best contact for a Cronkhite response?

[Wes Krygsman]

Short story: do I know any one who knows people at Glenn Cronkhite Custom Cases to help get my tuba stands (and hopefully my prototype bags) back?

Long Story: Back in January or February 2025, I attended the Army Band's Tuba Euphonium Workshop in Washington DC. One of the vendors was Cronkhite and I asked about them making a custom bag for my tuba stand that I could attach to my tuba case. That design would free up my hands to open doors, or carry other stuff, and I figured there would be a bunch of tuba players who would also benefit from this product idea. The representative there took a few measurements and pictures and passed it along to the main person there (i think it's Steve?).

After a bit of back and forth early on about the design, it was decided by both me and the company that since there are basically 4 popular tuba stands, maybe it'd be a good idea for me to ship all 4 to them so they could be fitted properly for the case templates. I agreed.

Our agreement was that I would get the prototypes for each one free out of a cheaper material like canvas or even nylon, and then I could also order one in leather. Then I could do a review of them and share it with as many tuba players as I could once they came in.

I placed the order for the leather one in June 2025 after being told that the tuba stands were all measured and they had a design ready with only a few small tweaks to go. They did say they were a bit behind with making bags and it would be about 2-3 months.

Fast forward to now, and I am STILL waiting for my tuba stands and and bags. I have sent an email reminder every month since about September 2025 and only very rarely hear back with any updates. I have been told twice in their replies that "they'll be shipped next week."


I do understand being behind on orders, but I do not understand not communicating. Please someone help them see this and get me my tuba stands and whatever bags they have for those stands shipped to me already.

[bort2.0]

Torpedo Bags moved from Minneapolis to St Paul well over 2 years ago. The new building in St Paul is nowhere near where the crazy stuff went down last winter. Even the old building in Minneapolis is not particularly close to the spots where the two people were killed. If this is what they told you... They're straight up making excuses.

Years ago, their non- response and glacial service was so horrible for my order, that I think I had to get my credit card company to reverse the charges, or at least threaten to do so. I got my money back, and I never considered them as an option again.

The owner, Steve Kriesel sent one of his weird and rambling monthly update emails a few weeks ago, so they are presumably still in business.

I'll be in St Paul tomorrow and Thursday. I doubt that getting myself involved is a good idea, but let me know if I can help. I sure don't know anyone there, but maybe I could be your process server if you decide to sue them. Or I could pose as your lawyer, Martin Van Nostrand, paying them a visit. But I doubt some middle age doofus showing up and asking about tuba stands for Wes will get us anywhere.

My guess -- they either forgot, lost your stuff, or just plain never did it. I could be wrong though!

But if they won't answer your calls or emails, door knocking is pretty much the last option before suing them. Do you have a written business arrangement between them and you?

[MikeS]

I'll be in St Paul tomorrow and Thursday. I doubt that getting myself involved is a good idea, but let me know if I can help. I sure don't know anyone there, but maybe I could be your process server if you decide to sue them. Or I could pose as your lawyer, Martin Van Nostrand, paying them a visit. But I doubt some middle age doofus showing up and asking about tuba stands for Wes will get us anywhere.

I guess it’s a generational thing but, if I were posing as an attorney, I would definitely use Waldorf T. Flywheel. I hope you get some resolution, Wes. I don’t know what it is about gig bags. I remember some go-arounds with Donna (“If you have a question try calling and hope I feel like answering because I can’t be bothered to read emails”) Altieri. Tom Rice (Superfine Cases) did great work and was wonderful to deal with but decided the business was too much of a hassle after a couple years.

[dp]

did great work and was wonderful to deal with but decided the business was too much of a hassle after a couple years.

I'm grateful that I have Glenn-sourced/RB bags for all my horns. He hung in there for decades but times sure have changed. It is no wonder that folks come along with good intentions and do great work but burn out after a few years. I wouldn't want to do customer-facing custom work for today's market either.

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[Schlitzz]

I agree with DP. I’ve got 2 Glenn era leather trombone travel cases. Just bought a closet case Glenn, versus a new regular bass bag. I’m very happy with the bag I got last year from Torpedo for the Cerveny. I do wish the Superfine cases come back. But yes, it’s a challenging market right now.

[bloke]

I have a rack (overhead - high ceiling master bath...far away from the tub and shower end) of four or five (California-made) bags that fit my instruments.
I've moved over to hard cases. (Just because I CAN remove dents doesn't mean that I would choose to dent my own instruments.)
I suppose I should SELL them.
If I get to where I can't carry them in cases anymore, how well will I still be playing?

One of those bags (a bit more worn than the others, but still holding up) is probably a bit rare...TOP-ACTION and might fit a Besson compensating BB-flat (not sure...It DOES fit my - rare - detachable upright bell compensating E-flat).

[Schlitzz]

Mrs Bloke is gonna hang you from that rack, if you don’t finish those 11 sousaphones. She would do well running her own collection firm.

[Lee Stofer]

Wes,
The best contact for a Cronkhite response is a Cronkhite dealer, if you're having trouble communicating with the factory. I
communicate with Quentin or Steve regularly, and am happy to help resolve an issue if I can. I've done this more than once.

