Thanks, Roger Lewis

[Steve Inman]

Just spent some time on the phone with Roger Lewis at Brasswind talking over tuba options. But in addition, he provided a number of very helpful pieces of additional, related info. He's a very helpful resource in the tuba community (both for horns to purchase and for tips and info), and the generous time he provided for the phone call was quite beneficial. A quick post to express appreciation is the least I can do. (Of course, buying several new tubas at Brasswind would be the most I could do ... ! ) BTW -- be sure to check out Roger's "Spit Valve Drill" posted further down the page.

Many thanks, Roger!

[beedeesmith]

Hey, I would definitely like to wholeheartedly second that: Roger has been amazingly gracious with his time in providing help, advice, and annecdotes over the phone to me virtually every time I've called. So much so, in fact, that I felt comfortable earlier this year in ordering a tuba from him and shipping it out to me without (and here comes the cardinal sin) ever playing it myself first. That worked out so well for me that I'm in the process of getting yet another one from him now (though this time I didn't force him to record an mp3 of himself playing "The Imperial March" from Star Wars on the two finalist candidate horns I was considering to help make my final decision -- hey, it worked, so don't knock it)

Many thanks as well, Roger!
-Bryan

[T. J. Ricer]

It's already been said a bunch, but here goes another. . . Roger is great. We talked at length last summer about my goals as a player and he directed me to three horns, none of which he sells. I bought my Gronitz shortly thereafter and have been very happy with it. He knows his stuff, he's opinionated, and he's willing to tell you exactly what he thinks (the good, the bad, and the ugly).

--T. J.

[Pete Link]

Could not agree more with all above comments. I've spent lots of time with Roger sampling various horns, shooting the "poop" and whatever else, and he has always been extremely helpful and gracious with his time. He has great ears and knows what fits for different types of player needs.

Cheers Roger \_/


Pete Link

[TubaRay]

that guy? i stropped in there with slavic soul party while on tour. we walked in playing and they had a stroke. security was on top of us right away. like everyday a 10-piece gypsy band walks through the door. we stopped playing and they cranked up a CD of a Rush cover band doing Tom Sawyer. we bought some valve oil. i spoke with that guy for a second. he made fun of how dirty and banged up my hirschbrunner was. he asked me how i could keep it in that condition. i told him i don't sit in the back of an orchestra and shine it during the rests. strike one. then he kind of asked me what i did for a living. duh. play the tuba. strike two. he asked me who i studied with in NYC. i told him steve johns. then he told me what a wonderful guy steve johns was. strike three. i wouldn't by a horn from that guy even if he was selling them a thousand dollars cheaper. sorry. i know everyone has been posting positive experiences with him. mine wasn't that positive.

Well, isn't that special?!

[BradParrish]

Don't go there on a day when he's not working, or you'll get zero service in the tuba department. I was going to buy a tuba there a few months ago, and he wasn't there, and got next to no help. Three hours later, I was informed that they couldn't offer me a price on my horn unless Roger was there. Luckily I didn't buy a horn that day and got a good deal on a used MW 45slp. Looks like WW&BW's bad customer service was good for me. caveat I did purchace my current CC tuba there, pre Roger Lewis though.

[dunelandmusic]

Hmmmm.......................


Opinions are welcome, we all benefit from open discussion. I don't know Roger, I might have met him once and he helped me if it was him-but he should help me, that's why he's there. And I agree, many days getting things done at WWBW seems to be difficult for the in-store staff.

As far as the incident described-you said you walked into the store playing, pretty sure that was inappropriate for a retail establishment unless you were hired by the establishment to play. In many places, that wouldn't be strike one for you, that would be you're out !

You spoke with Roger "for a second" yet somehow managed to be offended in that second. Let's look at what Roger did:

1. Made fun of how dirty and banged up a Hirschbrunner was. We all know these are expensive horns, and we don't see them banged up much. Did he really make fun, or simply inquire?

2. Asked what you did for a living. Seems innoculous to me, I've seen lots of people with tubas, some were on tour, and almost all did something else for a living.

3. Told you Steve Johns was a wonderful guy. Maybe that was his opinion, maybe he was blowing smoke. Is it possible that your exchange was so confrontational at this point, that Roger was just trying to win you back as a customer? People in retail do that, and it sounds like Roger was trying to be honest with you, he had no reason to expect you weren't honest with him.


As I said, I don't know Roger, but as an outsider looking in it sounds like the whole exchange got off on the wrong foot when you walked in playing, and then had a chip on your shoulder, daring Roger to knock it off. I tend to give people the benefit of a doubt until they prove me wrong. I don't really see anything Roger did here which was blatantly wrong, perhaps he was having an off day. It seems uncharacteristic to think Roger is nice to everyone but you. I don't know you either. And I'll believe you're a decent person until you prove me otherwise.

WWBW is what it is, a place that turns inventory. If that price point helps me, I'll use them. If it doesn't, I'll buy somewhere else.

