Just before Christmas, I emailed again, and got no reply. I called after New Years, and talked to the Brass Master. He told me that the humidity was too high, but there was a dry couple of days coming up and we would get my Mendez lacquered and out by the end of the week. Two weeks ago I emailed and expressed my frustration that a 4-6 week job had taken about 13 -14 weeks, and how badly I wanted my horn back. I had to buy another horn to get through my Christmas gigs, since the P.O.S. Chinese horn I have for back-up was not going to cut it for solo or small group work--it needs to be hidden within a large section to get by.
So, since he did not reply to that email either, I called the Brass Master again. I just got off of the phone. He told me that my horn would go out this week, and that he would call me with a shipping confirmation number by next Saturday.
Has anybody dealt with this guy? Did you get jerked around like me? Short of sending my cousin Vinnie down to Tallahassee, what can I do now?
Gary
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jpdtpt
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Joined: 16 Mar 2003
Posts: 107
Location: New Jersey

PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anything new to report? I remember reading this when you first posted. Do you have your horn back yet? I hope you were able to get some satisfaction!

John
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davidelf
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Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 79
Location: Dallas

PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wish I had read this before sending him my Conn 40A Vocabell prototype for a vavle rebuild. 10 weeks and counting.
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garynuke
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Joined: 19 Apr 2006
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Location: Maine

PostPosted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:49 am    Post subject: Your horn at the Brassmaster Reply with quote

At 10 weeks, you should not expect much. However, I DID get my horn back, and everyone who has emailed me about their experience with the Brassmaster has told me that they got their horns back. It is not the fast response that one expects from the ad copy, but more like the time frame that reputable rebuilds take (about 6 months).
I would say, try to relax as much as possible. Getting tense will not speed up the process, and probably slowed down my horn. I got a nasty-gram from Mrs. Brassmaster (what a class act) because of my original post above, which I thought was fairly tame, certainly not inflammatory. She also hung on me when I called trying to make a peace offer/compromise after that post.
In general, just take it easy as best you can. I do not think he is a rip-off artist. You will not need the name calling, vaguely threatening email hassle you will get if you try to communicate with them or question the speed or motives of the Brassmaster.
My $0.02, (which I think I am legally entitled to express, Mrs. Brassmaster, please don't reply to me), your mileage may vary, good luck to everybody who reads this email, please do not construe this as anything other than personal opinion, etc.
Gary
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oldgeo
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Joined: 03 Sep 2005
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PostPosted: Fri May 16, 2008 2:44 pm    Post subject: Brass Master strikes again Reply with quote

Just another story to reinforce what you have said about David Williams, the Brass Master (BM). I also sent a horn, an e-bay purchased Selmer k-modified that was in reasonable shape but needed a valve job, which was an advertised service offered by the BM. I also decide to have him refinish the horn. This guy is very pleasant to talk with and was full of assurances that the horn would be a real beauty when he finished. As time passed I suffered the same frustrations and disillusionments as have been described. My numerous phone calls and unacknowledged e-mails to Mr. Williams yielded only unfulfilled promises of imminent completion and tracking numbers to be transmitted within days that never materialized. After eight months (yes, eight) passed, I was pretty well consigned to the fact that I had been had and, lo, the horn showed up via Fed Ex. I would like to be able to say that the completed work was at least some compensation for the extreme wait but, alas, not so. The valves are just terrible – copper that apparently was plated on to build up the valves is showing as bare spots with the nickel plating being incomplete or worn off during faulty lapping and multiple scratches on the valve surfaces that were not present when I sent the horn. Air blowby is no less than it was before the horn was worked on. I will have to have the valves redone before I can seriously use the horn. The refinish job was better than the valve job but still not great. Lacquer is missing in a few inconspicuous spots, there is a lacquer run on one part of the bell, and some buff marks on the metal are evident. The originally smooth first slide trigger action is kind of sticky; the BM apparently nickel plated the outer surfaces of the inner slide tubes and that might have something to do with the stickiness.

I have recently checked e-bay and see that BM is no longer offering the valve repair and replating that he had been. That’s a big plus for the trumpet world. He is still offering the restoration work, and I guess he’s still getting takers. Something that John Arbuckle said applies here – enough said.

oldgeo
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Pocket Monkeys
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SAME EXACT EXPERIENCE HERE! I sent him my trumpet for MINOR dent work and a valve alignment, that's it! It took five and a half months, 23 weeks to be exact, to get my horn back. Less than poor communication, promises of tracking numbers, and I was told the horn will go out in the next week or two so many times it made me sick. The dent work was not done poorly but it was no better or worse than my local repair guy could have done. The valve alignment was a waste of my money and time which is why I sold the horn within days of getting it back. I'm not trying to burn someone regarding what they do for a living, I'm just being honest about the worst experience I've ever had with a 'professional.' I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE.
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davidelf
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Joined: 16 May 2006
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Location: Dallas

PostPosted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

5 1/2 months and still waiting to get mine back. I'll report back on the quality of the work if I ever get it back.
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Craig Swartz
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Joined: 14 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glad I came upon this thread, I was getting ready to send my work horn to him for plating. I can't do with out it all season, have to get by with it as is.
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davidelf
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Location: Dallas

PostPosted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Still waiting...
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TrentAustin
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Joined: 06 Nov 2002
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Location: KC MO

PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

davidelf wrote:
Still waiting...
Call the local police and report he has stolen your instrument. They'll get it back for you.

