Repairman in Chicago?

[Bob Kolada]

Since I have decided to sell my big Eb, I want to get some work done on my little King Eb- venting the valves and cutting down the quite long main slide crook (the smaller side is also leaking a bit). Oddly enough I like the between-bassbone-and-American receiver so that'll stay (it's nice to be able to use a contrabone mp and a Bach 18 in the same receiver!).

Any suggestions? Being as I do not own a car someone in Chicago would be preferable as the suburbs would be quite a walk.


Thanks!
Bob

[tubarepair]

You can't go wrong with Dana Hofer. Good tuba tech.
Music and Arts Center
907 W Irving Park Rd.
Itasca, IL
630.467.1077

[MrBasseyPants]

You can't go wrong with Dana Hofer. Good tuba tech.
Music and Arts Center
907 W Irving Park Rd.
Itasca, IL
630.467.1077

Is Dana still there? I want to say I read somewhere that he wasn't there anymore. I am probably mistaken.

Also, Bob, I work in Itasca. If you can bear to take your Tuba on the Metra. I would be more than happy to shuttle you the 2 miles or so to Music and Arts....

jc

[Biggs]

You can't go wrong with Dana Hofer. Good tuba tech.
Music and Arts Center
907 W Irving Park Rd.
Itasca, IL
630.467.1077

Dana is, as near as I can tell, a good guy and does, as near as I can tell, average work, but Music and Arts Center has given me nothing but trouble. I sent my tuba in for a chem clean and they returned it to me with a whopper of a dent in the bottom bow. When I confronted them about this, they denied having anything to do with it and told me I must have forgotten it was there. Wrong. I play this tuba every day. Believe me, I couldn't forget something of this size.

I went to Dana directly who sighed heavily and confirmed that the dent was there by the time the horn got into his hands, alluding vaguely to the routine carelessness (for example, the clerk I gave my horn to called it a "trombone") of those who handle business at the front desk. He did the best job he could manage (still crappy, though!) with dentballs while I watched and told it'd me be near-impossible to get a refund.

While I'm sure Dana is a competent, caring repair tech, he happens to be employed by an operation where carelessness and ignorance are the hallmarks of their service. To make a long story short, you could do a lot better than Music and Arts Center - the store where they don't even know what a tuba is!

Pat

[DaTubaKid]

Dana is a fantastic repairmen and is wonderful to work with. He recently converted the 5th valve on my PT16 from being in the left hand to being in the right hand. It fits perfectly and looks as if the horn was built that way. He was incredibly efficient with his time while designing the conversion and was able to get the horn back to me quickly. Once he was done, we spent some time tweaking the ergonomics to have the new thumb trigger fit me perfectly, since comfort was the reason I had it switched. I have been happier than ever to play my F tuba since I got this conversion done.

Granted, I am slightly biased, having worked for him last summer, but I can safely say that his concern for a horns safety is one of his highest priorities. Any time a custom horn would come in to the shop, he would make sure I knew it was a custom horn and to treat with the utmost care.

I'm sorry to hear that the retail people were such a problem. I've known them to have some...interesting...personalities, but incompetence was never something I noticed. I am truly shocked that one of them was unable to tell the difference between a tuba and a trombone. Hopefully this all happened before I worked there and this person wasn't there much longer. Social interactions were the most I ever had with retail, since I was able to take my horns directly to Dana.

And yes, Dana is still at Music and Arts.

[Alex F]

While Dana has not worked on any of my horns, I've seen the work he recently did on a friend's Alex (70s vintage).

Bob, you may want to give him a call as he might find a way to accomodate your travel issue.

Of course, there's alwys Lee Stofer out in Iowa . . .

[tubaguy9]

I know that there's also a guy by the name of Jeff Stelling in Kearney NE if you're willing to go a ways but not quite cross country
I know someone who used to work for Music and Arts. She's said things about them that were less than pleasant.
EDIT: However, seeing now who recommended Dana, I'm sure he's an amazing repairman
Also, I thought it was another thread

[schneidah]

Dana also does work out of his place now (in Des Plaines, if I recall correctly). He's done fine work for me several times, and on a tight schedule when necessary and the work wasn't too crazy involved. Call Music & Arts and they'll put you through to him; if you can get out to his place, you can skip dealing with the shop otherwise.

