Robert King Music - Alphonse Leduc

cjl

Has anyone ordered from Robert King recently?

I've ordered from Robert King for about 36 years now. Their online interface was never all that great but it was managable. Now I see that Alphonse Leduc has replaced what was there with their own store interface.

I find the new Robert King / Alphonse Leduc online interface to be practically unusable! For the first time, I am ordering from another company music that I would normally have purchased from Robert King.

Is there something I am doing wrong? Does anyone else find the new Robert King Music to be as frustrating as I do?

-- Joe

tubbs831 · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:14 pm Post subject:

They've changed their site twice in the last year or two and not for the better either time. Most recently I had trouble being able to ship music to an address that wasn't my billing address, I wasn't too interested in trying to figure it out so just gave up.

I was excited by the prospect of a new website but nothing about it makes it easier to search, browse, or purchase.

trpt.hick · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:29 pm Post subject:

I always liked their ordering system until they changed it a year or so ago. It is terrible, and I usually can't order things from them. It is also very difficult to search items in their catalog.

cjl · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:36 pm Post subject:

Crazy Finn · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:57 pm Post subject:

Robert King:

Alphonse Leduc:

Robert King owned by Leduc?

I completely agree. I used to order stuff from them. Not any more, probably. Their website stinks, now.

Did I mention I hate Alphonse Leduc?
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tubbs831 · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:05 pm Post subject:

Yeah, not to mention that since the Leduc ownership the prices on King publications have skyrocketed.

Crazy Finn · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:54 pm Post subject:

DH · Veteran Member Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 493

I've given up there after purchasing music from them since the '60s!!! I emailed them once telling them how easy it was to purchase stuff before and how impossible it is now. Never got a response, of course. Never go there anymore either.

FatherCharles · Regular Member Joined: 04 Jan 2021 Posts: 11

I never ordered from Robert King Music but I grew up in Easton MA and knew someone who worked there back in the day (both before and after it was purchased by Alphonse Leduc).

In it's heyday the business was efficient and frugal but not parsimonious. To save money on packaging materials they'd use scrap cardboard and paper grocery bags from the local market but they also had a profit sharing arrangement.

Prior to being purchased by Alphonse Leduc there was no sign out in front of it's location as walk-ins were not appreciated. If you didn't know where to look you'd likely miss the business entirely as it was situated under a barber shop. Orders were "pulled" from stacks located in the basements of other adjacent downtown businesses.

Heh, I did a bit of googling to double check my recollections and found this story: Music for Brass: A History of the Robert King Music Company.