What a slimeball. With so many GOOD people in this business it takes one "master" to really screw things up.

-T
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Michael Hernandez
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Joined: 15 Nov 2006
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Location: Ft. Worth Texas

PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My horror story with the Brass Master. About a year and a half ago I sent him my Bach Strad. Told him I wanted it silver plated and wanted the full dress gold plating. Also wanted the spit valve on the tuning slide replaced with an amado water key and an amado water key installed on the third valve slide. He assured me it would only take about 8 weeks. Well after 10 weeks and no trumpet or emails I called him and he said that he had sent it off to Anderson plating but that they were changing out their chemicals and that was the reason for the delay. After another couple of weeks I called back and he explained that he was having some problems with Anderson because he had tried to save a buck and shipped my Bach with a bunch of other instruments from some Florida university using their charge account and Anderson would not honor their account because of some past issues with that university. So i wait another 3-4 weeks and call back again and he says that he has reshipped the Bach back to Anderson and it hould only be another 3 weeks or so. Well after 5 1/2 months and countless excuses about Anderson and his health etc. I finally got the horn back. The silver plating was good, the dent removal and the valve job was good, but I think that was due to Anderson. Now the gold plating job that he did absolutley SUCKED. I was so thin and worn looking especially on the valve caps. He said if sent them back to him he would redo them. But no way was i going to send anything to him ever again. Amado water key installation was good, BUT, here I am playing a couple of days after finally getting the Bach back and I notice that there is some water built up in the horn. Well I depress the amado water key buttons and some comes out of the main tuning slide but I can never get anything to come out of the third valve slide. Surely not, I'm thinking, well I remove the slide and blow directly into the slide with the amado button depressed. Yep thats right the moron installed the amado water key but didn't drill the hole. Well I called and bitched him out but big deal. I spent over $650 getting this half assed work done. Of course by that time its too late to give him negative feedback. SO TAKE IT FROM ME AND OTHERS....SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY AND AVOID THE FRUSTRATION OF THE BRASS MASTER......oh i did manage to shame him into refunding me $75.00.........MH
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Oleson, M.D.
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Joined: 24 Dec 2010
Posts: 30

PostPosted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I should have researched these posts before doing business with The Brassmaster.

I sent some valve caps and finger buttons to him over 3 weeks ago for a simple gold plate upgrade. When I spoke with Mr. Williams last Monday, he said all work was done and the items would ship out Tuesday, perhaps via FEDEX, and that he would call to let me know. He stated they should be here before Christmas. Well, he never called, and it's Christmas Eve with no delivery.

He always seems so nice on the phone, yet he NEVER returns emails.
Perhaps my items will show up next week, but based on the posts here, I doubt it.

I'll keep you posted!
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Yul Trumpeter
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Joined: 20 Jul 2011
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am also having serious problems with BrassMasterDavidWilliams.Com. It has been 7 weeks since he has had my trumpet to do an overhaul and he has not returned it back to me yet although he personally told me that it was only going to take 2 weeks. The guy is a total fraud. When I call him to inquire about my trumpet, he tells me it will be sent out to me soon. I placed a PayPal complaint which he totally ignored. He made a subtle threat to me that finally the trumpet will be sent to me "tomorrow" (that was 4 days ago) if I lift the Pay Pal complaint, which I naively did and still he has not returned the trumpet. I gave him a 24 hour warning of reporting him to the Internet Fraud Division, and that he also ignored. He has trumpet and my overhaul fee of $580 which he rapidly collected. PayPal finall told me to report him to www.ic3.gov which is where you report internet fraud. I do not recommend him. He is a total fraud.
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etc-etc
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Joined: 19 Jan 2008
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why would you be sending your horns to a completely unknown destination and hope for a quality job at a low price ???
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Yul Trumpeter
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Joined: 20 Jul 2011
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:29 pm    Post subject: Brass Master David Williams Reply with quote

You would think if Ebay has him, Brass Master David Williams, as The Overhaul Master, in an entire page opened for business, he would be trustworthy. But, it was totally the contrary, the guy is a fraud.
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Crazy Finn
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Brass Master David Williams Reply with quote

Let me highlight some relevant words.

Yul Trumpeter wrote:
You would think if Ebay has him, Brass Master David Williams, as The Overhaul Master, in an entire page opened for business, he would be trustworthy. But, it was totally the contrary, the guy is a fraud.


Ebay is no different than the rest of the world. It's a buyer beware world. The same goes for Ebay.

There are lots of scams on Ebay. How good a job do they do in curtailing them, I don't know. However, just because something's on Ebay doesn't make me think it's legit. It's the same with ads on TV, the phone book, or anywhere else on the internet.

