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I am looking for three US distributers of Rudolf Meinl tubas who can get me a price quote on a couple horns. Thanks!

Lee Stofer is the only one I know.

With french horns, Osmun Music is the sole US distributor for a couple brands, and they manage to sell to military bands. Might give them a call to figure it out.

Or just buy some Miraphone 186s, Sarnt.

Same problem for state agencies and public schools. Your Request for Proposals needs to specific which brand and model that you specifically want bid on indicating than no substitute brand or model is acceptable and you need to get three bids from three separate vendors. If two vendor responds that they can not provide the requested item, you have still gotten three bids. If your RFP is for a specific item and modle, a generic is not the same. Good luck. You might verify this is acceptable with federal regs.

By the way, you guys were awesome when your band came over and played that joint concert with us earlier this year.

cktuba wrote:Unfortunately, I think there is only one US distributor... Lee Stofer. Unfortunate not because of that person or business-- but (if I understand your situation correctly) because you are required to obtain 3 competitive bids.

I'm a Rudy dealer too, but I'll pass on the bidding war.

Best,

Ferguson

Sandlapper wrote:By the way, you guys were awesome when your band came over and played that joint concert with us earlier this year.

I bet they were awesome! I actually just got to the band last week and I'm looking forward to serving with them for the next few years. Hopefully we will make it over there again and we'll have a chance to meet!

There are ways to get around the 3 name requirement for government bids - most involve listing technical details instead of the name brand and allowing anyone to bid (knowing that only 1 mfr meets those details).
The plus side to this method is that it opens the bid to creative entrepreneurs who might be able to make something of equal quality. Using this method, It will be up to you to filter through the responses to see if what comes back really is equal.
The trouble with this is that it opens the bid to creative entrepreneurs who might not be interested in making something of equal quality if you don't have the correct technical details listed.
I'm experienced in doing this for electrical equipment, not so much with tubas.

As I understand it, the band teachers here in NC have figured out how to do this for things like Conn 20k Sousas, St.Pete 202N Tubas or King 2341 Tubas. It should be possible to get one of those RFP forms and just edit so that you've described a Rudy instead of a King.

Lee may be able to help you write the RFP (possible with help from the RM factory) if the Rudy really is your target instrument.

You may also need to look into Buy American Act requirements to figure out if you should instead be looking for an American brand vs a German brand. This is one headache that Architects have when dealing with Federal funding. Not such an issue for electrical gear (almost all made in Mexico anyway and is exempt from the Buy American requirement because of NAFTA).

One other option for you:
Use a '3 name bid' - Along with the Rudy that you want, List some specific models that you like from other, pricier brands (Alexander comes to mind, but I don't know the market you're buying in). Occasionally, those factories will drop their price on a bid order to move product that's sitting on their shelves.
You can get instruments for a very good price this way, instruments that you might have thought were WAY out of your price range.

Edit - Clarified that this is a strategy for building a 3-name RFP.
Make sure you also include language about no substitutions and only allowing approved equals (or no equals, must be listed as one of the 3). You will have to deal with some paperwork if someone tries to submit a non-listed instrument, but you put yourself in a position of being able to reject anything that you don't consider equal.

I'm going to put out a different opinion.

Don't buy the Rudy. This band has five different Rudy tubas and to be honest half of them are not something I would play in public (ie not consistent tubas). As an American army band it might be good to buy an American tuba. Kanstul makes some good tubas, and buying one of those would use American tax payer money to support an American company. If you are dead set on a Rudy send me a pm and we can talk about a transfer.

If Kanstul only made a rotary tuba...

So, what's wrong with 186 or 187/188 (depending if you want BBb or CC)? The local Guard band around here purchases 186's for its players.