Great Companies

TrentAustin · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:08 pm Post subject:

Here are a few of my favs:

Shires (duh)
Wedge (I have never experienced better customer service)
Adams (wonderful experience)
Curry (Mark has been amazing throughout the years)
Dillon Music (always quick, prompt and courteous!)
Osmun (always have treated me like gold).
Thompson music (fab)

I'm sure I'm forgetting some but that's due to a lot of missed high notes.
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Randall Nelson · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:26 pm Post subject:

...my experience..in about the same or equal order...all are great for product AND service.

Kanstul
Mark Curry
Dan Oberloh
Fred Cirksena
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Randy Nelson
Olds Super Recording
Kanstul Chicago
Kanstul French Besson Marvin Stamm
Lawler C7
Getzen Custom 3051 LB RL

ldwoods · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:48 pm Post subject:

Best:
Wedge Mouthpiece - Dr. Harrison
Flip Oakes Trumpets

Worst:
never mind, but it is interesting that one or two on my worst list are on other folks' best list...
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Larry Woods
LDWoods

WxJeff · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:50 pm Post subject:

butxifxnot · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 2353

Stores:
Dillon
Osmun
GR (Mr. Scriver! And staff)
Monette
mpcexpress
Thompson

People:
Mike Camarillo
Ken Larson
Blackburn

I've not done enormous amounts of business everywhere, but these companies and people have always proven very, very helpful and concerned with getting me what I need be it information or merchandise. Even when it meant they didn't get any business from me at that time.

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"Never practice, always perform."
-Adolf Herseth

mike ansberry · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 5:27 pm Post subject:

Probably just about everyone will be surprised with my choice. JUPITER.
I use their instruments in my school bands. I used Holton a few years ago. They had bad valves in the horns they got from Czechoslovakia. They denied that there was any problem. Everyone I know that got those horns had trouble. Then we had Yamaha. Yamaha sent out student line horns with bad valves. They at least admitted there was a problem. Supposedly with a clamp that damaged the 1st and 3rd valves on many horns. But I've never liked any horns I had with Yammie valves. So then comes Jupiter. The first batch of horns I got had bad valves. They said their monel alloy was bad. They switched to nickel. They send me all new nickel valves for every horn in the room. Better, but not great. Then they came out with stainless steel valves. They sent me replacement valves for every Jupiter in my band. Now these valves are nice. The Jupiter brass I've been getting in the last several years have been really fine instruments. And these are their student line!

I have to say I like a company that will admit when they make a mistake, then go all the way down the road to the end to correct it the right way.
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Music is a fire in your belly, fighting to get out. You'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt.

NCSAtrumpeter · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject:

nieuwguyski · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:25 pm Post subject:

Wedge Mouthpieces -- Dr. Dave: Does that guy ever sleep? I'm a late-night web-surfer, and many of my emails to Dave were after midnight, west-coast time. Most of the time, he responded immediately. He worked with me through a selection process more generous than any other I'm aware of, and months later worked a custom experiment into his busy schedule. I play bent mouthpieces, and being non-radially symmetric the Wedge mouthpiece is slightly challenging. Only slightly, because the solution is to thread the top onto a given backbore, make sure everything is lined up right, and bend the thing. But no, I'm a cheapskate and wanted to experiment with backbores without bending every single one. Dr. Dave worked on an angled top, which I dubbed the "sand wedge," at no charge to me. He had at least one made, and wasn't happy with it. So he didn't send it to me, didn't charge me for it, just chalked it up to learning and said he'd have to think about it more. Exceptional service.

Michael Del Quadro (DQ Horns, AKA KansasTrumpet): I approached Michael with a silly request -- "I have an old cornet with a mangled bell, and the unique wrap suggests that a tuning bell modification, with one of your copper bells, would be intriguing. How about it?" Michael not only realized my concept, but he kept me in the loop the whole time and created a horn that exceeded my hopes.

Rich Ita: Rich modified a trumpet for me years ago, and supplied Pilczuk leadpipes for two others since. On the modification and one of the leadpipes, he really went the extra mile for me.

Honorable mention: They no longer exist as an independent company, but I once bought a Holton F alto trumpet from an online retailer. The horn was advertised as coming with a second main tuning slide for Eb, but when I received it the second slide wasn't there. I contacted the reseller and brought this to their attention. They blamed Holton, and explained that since it was a closeout instrument my choices were to accept it as it was, or return it. I elected to keep the horn, since I had bought it to threaten the french horn player in a quintet I was playing in at the time, but it still rankled me. I went to the Holton website, found a phone number, and called the company. When I presented my complaint, the receptionist transferred me to the shop floor foreman. His name was Frank, and I'm ashamed that I can't remember his last name all these years later. I explained my problem to him, and not only did he have the missing H-slide made (and silver-plated, as that was the finish of the trumpet I'd bought) and shipped to me free of charge, but he demanded the name of the Giardinelli (oops, did I get specific?) salesperson who'd blamed them for the problem. It turns out that Holton had discontinued the Eb extension slide years before, because it didn't give very good results, and Giardinelli hadn't updated their description. Indeed, my Holton alto trumpet plays atrociously with the Eb slide, but Frank made sure that I received it because that's what I thought I was buying.
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J. Notso Nieuwguyski

dershem · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:32 pm Post subject:

Dillon - I've bought several horns from them, and always been treated well.