[TubaRay]

WWBW is what it is, a place that turns inventory. If that price point helps me, I'll use them. If it doesn't, I'll buy somewhere else.

This is the way things usually work. Few of us will go for a lesser deal simply because we like or don't like a business or salesman. That is the proverbial "cutting off your nose to spite your face." Of course there are factors in addition to price. Service, convenience, etc., that come to mind.

Just so everyone knows, I don't know, and have never met Roger. This much I do know: Right here on TubeNet, many people have posted appreciative comments as to how he has treated them.

[tbn.al]

hell, i don't even live there... what were we talking about

Where do you live, Nu Yawk? It figures.

[Rick Denney]

that guy? i stropped in there with slavic soul party while on tour. we walked in playing and they had a stroke. security was on top of us right away...

Sheesh.

I was at WW&BW recently, helping my niece buy a bassoon. The security people were indeed strict, and it took some talking to get her in the store with her old bassoon, without having to bring down the whole store management. With all the inventory they have on display, I suppose I can understand that. Costco checks every item on my receipt on the way out the door, too. We sure as heck weren't going to leave her current instrument sitting in the car!

While there, my niece was trying out expensive bassoons and Roger invited me to enjoy myself in the tuba room. I did, with no interference from anybody. I worked around those who were seriously auditioning instruments, I used my own mouthpieces, and I didn't damage anything.

They had a careful inventory control process in place, and my niece could only audition bassoons in a formal practice room under the general supervision of the woodwind guy. Again, that makes sense--we're talking about $16,000 bassoons. I can't just grab keys at Carmax and go for a test drive, either.

It wasn't the same experience as I've had at Dillons or Baltimore Brass, but then those stores are MUCH smaller and tend to be filled with more responsible customers. And I know the owners personally.

Why would you walk into a store playing without having made arrangements first? That puts everyone in the store on the wrong foot.

Oh, well. Everyone has their own pet peeves about retail establishments, and their own measures by which they judge them. Sometimes those pet peeves are sensible and sometimes they are too personal to make sense to anyone else. There were things that annoyed me about how WW&BW runs their retail, but I seriously doubt those were Roger's call. And if I was buying a tuba, I would make darn sure the tuba guy was going to be there on the same day, just as we made extensive prior arrangements with the bassoon guy.

By the way, if my comment about the "experience" of a high-end instrument got a response like "I don't spend time polishing it during rests on the back row", I'd be looking forward to seeing your backside going through the door, whether or not I said it. I found Roger respectful and friendly, but then I was respectful and friendly.

Rick "thinking you reap what you sow" Denney

[Brucom]

I can't just grab keys at Carmax and go for a test drive, either.

Roger is a saint compared to any sleazeball at Carmax.
Roger spent several hours with me when I was at WWBW.
He worked right through lunch because I was slow to make a decision.


Q: What's the difference between a used car salesman and a software salesman?
A: The used car salesman knows when he's lying.

[Rick Denney]

Roger is a saint compared to any sleazeball at Carmax.

Comparing Roger to a Carmax salesman wasn't at all my point, of course. My point is that a store that moves customers in and out by the dozens must have tighter inventory control than one that moves customers in and out by the ones and twos. Otherwise, stuff walks out the door without having been paid for. And customers have to attain a certain respect from the proprietor before being allowed to roam freely with extremely expensive musical instruments. If Carmax requires their people to drive the car off the lot, and then accompany the customer during the test drive, then why would we expect WW&BW not to expect the same from their sales force for items that cost the same or more?

And if a customer brought in a fine instrument that was beat up and then expressed a cavalier attitude about its condition, how is that supposed to calm the nerves of the sales guy or store owner about the care given to instruments that the customer wants to try out? That alone justifies a question about the condition, it seems to me.

Rick "who has bought four cars from Carmax and hasn't run into a sleazeball yet, surprisingly" Denney

[Mark]

And if a customer brought in a fine instrument that was beat up and then expressed a cavalier attitude about its condition, how is that supposed to calm the nerves of the sales guy or store owner about the care given to instruments that the customer wants to try out? That alone justifies a question about the condition, it seems to me.

Amen. I make it a point at TubaChristmas and similar events to sit as far away from the guys with the banged up tubas as possible. If he doesn't care about his own tuba, why should I expect him to care about mine.

[fifthnotules]

Roger has saved my tail more than once, and in general has displayed a willingness to help that I could never ask from a sales rep. I honestly cannot thank Roger enough.

[Steve Inman]

that guy? ....

I read snuffie's post, and read it again. For the life of me I can't see "strike 1", "strike 2" or "strike 3" anywhere based on Ron's own description of his visit. I see nothing but appropriate, normal behavior for a respectable business contained in the anectdote.

I do see evidence of shocking behavior clearly pointed out, but it wasn't coming from Roger or WWBW!

