Tuba Showroom/Buffet Crampon Jacksonville

[harrell]

I have been trying to contact the Tuba Showroom in Jacksonville for a few weeks now. I have had very little success getting in touch with them by phone or email. Has anyone else had this experience? As many of you have seen, I am looking for a JBL Classic F tuba. If I can't find a used one, I am considering getting a new one, though they are pricy. The one time I was able to get someone on the phone, I was told they would have one in around this time in October but I can't get anyone to respond to emails or voicemails. I heard that Eastman is coming out with some new Willson-based models next year. It may be worth the wait to check those out if I can't get any customer service from B&S.

Jason Harrell

[Sousaswag]

I might try contacting Warren Kus. He’s the guy who I was able to contact about all those MW parts I ordered.

[arpthark]

The JBL is my favorite modern B&S F tuba. I loved mine and unfortunately sold it in leaner times. Great horn! I hope you find one.

[prodigal]

The JBL is my favorite modern B&S F tuba. I loved mine and unfortunately sold it in leaner times. Great horn! I hope you find one.

How does it compare to your Symphonie?

[hollowayp]

Warren’s contact information:
warren.kus@buffetcrampon.com
P:904-821-0233
C:410-967-4391
F:903-821-0325

[arpthark]

The JBL is my favorite modern B&S F tuba. I loved mine and unfortunately sold it in leaner times. Great horn! I hope you find one.

How does it compare to your Symphonie?

It has the bigger bore size so not as sweet sounding, but I think it had superior response, especially in the low range, versus a PT-10. It’s been about 11 years since the JBL left here though. I’d love to find one to mess around on again.

[prodigal]

The JBL is my favorite modern B&S F tuba. I loved mine and unfortunately sold it in leaner times. Great horn! I hope you find one.

How does it compare to your Symphonie?

It has the bigger bore size so not as sweet sounding, but I think it had superior response, especially in the low range, versus a PT-10. It’s been about 11 years since the JBL left here though. I’d love to find one to mess around on again.

Thanks! The JBL looks like it should be a great B&S, I guess I'm just old school.

[aarongsmith]

Warren’s contact information:
warren.kus@buffetcrampon.com
P:904-821-0233
C:410-967-4391
F:903-821-0325

I don't know if he is back from vacation, but he's been out of the office. They do prefer all appointments to go through tubashowroom.com.

I had been working with him and Cliff to get some horns for Pershing's Own.

[harrell]

I have called, left voicemails, emailed, have gotten no response. Someone answers the phone and says I need to speak to Warren but I always get his voicemail and haven't gotten a call back. I emailed his direct email but haven't gotten a response. I'm not mad, trying to be a jerk, or trying to cause anyone grief but I would just like some information.

Jason

[bloke]

Someone who's been there tell me if there's a rotary Fafner there.

[Billy M.]

Someone who's been there tell me if there's a rotary Fafner there.

They did at one time when I visited, this of course was before I considered owning a BBb. But that was over a year ago.

[bloke]

I've played the piston version of the 195, though not side by side to my Miraphone model 98, but with such familiarity with the 98 that I might as well have played them side by side. The resistance with the piston valve section (and other necessary related changes) makes that version of the 195 a totally a different experience.

If I could magically beam myself to that showroom with my 98, I would love to play it side by side with the rotary Fafner 195. I see a lot of European orchestra players using 195 rotary tubas, but - that having been said - the 195 tubas are more common (much higher production numbers) and considerably less expensive. I would sort of like to find out if the availability and pricing are part of their factors, or whether the 195 might actually be as good or better than the 98... but (again) comparing it to the Piston 195 is no comparison. They are just too different.

[harrell]

Warren’s contact information:
warren.kus@buffetcrampon.com
P:904-821-0233
C:410-967-4391
F:903-821-0325

I've tried calling this number but it says it is no longer a working number.

[MikeS]

Warren’s contact information:
warren.kus@buffetcrampon.com
P:904-821-0233
C:410-967-4391
F:903-821-0325

I've tried calling this number but it says it is no longer a working number.

A quick web search shows the number to be 904-821-0234 (not 0233).

[the elephant]

P:904-821-0233

I've tried calling this number but it says it is no longer a working number.

A quick web search shows the number to be 904-821-0234 (not 0233).

Well, that would explain a few things…

[hrender]

FWIW he's also on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warren-kus-19045277/

[tofu]

Getting no customer response is just such a non-starter. I’ve never understood businesses that do this. Why bother to have a showroom (and the expense of it) if a customer like the OP has make such repeat efforts to get some info??? It just makes zero business sense as the customer is left utterly frustrated and feeling worse about the buying experience if there was no showroom at all.

It seems these various tuba showrooms never seem to ever last long or function very well for buyers. I understand that the margins in the music instruments biz are very tight and it is not a ‘Big Biz” in the total scheme of things. At this point in time perhaps manufacturers could jointly establish centers on the west coast - midwest and east coast. No salesman - just instruments from the various manufacturers and have one guy who is well versed on all the manufacturers and instruments - but no biased recommendations - his/her pay based on a salary plus a bonus plan based on say any instrument sold by any manufacturer or a bonus based on certain levels - but the bulk of pay from salary paid by based on a levy on each manufacturer. If sales are not manufacturer direct than perhaps each visitor would be given a coupon to redeem at the dealer for say $25-50. Cost to be born by the manufacturer and not the dealer. This would give the manufacturer a way to track sales from visits and to compensate the showroom person for each visit that resulted in a sale. In this way it lowers the fixed cost of a showroom for the manufacturers / gives buyers a one stop shop. Car dealers do a form of one stop shop when they all locate along a stretch of road. Buyers can shop easier and it seems to aid all dealers sales as folks speed up the buying process rather than having to spend a ton of time driving to shop at different dealers located all over the place.

Just off the top of my head - but there has got to be a better way to connect tuba/euph buyers to try various horns they are interested in and to help manufacturers sell horns (and stay in biz) which as players we want to see as it means better tubas and competitive pricing.

[aarongsmith]

Just off the top of my head - but there has got to be a better way to connect tuba/euph buyers to try various horns they are interested in and to help manufacturers sell horns (and stay in biz) which as players we want to see as it means better tubas and competitive pricing.

Look I cannot say too much as I am a dealer, but in most regards I agree.

If they are going to be direct the customer service should top tier especially given the expense. The showroom/direct to consumer sales model was their solution to keep prices down and retain some volume of tubas coming into the country. However, it seems that it is also working against them in some ways as well.

FWIW Warren is a nice guy, but I think that his position is leaving him a little stretched thin at times, because he is also their rep that drives to every show. I think they should have someone there covering the inbox and managing appointments while he is unavailable, but it seems that they are running a lean staff.

[MiBrassFS]

.

[russiantuba]

You make a good point. People are quick to take shots at the guy on the front line, but the “brass” need to know when to send in reinforcements when needed if they actually want to sell those tubas, etc.

This change hurt companies that were currently dealing horns, as many of these were forced to sell current inventory at a loss.

Do I blame the Buffet company? Not at all—when there are Chinese horns that copy them, albeit with quality and design issues for a fraction of the cost.

If you want to compete, you have to get creative. Miraphone has shifted most of their design and marketing towards the BBb market. Yamaha made an affordable 623 York-ish style.