M/K drawing - they went out of their way when I wanted something from them, and provided a great tuning slide and fantastc service.

Marcinkiewicz - They've done several custom mouthpieces for me, and their service is all you could ask. I just wish I could afford their horns!

Flip Oakes - consummate musician, excellent horn maker, great guy.
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BKA! Mic Gillette was my mentor and friend.
Marcinkiewicz Mic G. trumpet, Custom Marcinkiewicz mpc. (Among others)
Marcinkiewicz Rembrandt flugel, Benge 8Z cornet, King 2B, Bach 36, Benge 190, Getzen 3062... many more. All Marc. mouthpieces.

oliver king · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 1742

Kanstul
Dillons
A&G Music/Best Repair
Thompson Music
Colin Publications
Rayburns (Boston)
Brass Labs
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LB Bel Canto #59
Holton B47
Frankenhorn projects 1-5
Adams F1
Olds Super Tenor Trombone
Alesis QS8
B2MS3, B2GS3,

tptptp · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:49 pm Post subject:

Clifford Blackburn and staff can't be beat.
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Craig Mitchell

ohiotpt · Heavyweight Member Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 988

Rich Ita - The kind of guy you can just send, ask, and trust...Both for repair and horn purchase.

Fred Cirksena (Quality-Brass) - If someone asks you where they should go to get a used student horn...send them to Fred...Fair prices for clean horns...not the cheapest price...but good value.

Kanstul and Getzen - I've had horn overhauls with both companies (Getzen no longer does that service) bought some direct purchases, own instruments from, and they've always taken good care of me (Charles and Carrie at K and Mary Rima at G)

And while flaky lately with the merger and new computer system, they've always come through for me and over all some great deals....wwandbw/musiciansfriend especially if it's an item I don't want to spend a lot of money on...And you'll love their store if you make it to Indiana.

Bob Reeves - Haven't worked with him lately, but he really took care of me back in my student days, when I was so broke I bought two underpieces with one rim to save money. (Hey, $18 bucks was $18 bucks) back when he had his little shop in Hollywood.

Eric Bolvin - Haven't had time to really dig into the books yet for comment, but...super fast shipping...oops an error...very quick and friendly error correction. That's the kind of person it's great to do business with.
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-fred
Lots of horns available to try and buy (or just try) in the Florida Treasure Coast area (Especially Kanstul trumpets) - PM if you'd like to stop by.

deatea · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:55 pm Post subject:

I have t agree that Steve from "Torpedo Bags" belongs on this list he has been top notch in trying to resolve any issues that I have had with his cases
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YFH-631GS
YTR-6810S

Craig Swartz · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:57 pm Post subject:

Schilke
Anderson's
Rieman Music (local IA music store)
Taylor Music (Big mail order/online store in Aberdeen, SD)
WWBW (Always good for me)
Smith and Wesson
Winchester Repeating Arms
RCBS/Huntington
Hornady
National Rifle Association
Dillon Precision
Buick/General Motors
Eble Music (Sheet music galore in Iowa City- try them!)

Mnc · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 8:44 pm Post subject:

Dick Akright- A&G Best Repair
Jim Mc Combs- Dillon Music
Getzen
Roy Lawler
Dave Kessler-Kessler Music
Walt Blanton

All are first class companies and people...

seruch · Veteran Member Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 112

Obvious echoes:
--Mark Curry
--Getzen (My Eterna Severinsen from HighSchool days still plays like then, even though I've taken lousy care of it. Valves are beauties - I wish I could challenge them....

But someone mentioned Wayne Tanabe ??!!? If he were either still in, or back in the biz, I'd concur. Did I miss him coming back (loved to occasionally stop into the Brass Bow in Chicago suburbs when he was here)????
s
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Bb-Getzen Severinsen-Bach 5C
Flugel-Kanstul Signature w/Flip Oakes 5WT

BryceAdams · New Member Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 9

Monette
Thompson Music

trumpetmike · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:49 pm Post subject:

Howard Wiseman

tptguy · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:38 pm Post subject:

It's nice to see so many people saying such good things about the people they are working with. It says a lot about the trumpet industry - most people are in it because they love and take great pride in what they do.

I'll give my vote to Jerry Callet because he helped me when no one else could. Not only has he provided tremendous help to nearly countless others, also he has probably given more free lessons that just about everyone else put together. I've never seen someone share their knowledge more freely. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that he has designed the best trumpet ever made along with great mouthpieces too. IMHO

My 2nd vote goes to Kanstul. They've made a lot of horns for me and the quality and support has always been excellent.

My 3rd vote goes to Charlie Melk, but I'll keep that one quiet. He's busy!

- Kyle