Sorry to hear about your trumpet. Maybe you and the countless others that have been scammed can form a flash mob and storm the barricades.
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smcope
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you need restoration work done, send your horn to Kanstul in Anaheim, CA! They do great work!!!!! A friend of mine had his Bach Bb stripped of the lacquer, silver plated (and as you may know, there's a lot of prep work to do), and all for around $350 (depends on how much work you need done). The silver plating was so thick, the horn felt soft in your hands! It takes a few weeks, as they have to send it off to get the lacquer stripped, but they do all the other work and plating in house! Definitely recommend it!
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KanstulBrass
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

smcope wrote:
If you need restoration work done, send your horn to Kanstul in Anaheim, CA! They do great work!!!!! A friend of mine had his Bach Bb stripped of the lacquer, silver plated (and as you may know, there's a lot of prep work to do), and all for around $350 (depends on how much work you need done). The silver plating was so thick, the horn felt soft in your hands! It takes a few weeks, as they have to send it off to get the lacquer stripped, but they do all the other work and plating in house! Definitely recommend it!


Thank you for the kind words.

Actually, we do all work right here in Anaheim, including stripping the lacquer. All dent work, polishing and refinishing (lacquer, silver plate, gold plate) is done here too. Our turn around time averages about two to three weeks, depending upon the work load in the factory at the time you bring in the horn.

All repair work is at the discretion of Mr. Kanstul, who personally inspects every horn that comes in.
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blaser
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:00 pm    Post subject: david williams Reply with quote

Great repairmen are gods of the world and we should be grovelling at their feet........... or so we should be led to believe.............

...but a good relationship with a great repairman is very important....

I needed some gold trim work,and it is VERY expensive here in Germany...so i decided to check out DWilliams....

One phone conversation with him convinced me that he's got the right stuff... i needed a rush job,because the horns were to be shipped to NY so that i could take them back on the plane to Europe... it was all set up....well, let's say i complicated the procedure by adding 2 horns to the mix!!! but he said he could do it and it was all going according to plan.... I was to send my ebay purchases directly to him..... uh, no the music shop sent the wrong packages to the wrong place......

to cut the story short....we were one day late....... one day turned into 6 months!!!!!!!!!!! i have now received the horns in NY...being in Germany i cannot look at them,but I'm sure they are wonderful!!!!

the story here..IS NOT UNCOMMON!!!!!! my personal repairman in NJ is a living legend...when I brought him a horn,id say...no rush...but id like it in 3 weeks........ when i came back..it was still in the same place...untouched.....because he liked me ,he'd drop everything else and do it on the spot...and that's the ONLY way id get my horns fixed....others stopped using him because it took THEM 4 months to get a horn back.......

David Williams is not a crook...and he is not a fraud.... and he is really no different than any other repairman(in the states).....

why a guy like him takes on ebay is beyond me.... any repairman worth their salt is up to there neck in school instrument repairs...just dealing with a few schools is endless work...why add individuals from across the country and the world to your workload????? David self admittedly is computer incompetent...claims his wife takes care of it,but i never got anything from her.....

but hey...i had the time...and i didnt care!!!!!

he returned 5,000 dollars worth of instruments to me. I'm sure the work is great..ill update soon.... I got a great price,and in the end he worked things out with me to my satisfaction.

if your near Tallahasee...check him out.... otherwise his track record speaks for itself.

as a guy who sells instruments on ebay occasionally ,I more often than not have to deal with buyers to whom I'd like to say,"retail is for you".

in David Williams case i would say "ebay is not for you".

At the end of this story.... will i send him work again.....??

the answer is yes!!!
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robd4431
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 2:23 pm    Post subject: David Williams Reply with quote

Punchline - "more to come... is Dave really a scammer?"

OK, I saw the overhaul offer on eBay and purchased from gator1820 a.k.a. David Williams. As a 100% positive seemed a lock, I did not really press for details and did not know the name of the seller until after I paid. I sent in two trumpets - delivered to the (new) Raleigh NC address. As I am prone to anxiety, hate to make mistakes and love those trumpets, I decided to search "David Williams trumpet repair" which led me here and other places. Most posts are negative and worse. I became very nervous.

I called Dave today (1/28) and explained my concerns. The pre-replating prep-work is almost done. We discussed things, our background and I am assured my order for the one trumpet is "in on the front burner."

Sounds great. We closed the call on good terms. I then sent this email via internal eBay messaging....

"Hi Dave, Good to talk to you and thanks for listening to my concerns. As we discussed, my (****) trumpet is going to Anderson Plating ASAP and delivery to me is back on schedule for the first week of February, (or so.) It would be great if you sent me the tracking number for your shipment of my trumpet to Anderson when you get it out, and also the return shipment tracking number from Anderson, whenever you get it. This way I can keep up with progress and see if Anderson is any delay in the process. Please acknowledge this request, thank you. I was wondering, is there any reason not to drop ship from Anderson directly to me when they are finished? (Pun intended.) Maybe you QA their work? You would save shipping from you to me!!!! Win Win? Finally, the internet is a rough neighborhood. To be frank, the negative stuff I saw is pretty stale. I'd love to post a fresh and positive experience, which I'm sure I will."

So, I'll be true to my word sometime in the very near future. Thx!
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