Whenever I walk into WWBW with my tuba (in its case and not being played), I am immediately greeted by the security person who will inspect it and log it, to ensure I'm walking out with MY few thousand dollar horn and not THEIR $10,000+ horn! For 10 people to walk in with horns in hand, would therefore likely bring a few extra security folks over to assist with their standard procedure. If this was deemed an undue burden, you could have turned around and walked back out. Sounds like everyone would have been happier with the experience, overall.

I was initially surprised to see a poster who actually had a bad experience at WWBW, as I never have. But when I read further, it was clear from the post that nothing inappropriate or unfriendly occured on the part of the store. I'm always amused when a complaint actually shows quite clearly (to everyone else) that the root cause of the problem(s) were due to the complainer's behavior or approach to some situation.

Maybe in NYC it's considered fine to march into a business with a 10 piece band all playing their horns, unexpected and uninvited. Out here in the cultural backwaters of Indiana, that's considered rude, unacceptable and unwelcome behavior. I'm sorry there wasn't at least one person in your ten-member group who had enough understanding of cultural diversity to be able to adapt to our backward ways. If there had been, I'm sure you would have had a much more enjoyable time.

Cheers,

[Steve Inman]

Don't go there on a day when he's not working, or you'll get zero service in the tuba department. I was going to buy a tuba there a few months ago, and he wasn't there, and got next to no help. Three hours later, I was informed that they couldn't offer me a price on my horn unless Roger was there. Luckily I didn't buy a horn that day and got a good deal on a used MW 45slp. Looks like WW&BW's bad customer service was good for me. caveat I did purchace my current CC tuba there, pre Roger Lewis though.

Brad makes a good point -- Roger is THE tuba expert at WWBW. I did experience this issue once, years ago (pre-Roger), when I dropped in without calling ahead and was hoping to check out some horn. It was in the warehouse and couldn't be easily procured that afternoon. After this experience, I've always called ahead to make an appointment and have always had excellent help.

I wouldn't call this "bad" service, however. It doesn't surprise me that I might need an appointment to handle and "test-drive" a number of $5K - $10K musical instruments -- or to get an estimate for a trade-in horn. Since I only have to drive 2 hours, it's not a disaster if I'm tooting tubas on my own. But if I'm bringing a trade-in, I'd sure think about calling ahead to be sure the store expert is available. That's just standard business practice -- in any business.

Cheers,

[Steve Inman]

It ain't so!

I do not know what Roger's normal working hours are. Does he work Monday thru Saturday? Tuesday thru Saturday? Does he take Wednesday afternoons off? I don't know when he's going to be on vacation. When does he have his dentist appointment? When is he talking with his tax man?

Hence if I want to be sure he's at the store when I drop by, I always call in advance to be sure he's going to be around.

Cheers,

[Rick Denney]

I'll admit I'm a bit confused. Is WWBW's tuba expert only available by appointment?

At a place like WW&BW, I would always call first and make arrangements. Period. I did that when I visited Dillons, and if I'm doing something special I do it when I'm driving over to Baltimore. The one exception was when I went to buy the Holton. On that deal, time was of the essence, so instead of calling ahead and drove there with checkbook in hand. Dave wasn't there, but I didn't need his advice for that purchase. If I had wanted Dave there, I would have called ahead to make sure.

No, I don't expect a store even as large as BW to have a tuba expert available to me during all open hours. It's a specialty position and there will only be one person with the expert knowledge, just as an orchestra only needs one tuba player. That person deserves to have a life, too.

You can always walk in and buy music stands and valve oil. But if you want to make a transaction that requires expertise, such as trading in a horn, then it's just good sense to make sure the right expert will be there. The guy who can fix air conditioners isn't always on duty at the corner service station during open hours, either.

Also, they have a number of audition rooms, but not an unlimited number. If you make arrangements beforehand (like you have to do to get your hair cut on a busy day), then you don't have to wait in line.

Personally, I think this is reasonable, but as I said before, everyone has their pet peeves. I'm glad I'm not in retail.

Rick "for whom buying an expensive instrument is a big deal requiring advance preparation" Denney

[Barney]

I have actually had extremely lousy experiences with WWBW, though the store people I dealt with were mostly alright and I never have done business with Roger (I have played with him, though).

Agreed. Many of the salespeople, like Roger and ex-Airmen of Note trumpeter Bruce Gates, are first class. The store itself is a bottom-line driven enterprise with suprisingly little regard for the customer after the sale. If you don't believe me, you will after you call "customer service".

[MikeMason]

Roger is a great resource.He obviously loves all things tuba.His employer probably wishes he was more like Vince,but Roger is genuinely concerned with what's best for the customer.I've had over 3 hours of consultation over the years and have yet to buy anything from him(for which i feel guilty),and several of those occasions it was Roger who recommended i do something else.I'd say the tuba community is truly lucky to have a guy of Roger's level of expertise available to us for free and for what I am quite sure is a salary level below what he is really worth.Now every other part of the Brasswind is my hated enemy and competitor ...