Our first preference is always to welcome clients to PWIC where we can work with you face-to-face. Music is tactile and auditory and there is no substitute for being in the room. That said, we recognize that not everyone in our community of clients can visit in person, and often there is a need for a final check-out in a regular performance space and with colleagues to make sure a correct decision has been made. With that said, here is how we approach trials.
We don’t participate in “bake-offs”
Let’s just put it out there. It is difficult and it is expensive to curate an inventory of high quality instruments and accessories. Our sister boutiques around the country do similar and commit considerable time and treasure as well. So, if you are already working with another boutique, we encourage you to complete that process with them. If you come up short in your search and need to try a different approach, we would welcome the opportunity to work with you. We will not go toe-to-toe with them. We do not allow other dealers’ instruments to be brought onto our premises, and we do not allow our inventory to be brought into another dealer’s shop.
Instrument approvals
Any inventory, whether instruments or accessories, goes out only after being paid in full. In general (there are exceptions) we offer up to a one-week approval period in hand to give the opportunity to confirm selections in known acoustic spaces with trusted advisors. We only accept returns if in factory-new condition with no damage, alterations or adjustments, and charge a transaction and restock fee to process the return. Transaction and restock fees vary by item so please inquire for your specific search. EXCEPTIONS — extremely expensive or particularly fragile instruments are not eligible for remote approvals or trials.
Remote trials of multiples
When it comes to accessories such as mouthpieces, ligatures, barrels, necks, and bells, we do facilitate taking out multiple examples after consultation to refine search parameters and connect you with the right solutions. We do not just blindly ship box-o-barrels and hope for a good outcome. Everything that goes out must be pre-paid and items not kept are subject to transaction and restock fees on return and must be in factory-new condition. Contact us for our detailed accessory trial policies for more details. As for instruments, we strongly discourage taking out multiple horns at one time as the client costs get prohibitive, and this also is in opposition to our consultative approach of working to get you to the right solution BEFORE you put down the credit card.