Posted by t.k. on July 15, 2001 at 11:24:37:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Another Brasswind Diary posted by R. S. on July 15, 2001 at 10:35:08:
Points well taken, and a very valid point of view.
What I'm trying to convey is that the vast majority do not have the mystical pocket full o' bucks. So we save. But how much? Is the right horn for me a Hirsbrunner? Or am I financially fortunate enough that the perfect horn for me is an s-186? Do I need to budget $200/month to savings, or do I (and my wife) forgo vacation for the next three years to put away enough for a HB? Do I tell my wife that she must choose between a child and a tuba? Or can we do both?
I can't answer these without playing the horns in question. The decision to purchase a tuba is a decision of possible lifestyle for most of us. For the tuba to be a priority, several other things must suffer and go by the wayside, at least temporarily. Since the tuba IS a priority fo me, my preference is to make those sacreifices as short as possible for my family, and the only way to do that is to know what my goal is.
We're looking at a chicken and egg situation. I would love to walk into Custom/Brasswind/BB/Brookmays/TE/TW/Dillon's (did I leave anyone out?) with a line of credit to buy any horn in the store, but that's just not going to happen. For us working stiffs, a target has to be established, or life takes over, and we never do get that dream horn.
Perhaps in many cases what is mistaken for insincerity might be the big step in the decision making process, and the person that gives the best/most honest professional assistance will get my business. It might be a year or two down the road, but the sale can be traced to the day spent test-driving the horns to make the decision in the first place.
FWIW, a few golf gloves or surgical gloves would cut down on the fingerprinting, and the soft lambskin or latex won't scratch the finish. Then about all you have to do is empty the spit valve? Right?
No flames...just an open dialog.