Your experience: What's the best fiberglass sousaphone?

Sylvano · Post by **Sylvano** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:37 am

I wrote a letter to the music store where I bought the three new 36K outlining the misrepresentation by the Conn-Selmer company regarding their sousaphone.

I a nutshell I said that if the company only sells the King model, it shouldn't label it Conn 36K. The store owner is to pass my letter to the company. I'll let you know when I get an answer.

As for the 14K recommendation, I was thinking about it and may be a solution if the store accept to take the new 36Ks back. Unfortunately, you can't repaint brass sousaphones and they tend to look like hell after a few years in the hands of students. At least they would have to be silver plated.

Anyone has played the Yamaha?

Tom Holtz · Post by **Tom Holtz** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:40 pm

The fiberglass Yamaha sousas we played at Disneyland were really quite good. Don't know how they hold up over time, these were only one summer old. They were good, though.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:05 pm

Sylvano wrote:I wrote a letter to the music store where I bought the three new 36K outlining the misrepresentation by the Conn-Selmer company regarding their sousaphone.

You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 2:15 am

When I was in the Army, we used some old Kings (c. 1978) that weren't bad.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 9:27 am

Hey, bloke -- could be. But the 1st generation King souzy I played, which was the oldest one in my high school's stable, and probably from the mid 1960's (this was mid to late 1970'), was heavier than the "newer" ones of the same model. I was complaining about the weight one day, and getting the usual freshman jibs as a result. So I turned to the senior section leader and asked him to pick it up and then tell me. After he did, he gave it back to me and didn't tease me anymore.

Also, I hear the newest King/Conn/Holton/Bach cyborg model is almost flimsy light, because they are now of moulded resin instead of layered fiberglass original construction.

I admit to not having played the newest cyborg offerings, so if anybody has an actual comparison between pre-cyborg and cyborg as far as weight goes, please post.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 9:50 pm

Bloke - I'm not up on my numbers for Conn fiberglass souzys. Does your 36k have the "regular" valve block, or the "offset" valve block that the 20k has?

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:30 pm

Funny!... all of a sudden there seems to be a lot of interest in sousaphones. In the last couple of months or so, I've sold a half dozen of 'em and could have sold more if I have more resources for 'cheap' horns. The last two, a plastic Conn and a plastic King went to a high school. I've also noticed that the prices of souzies on the auction sites seem to be going up. Could it be that marching bands are switching back to traditional gear?