Trombone Shopping... Or, How to Deal With a Salesman Who Thinks He Is Hot Stuff.

So I went trombone shopping with one of my students yesterday. The picture I had posted was at Baltimore Brass in Catonsville. We played a lot of instruments, and I wished I had brought my tuba mouthpiece. The guy helping us was great, and it was a very good experience. In the end, she chose a Conn 88HO, which played very well. Just to be sure we had tried all the options, we decided to also go to Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in Wheaton. I've heard many wonderful things about it and how great everything is there and what a fantastic store it is for musicians.

What a load of crap.

I have never been so immediately irritated by a salesman in my life. He was snarky, somewhat rude, and oh so superior. I almost walked out after about 30 seconds, when he told me that he didn't have anything we hadn't tried (in a much more glib manner). He then proceeded to have my student try several horns, all were out of her price range, and tell her all the things that the shiny Getzen she was holding would do for her that the Conn would not. Which is beyond not true. "Well, yes, there are some professional symphony musicians still playing Conn trombones..." Yeah, guys like the London Symphony are so old school and refuse to play newer, more modern, more expensive trombones, right? Wrong! Buying the right trombone is about choice, and going for the sound and feel that is right for you. Yes, I play a very nice Shires. No, it's not because I just wanted to have the most expensive horn I could get my hands on, it just happened to be the one that felt and sounded right after 2 years of playing all kinds of instruments.

Good for my student, she actually stuck with the Conn she had picked, and I think it was a very good choice for her.

The interesting thing to me was that the salesman was much less snarky after I played a couple of the horns and he realized I might know what I was doing. Jerk.

So the bottom line is that Baltimore Brass and Dillon Music (where I got my Shires) will be getting my business, and Washington Music Center will not. And I plan to stand by that.