TubeNet

I play a Conn 20k sousa build in the sixtys and thinking about to by a new one offered on ebay. As I am located in Europe and the offered new 20k in the US I have no chance to play it before bidding.
Does anyone have experiance about how the new ones play compared to the old ones?

If your 20K is an Elkhart horn, made at least a couple of years before the move to Abilene, keep it, refurbish it, and enjoy it for the rest of your life. Nothing since has had the same quality, consistency, or musicality.

One thing to consider, as I have done on the two Conn souzys I've played: have a good tech convert the upper loop of the 1st valve tubing into a usable slide. By doing that, I can pull for multivalve combinations and don't have to rely on lipping into tune or pulling the 3rd slide longer than I have to in order for 2+3 to be in tune. When you hold it properly, the 1st valve loop will sit right at your left hand position, making it easier to pull than some really expensive "ergonomic" tubas. And you'll never have to worry about second line C and low F ever being sharp again.

Even if it's an Abilene horn, just get it repaired/refurbished. The quality of the new horn will not be the same.

Eric "underwhelmed with current UMI craftsmanship" L.

I play a 1935 20K, as does a friend, and both these horns play and sound WAY better than the 2 new examples we both tried on different occasions.
Just have the old one repaired, becaus sadly there is no better new sousaphone in production at the moment. And given the workmanship on the old Conns, and todays labourcosts, I doubt this will change anytime soon.
Mark