First impressions on my new Wessex BBb Tornister Travel tuba

[saktoons]

It all seems like conjecture, right now. Does someone know the reject/rework/return rates for the various manufacturers? And do they rework them and sell them as new or do they sell them as "seconds" or under a stencil?

[Wyvern]

Hey Neptune,

Have you considered asking for a discount on those blemished instruments (assuming they play just fine), and offering them at a discount on your site? For those of us who don't really care how an instrument looks, but only how it plays, I bet you could sell a fair number of those, so long as the QC remains top notch on the playing aspects. I could care less about cloudy lacquer or minor scratches, if the instrument plays well.

The whole point of us investing in checking at the factory, is to stop any sub-standard instrument with the Wessex brand getting out into the world. If the factory wants to brand them something else and sell elsewhere (assuming they are not a Wessex exclusive) that is up to them - but I want to keep the Wessex quality and playing standards up.

Only one week and we are off to the factory again to check Wessex biggest order to date

[BMadsen]

Would you pose this same question to the Germans?

Yes I would. In fact, there are tons of companies with desirable brand names out there that sell B-Stock (returns, refurbs, etc) at a discount in a lot of different arenas. It doesn't diminish their desirability - instead, it opens the door for more people to purchase their equipment and save money, and it allows the company to make money off of people who would only otherwise look for their stuff used. It's actually a win-win. Apple, Sony, appliance manufacturers that also sell direct through their website, small appliances, etc, all do it. The stencils are a way of doing it and hiding the source of manufacturing from anyone not willing to dig for it.

Wessex could do it another way - they could sell those B-Stock without the branding on the bell. That way, most people who see the instrument and would judge it based on it's flaws (such as cloudy lacquer) won't know it's Wessex, but the player is able to save some money and get a great playing instrument. The discount would have to be higher than if it were a Wessex-branded instrument, but it would protect the brand from anyone stupid enough to judge an instrument solely on how it looks. Frankly, I could care less about cosmetic flaws if it plays well and is going to save me some money. As a full-time jobbing musician, I'm not making enough to worry about cosmetic perfection - I'll let some hobbyists making $100k a year worry about that. I just need quality gear that works at an affordable price.