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Q: How can I order an item?
A: The best way to order an item from The Brass Ark is to send an e-mail to noah@brassark.com and I will respond back as quickly as I can. Sometimes messages get bounced back or not delivered. If you haven't heard from me via email, please try again. Sometimes emails get buried in my inbox. The Brassark is soley run by me, Noah. I personally answer all of the emails, fill all orders, pack all boxes, give all advice and provide whatever customer service I can do. Due to my busy schedule, I am only at the shop by appointment so email is the best format to contact me.
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Q:Do you have online ordering?
A: I don't have online ordering for a few reasons. I know how hard it is to buy a musical instrument over the internet... just reading about specs and materials or reviews on forums isn't enough to ensure that you're going to find a quality instrument that fits the needs for you. The Brass Ark was created to be a personal experience: to provide a unique store that specializes in the rare, unusual, desirable instrument. A spot on the web that will guarantee some good reading material, history on our craft of brass playing and lots of cool photos of instruments. I don't see how I could do online ordering, because part of what makes me so excited about brass instruments goes into every photo, every description, every product that is on this website. I also enjoy learning about you, your music, your history and how I can help you either sell a special heirloom or treasured brasswind or help you purchase one from the inventory. It gives me great pleasure when I hear back from clients that are still so satisfied with their instrument, leadpipe, mouthpiece or just a conversation we had about advice... it makes the hours of photo editing, writing descriptions, website coding worthwhile for me. So, to sum it up, I don't plan on having online ordering for The Brass Ark :)
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Q: What are your hours of operation?
A: At the moment, I am the only employee. My hours are by appointment only. Clients are welcome to come try instruments in my showroom, but please e-mail ahead of time for an appointment. I'd be happy to meet you at whatever time works for both of us.
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Q: How can I pay for my items?
A: Right now, I am only set up to take cash, bank transfers or checks. I cannot take credit cards, however, I can accept a card payment through paypal. If paying with paypal, I would ask that buyers cover the 3.4% fee on instrument purchases, which is very aggressive on a small business like this one.
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Q: I've tried calling your shop and don't get any answer, what's up?
A: I'm a busy professional musician in Los Angeles and have a young daughter at home. Right now,I can't dedicate all of my time to be at the shop for regular hours. As this store grows, I hope to have the opportunity to hire a staff and keep regular hours, but for the moment it is only me. My e-mail is linked to my cell phone, so if you send me a message there, I will have it in a matter of minutes. It is the best and fastest way to get ahold of me. Of course, you're welcome to leave a voicemail with me on my shop phone but I'm bad about checking voicemails, so the fastest and most efficient way is to email me.
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Q: How much do you charge for shipping?
A: It depends on where you live and what size item you are buying. For most small items I use USPS priority mail which costs $6-$12 and delivers in 2-3 business days. For instruments I usually use UPS and shipping can be $50-$95 depending on the size of the box, insurance value, shipping materials and handling.
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Q: Do you ship internationally and how much does it cost?
A: Yes, I ship internationally through USPS express and priority mail. Shipping a trombone to most countries costs around $80-$120 depending which service you choose. I usually recommend express mail, which is 3-5 business days and usually gets items through customs much faster. Please keep in mind that I cannot lower or falsify customs values.
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Q: What about shipping to Australia?
A: It's true, Australia and a few other countries (i.e. Singapore and Slovenia for example) have size restrictions on incoming packages. The maximum size is a 79” box or 10”x10”x39” about the size of a small trombone case. For items larger than this, a private carrier will need to be used... expect to pay $200-$400.
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Q: Do you offer a trial period?
A: Yes, Of course! I want you to be happy with your purchase and I know that buying a horn through the mail sight unseen can be a scary process. I try to be as honest and accurate with my descriptions and pictures as possible to minimize returns, but sometimes the horn is not a match. No worries, I will give a full refund minus the original shipping upon receipt of the instrument or item back to me in the same condition I sent it out. It is the buyer's responsibility to return the item and insure it for it's value.
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Q: How long is your trial period?
A: I offer a one week trial period. At that point, if I haven't heard from you, I consider the instrument sold. If you need a few extra days, no problem, just let me know. My policy exists so people don't take advantage... but I'm a brass player myself, I know what it takes to properly test an instrument.
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Q: Do you take consignments?
A: Yes. please fill out my consignment form here.
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Q: If I send an instrument to you on consignment, what kind of coverage do you have if something were to happen to it?
A: Unlike some used instrument websites and sellers on the internet, The Brass Ark is a brick and mortar storefront where I show and store all of the instruments in my inventory. I have a 24 hour monitored alarm system as well as full coverage insurance against theft/damage/fire etc. You can rest assured that your instrument is 100% covered while in my possession.
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Q: Do you take Trade ins?
A: See my consignment page for more information.
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Q: Are custom ordered instruments returnable?
A: I'm sorry, custom ordered horns are not returnable. A 10% deposit is required when the order is placed.
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Q: How long will a new instrument take to receive?
A: If I don't have it in stock and a new instrument is being custom made for you, expect 3-4 months depending on the maker's backlog.
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Q: How often do you update your website?
A: I do my best to update my website as frequently as I can. Sometimes it takes longer than I'd like, but my goal is to do an update once a week. There will always be a date stamp in the upper corner of the homepage with the date of the last update. I purposely don't have an online ordering system because I sell muscial instruments, not general merchandise. I want to talk to you, listen to your needs and wants and will do my best to help you find the right one! Talking and getting to know my clients and forging personal connections with them is one of my favorite aspects of the Brass Ark.
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Q: Why did you start The Brass Ark?
A: I get this question a lot! Here is the short answer: I've been a huge trombone nerd since I was 12 years old when I started collecting gear and becoming serious about brass playing. Being the knowledgeable gear head I am, I began selling instruments for my friends, colleagues and teachers at their request. This eventually got a bit crazy and when I had about 70 instruments for sale stored in the front bedroom at my house (driving my very patient wife crazy!). I decided it was time to set up an actual storefront. My close friend Brad Close was doing brass repair out of his house and also needed a space and it made sense for us to team up and open The Brass Ark/Brass Medic. Since then, The Brass Ark has developed into something other than just a consignment shop. I envision it as a hub for the coolest brass gear from all the world, the stuff I scour the internet for at 2am (I know there are others out there like me, you know who you are!). I also am lucky to have a great collection of unique equipment that I hope to offer to brass players around the world... which is why I've launched the leadpipe line in partnership with Brad, my own Brass Ark mouthpiece line and offering the first Brass Ark orchestral trombone (hopefully this line will be successful and grow to offer other instruments). The Brass Ark shop is a labor of love, it takes a lot of work and time to run all by myself... but the satisfaction of helping my fellow musicians re-home or purchase instruments they love makes it all worth it. I really enjoy making connections with my clients and learning about their musical stories too, some of whom have become very close and dear friends over the years.