Your post did get quick results. By the time I saw this post this morning and called the factory, Quentin, the fairly-new
assistant to Steve, knew all about it. As I understand it, Steve has acknowledged that this was a serious failure on his part, and
I'm pretty confident that your situation will be ameliorated rather quickly. I hope that you receive some world-class products,
as I have been for several years now.

I have been regularly placing orders with Cronkhite, in order to have some in stock, to help people buy at discounted prices and not
have to wait to get their order. If I have the desired bag in stock and I receive an order by 2PM Central, I can generally ship same-day,
so I'm the one that has waited 3-4 months for the bag, not you. As I see it, this is what a dealer should do for customers.

[Wes Krygsman]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I agree that these are the best bags out there, which is why I was very excited to see what they came up with for a tuba stand bag. I also give people the benefit of the doubt and hope that they are doing their best. I did figure that this small project got put aside for a while and forgotten about, which is why I sent monthly emails to help remind them. I was told 2 or 3 times they’re sending them tomorrow, or by the end of the week, and I just figured this posting was another good way to get their attention.

In one of my recent emails, I suggested that one of my college friends who lives right there could come pick them all up and ship them to me himself, if they were too swamped. I didn’t hear back from that email. Thanks for offering that Bort, but I don’t think it would help.

There’s unfortunately no written agreement about the bags except an informal email chain in the beginning of this process and my payment for a leather version of the bag for the deg/dynasty tuba stand which is what I use most. I was hoping this product would be popular for the tuba community and help the company sell some smaller and quicker/easier to make items.

Thank you Lee for checking in with them, it does sound like it’ll be taken care of. I do hope so.

[russiantuba]

Messina Covers makes great products, and are customizable in many colors and engravings. I played a gig with the trumpet lady who co-owns the business, and she was using her bags several years ago. I just checked a price list and they are only $50 less than a Cronkhite. I remember when they first started, they were one of the cheapest options around.

As for Cronkhite, with a bag I have for my F tuba (which Ferguson gave at a severely discounted rate with my Gronitz, since I bought a new horn and they had it in stock), it is a great bag. I am odd and prefer a top-loader like my Miraphone gig bag (another great bag), but I do prefer the music pouch on the Cronkhite--truly is a top quality bag.

Since they moved production to Minnesota, even before the COVID 19 pandemic, there were issues of them being months behind, if I recall, I think I once saw a message or post that they weren't taking tuba orders due to being behind. With that being said, quality does take its time.

It always does concern me when a company doesn't respond to e-mails (like one tuba seller that was having issues), and when you pay in full for something that will have a long wait-list without a contract. Most credit-card companies have a limited window where you can request a refund for lack of receipt of the item (90 days or so). I have never heard of this happening with Cronkhite, but it is something I am very cautious on recommending to a student at the current time.

[Lee Stofer]

@russiantuba, this is further reasoning for going through a dealer. When a customer orders a case from me, I do not charge them or even accept any payment information until I have received the bag and am ready to ship. If someone bails out on an order and I get caught holding the bag (literally), it goes into stock here, and I have just that much more to offer to the next customer that calls.

[bort2.0]

@Wes Krygsman all sounds good, let me know if you need any local help here on the ground!

[Schlitzz]

I would second ordering through a dealer, particularly Lee, as this is about tuba bags. I ordered one through him. I’m going to go ahead and say that there’s a lot of crackers out there. A lot of people order stuff, and they overextend their obligations. This is the nightmare for anyone working in customer service.

[20IV2]

I tried to purchase a Cronkhite bag from the 'new' owners multiple times without success. Communication was non-existent and has been since well before the pandemic.

My only purchasing success was for a tuba and two trumpet bags already in-stock from a dealer. I wouldn't bother otherwise.

The cordura bags are fine, but actual protection is quite limited. Dent bags, really. Leather might be better.

The frustration associated with acquiring one probably isn't worth it.

[Mary Ann]

People are good at different things -- I had a recent similar thing with a very custom electronic thing that I won't describe that I had to send to the custom maker to have fixed. But -- when he shipped it back, he told (USPS, I think) "return to sender" and it did not occur to him to check what address it was returned to, which was not mine, and it didn't even have my name on it. I did eventually get it, but the shipping mistakes looked like a five year old had been in charge.

It is very difficult for me to understand how someone can be so good at one thing (complicated electronics) and so horrid at another thing (shipping something to an address he had on the package that was sent to him.)

I suspect it is similar with the Chronkite situation -- very good at one thing but needs a totally different person handling the organizational end of it. Why people won't just assign the tasks they can't do to those who can do them, is beyond me, because of the bad feelings and havoc that are consequences.

[Wes Krygsman]

Quick update, while I still technically haven't heard directly from a human there, I did get an automatic email that my order was updated as being shipped. In the tracking info for it, it still said "label created" only (the very first step). Here's hoping i get my stuff back soon.

Thank you again everyone! I'll be back to update again when I get them, and hopefully I can still do my review of it to help you all see if it would be useful to you all.