[joshwirt]

Another vote of confidence for Dana Hofer! He has done quite a bit of work for the guys here at DePaul and I've been extremely happy with his patience and attention to detail on my instruments. I've taken 3 horns to him (and will be taking my bass bone to him in a few weeks as well) and have never had finer work done. His rates are extremely reasonable and he can turn around horns pretty quickly without the quality of work suffering.

-Josh Wirt

[averagejoe]

Any time a custom horn would come in to the shop, he would make sure I knew it was a custom horn and to treat with the utmost care.

But don't worry about denting non custom horns though, no big deal right?

Even a "cheap" tuba is still a relatively expensive item, that may have sentimental value for owner.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Any time a custom horn would come in to the shop, he would make sure I knew it was a custom horn and to treat with the utmost care.

But don't worry about denting non custom horns though, no big deal right?

Even a "cheap" tuba is still a relatively expensive item, that may have sentimental value for owner.

Wow. What makes you think he meant that?

Seriously, the level of antipathy being read into written words on this site seems to get worse with each passing day. Is it a sign of the times or something?

[Lee Stofer]

Although I have never met the man (and I should do so this year), I have never heard anything but good about Dana Hofer and his work. These comments were both from satisfied customers of his, and from the national chief of repair services for Music and Arts, with whom I am well acquainted.

Music and Arts Centers is a nationwide chain that is probably the best overall in the US, but is still subject to the consistency problems of any nationwide chain store. This particular location may have a great repair tech, but the clerks on the floor are likely to be more transient. Also, chain music stores do not routinely stock tubas, so if you had a novice clerk up front that is a guitar hero, he might call your tuba a trombone, etc.

I would suggest to the player that had the bottom bow damage to his tuba, that he contact the store management, and request that the damage done by the clerk be repaired by Dana at the store's expense, or that they pay to have it repaired elsewhere. I think that if it is presented in such a way as to be preserving the reputation and integrity of the business, they'll listen to you.

[Bob Kolada]

Thanks guys!

What I am going to try first is taking it to a guy in my parent's hometown (going to visit there for a few days) who has a good reputation. I'll be bringing the horn to play anyways!

[averagejoe]

Good luck! Maybe you could give us some before and after pics?

[Bob Kolada]

The only visible difference will be a slightly shorter main slide and maybe one less dent in my bottom bow that I don't know how it got there.

[iDot2K3]

Just received my two horns back from Dana, and it is far superior to any work I've had done else where. He has my highest recommendation. I think he is however at a new location in Palatine, IL at a place called Fix This.

Anyway, I had one horn cleaned and polished and the valves aligned on a Schiller (1291 copy). Happily the Schiller now matches the sound of the 1291 I think.

AG

[Alex F]

Lee Stofer now makes occasional ventures into the Chicago area. You may want to contact him to see when he will next be doing so.

[bttmbow]

The repairman at Band Source in Downers Grove Is excellent. His name is Matt, but his last name escapes me at the moment. He is actually on my top five list of brass technicians that I have worked with. Jay Friedman would concur, since he's the only person that works on his trombones.

[joshwirt]

I was talking with Dana yesterday and asked me to post his new contact info on here since he still gets a number of calls from people looking for him at Music & Arts.

Fix This! Musical Instrument Repair, Inc
746 East Northwest Highway
Palatine, IL 60074
(847) 359-4444
http://fixthisinstrumentrepair.com/" target="_blank

His cell has not changed (for those of you who have that number), but otherwise, he asks that you reach him at the shop as he is not working from the house any longer.

-Josh Wirt

[luke_hollis]

I want to give another vote of confidence to Dana at Fix This. He lapped my valves, added new guides and flushed the horn. He did a great job and I would go back for service next time.

Luke