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Hi! I'm currently in the process of purchasing a sousaphone. The gentleman stated that the make and model of the horn is a Conn 47K Sousaphone. I thought he might have misread the engraving on the bell collar and mistaked it for a 46K Jumbo sousaphone. He stated that it had a 24" bell. I couldn't imagine a small 24" bell sitting on top of a huge 46K body! What really caught my attention was when he stated that the bell collar is 7 1/4" wide. I believe that is the same as the 38K. This quote is from the latest email:

"This is not one of the HUGE jumbos they made after the advent of hydro forming bodies and creating bells by electrolysis. This is the hand spun bell made on a turning lathe and the body was made in the old style of casting conical lead bucks, wrapping sheet brass around them, bending them into shape, then melting the lead out. It is the jumbo version of the New Wonder Grand Basse, with the 38k at the small side and the 48k as the big one. The 47k is the high pitch version of the 46k. It is larger than the 38k and the 20k that was patterned off that line, but not one of the true giants made in the Art Deco era of the company."
Does anybody know if this model really existed? Could it have been stamped wrong? Somebody please help me out!

As always:

Such questions are best replied on basis of a thorough photo documentation telling of the total instrument assembled correctly, valve section wrap, large and small stays, all engravings on valve casings, bell collars, and bell flare. All engravings shall be fully readable. Front and back views where applicable.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre