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My friend who is a dedicated Eb player recently got an old Conn 26K sousaphone and thinks it plays even better than his 'newish' Besson 982 tuba

Got me thinking - what would be the equivalent model Conn Eb upright tuba?

No response! Did Conn not make Eb tubas???

Is your Giant mouthpiece really giant, or is the name just derived from it following a large tuba? Weren’t the large Conn Eb tubas from 1925 and earlier of a modest (0.660") bore?

Is your largish Eb sousaphone also larger than the 26K/28K/14K in is collar diameter?

To Jonathan: Along with a brief discussion in another recent thread I think that Conn sousaphones changed after WWII as there was shortage of metal and metal treatment technology had improved during the war. My 26K is out of much heavier sheet metal than my 28K. The 26K is punchy with fairly low formants (it has a focused dark sound). The 28K has a lighter and sweeter sound.

One factor making the Conn Eb sousaphones very playable is the bits and neck set-up. It is the same as for the Conn BBb sousaphones (not the monsterphones). You can really move some air through these Eb’s.

I like my Conn Eb sousaphones, but I like my 981 more.

Klaus

Klaus,

I just sold a CONN "GIANT" mpc. on the for sale board, I listed as many of the measurements that I could. As LJV said it is a smallish, shallower bowl, but it bigger than the CONN, "Standard" mpc. issued with say, a small standard, three valve top or front action Eb of the time. The listing is MPC. For Sale; Tundratubist. from about ten days ago. Sorry no pic's of it, at the time. I also just sold my 28K, so, I'm already thinking, I may have jumped the gun on her. She was a lot of fun.

Dave

tundratubist wrote:CONN GIANT - 1925ish, SILVER PLATE; EXCELLENT Eb MOUTHPIECE
For its age, I'd give it an Excellent to Very Good condition,
Estimated measurements are as follows;
Rim - .322" (8.19mm), Cup Depth - 1.29" (32.78mm),
Shank .566" (14.39mm) @ .75" from end of shank.
Overall Height 3.55" (90.12mm) Bore EST. .34"(est. @ 8.6mm)
Shallower cup, Some typical scaring on the shank, one very small
dent on rim, still very smooth to the lips, plating is rather good,

Is it possible you meant the inner diameter of the rim was 1.29" (32.78mm)?

Klaus

imperialbari wrote: Is it possible you meant the inner diameter of the rim was 1.29" (32.78mm)?

Klaus

Klaus, my Conn Giant is @31.15mm cup diameter. Depth is more difficult to measure, but I can see @33mm there. I have a Conn Special no. A474 that's even smaller at about 29.90mm ID and a shallower funnel. I do not have a Conn Standard in my collection, but would love to see one.

Neptune, by

what would be the equivalent model Conn Eb upright tuba?

do you mean relative size-wise? Bore, taper, or what? I've not given much thought to tuba-sousa equivalents, other than to agree with some others' assement that large sousas are basically circular BAT's. There is a charm to them though, isn't there? Especially the classics. I love my old King (circa 1915, 4 valves BBb) although it's taken me being out of the Marines 15 years to want to wear one again.

Mike Finn wrote: do you mean relative size-wise? Bore, taper, or what?

I mean relative size-wise

After all the 26K is smaller than the 981/982 Besson, as I know it (since the new ownership there has been a change of the bore specs.

Nominally the 26K and the 982 have the same 0.689" bore, but the valve block sits later in the bugle of the 26K compared to the 982. The 26K has a wider bell flare, but the 982 has a way larger volume of the bell stack.

Klaus

Interesting! Just a crazy thought I had if a 38K and 24J BBb are sort of equivalent, then I wondered about the case for Eb?

Neptune wrote:Interesting! Just a crazy thought I had if a 38K and 24J BBb are sort of equivalent, then I wondered about the case for Eb?

The bore of a 38K is smaller then a 24J

Harvey Hartman wrote:The bore of a 38K is smaller then a 24J

Maybe, but the next sousaphone up, the Jumbo 46/48K is BIGGER than any tuba, as I well know from playing one