.

[Rick Denney]

I've played 48K's and other jumbos. I've played 40K's, 20K's, and other 6/4 sousaphones. I played a plastic King all through school.

The only sousaphone I've played that didn't annoy me has been the Conn 14K. The big ones annoyed me because playing them was like blowing into one end, and then next week hearing back from the next county that sound arrived. If I played one regularly, I think I'd use a Sellmansberger Solo--shallow and crisp--to try to control that woofiness.

I have never played a Martin Handcraft, but I bet they would be excellent. Martin seemed to understand that a big tuba needed clarity as much as a small tuba.

I own two 14K's. One is in a repaired state, though still quite brown, and it hangs on the wall. I paid $300 for it and it was a good deal. The other one I bought because it was impossible not to--I found it at a junk store in Lucketts, Virginia, sitting on the porch out in the weather, with a $97 price tag on it. It is now sitting out on my porch. It could be made playable with very little work. (That junk store was across the street from the junk store where I paid $100 for a Conn 48H trombone in excellent condition. The signs declare these as "antique" stores, but mostly what they have is junk. Not always, though.)

I had to learn, though, that the 14K, because of its tighter wrap, may only require one bit to achieve a good position. When I tried to use two bits, I could never get comfortable. They are not that heavy, and come closest to a sousaphone that I could rest on my shoulder. I have lifted heavier fiberglass sousaphones, that's for sure.

Rick "whose to-do list places the Porch Conn lower than the plastic Martin tuba" Denney

[Full Metal Ratchet]

I couldn't agree more. 14K with one bit.

I can get used to most sousaphones with enough time, but the 14K was always my "go to" horn. We had a squadron of fully restored 20Ks to use because we were always doing one of the major parades each year, but I would always grab the ratty old 14K with half it's lacquer missing whenever I could.

I also like the regular King sousaphones, especially old and silver.

[b.williams]

I have access to both a Martin Handcraft Eb sousaphone and a Martin Handcraft BBb sousaphone via the area Shrine Band. The Eb is silver with gold inside the bell and was built in the 1920's. The BBb is brass and is, I believe, from the 1960's. The BBb sounds as good as any tuba I have owned up to this point. I found both of these gems while exploring the Shrine's instrument storage room. I also found a really sweet double bell euphonium. I wonder about how many great horns are collecting dust in instrument storage rooms across the country.

[PolkaNoble]

There are several. Our Shrine has a Conn 24J that has not been played regularly since the early 1980s. (I've played it maybe 3 times since then) We have a number of other interesting high quality brass horns as well. I don't think we would be allowed to sell them and we really do not want to do that anyway.

[Wayne Rice]

I have a 1952 Frank Holton Model 122 that has an incredibly sweet, focused sound, very good intonation and wonderful color. Haven't heard much chatter about this particular model, but it is worth looking for.

[TUbajohn20J]

Conn 40K

[Timswisstuba]

For me it would have to be this CC King from 1919. Only two were made.

CC King Sousa sullivan1.JPG

[PaulTkachenko]

I think the current Cerveny B flat helicon is about as good as they get (it's not a sousaphone obviously).

My Amati is the same design and sounds pretty awesome.

Really looking forward to playing it on a trad gig tonight. The trombonist heard me do a Balkan gig on it and thought it sounded so good, he wants me to play it on the trad gig too!