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191 Posts
I need to share my recent experience with Theo Wanne.
Although Theo's pieces are available in the UK, no one stocks the Vintified versions, so I was fortunate to obtain a new Vintified Durga from a SOTW member in the US.
I'd had my Durga for just a few days when disaster struck, as I knocked it off the table and dented the tip! I was devastated, not so much for the cosmetic damage, but the fall caused a tiny ridge just inside the tip, right where I seat the tip of my reed. As a result the piece didn't play properly and I figured it was now just scrap metal.
It sat there for a couple of weeks and then I had the idea to reach out to the Theo Wanne company to enquire whether it could be repaired. I figured it was a long shot, but Bryan at Theo Wanne believed it could be repaired and suggested I send my piece in for appraisal. So I mailed my piece to Bellingham, where Theo himself worked on it and about a week later Bryan contacted me with the news my Durga was as good as new!
A few days later it arrived back with me in the UK via international priority mail and it's no exaggeration to say it's better than new. Cosmetically it's perfect, you'd never know it had sustained tip damage and it's also been re-Vintified. Most importantly, how does it play? Well, before the accident I had to work to play high F# and altissimo, also low Bb, but then I do with any mouthpiece, so I always figured that's just me....but not this piece, I now hit the notes effortlessly.
I don't consider that Theo repaired my Durga, he improved it! I don't know how Theo did it, but he's a master of his trade and the cost including return postage to the UK was very reasonable.
If there is a moral to this story, I guess it's take a hammer to your tip then send it to Theo! Either that, or perhaps look after your mouthpiece and save yourself stress and expense?
So, a shout out to Theo and Bryan for good'ol fashioned customer service and craftsmanship :salute:
Although Theo's pieces are available in the UK, no one stocks the Vintified versions, so I was fortunate to obtain a new Vintified Durga from a SOTW member in the US.
I'd had my Durga for just a few days when disaster struck, as I knocked it off the table and dented the tip! I was devastated, not so much for the cosmetic damage, but the fall caused a tiny ridge just inside the tip, right where I seat the tip of my reed. As a result the piece didn't play properly and I figured it was now just scrap metal.
It sat there for a couple of weeks and then I had the idea to reach out to the Theo Wanne company to enquire whether it could be repaired. I figured it was a long shot, but Bryan at Theo Wanne believed it could be repaired and suggested I send my piece in for appraisal. So I mailed my piece to Bellingham, where Theo himself worked on it and about a week later Bryan contacted me with the news my Durga was as good as new!
A few days later it arrived back with me in the UK via international priority mail and it's no exaggeration to say it's better than new. Cosmetically it's perfect, you'd never know it had sustained tip damage and it's also been re-Vintified. Most importantly, how does it play? Well, before the accident I had to work to play high F# and altissimo, also low Bb, but then I do with any mouthpiece, so I always figured that's just me....but not this piece, I now hit the notes effortlessly.
I don't consider that Theo repaired my Durga, he improved it! I don't know how Theo did it, but he's a master of his trade and the cost including return postage to the UK was very reasonable.
If there is a moral to this story, I guess it's take a hammer to your tip then send it to Theo! Either that, or perhaps look after your mouthpiece and save yourself stress and expense?
So, a shout out to Theo and Bryan for good'ol fashioned customer service and craftsmanship :salute:
