TubeNet

hi,
Anyone played a Jupiter Quad Sousaphone? I don't like sousaphones in general, but I may be looking to buy one and I saw this one in the new WWBW catalog and saw that it had 4 vavles (woo hoo!). How does it compare to say a 20K.
Bill Pritchard
p.s. if you know anyone looking to dump off a big Martin Sousa let me know.

In MHO and experience there are few sousaphones that compare to a conn 20k, especially one named after a planet

I played one at Midwest Clinic last year. Your poll choice of "ehhhhh, they're OK" is accurate to generous. It played better than fibreglass sousaphones, but nowhere near as open and full sounding as a Conn 20K. Bracing and construction quality also appeared to be suspect.

Yes, the 4th valve is cool. But it doesn't make up for what the Jupiter sousaphone is still missing.

cktuba wrote:Does Miraphone still make their 4 valve sousaphone? If I remember correctly , and it's been something like 15 years since I played one for 5 minutes at an exhibit, it was fairly decent.

Those horns are great, and they sound like tubas. Otterbein college has one that is great. Not sure about current production, though.

The Miraphone 4-valve sousaphone is out of production. In fact, Miraphone may not offer any sousaphone now. Roger Lewis can confirm.

tubathig wrote:In MHO and experience there are few sousaphones that compare to a conn 20k, especially one named after a planet

Would you accept any tuba named after a planet? (Think Mel Culbertson.)

I've heard the Ohio university marching band now uses the four valve sousa.

As for me, I haven't played that kind, but wouldn't mind trying it out.

Hank74

Hank74 wrote:I've heard the Ohio university marching band now uses the four valve sousa.

According to this photo on their website, you are correct.

To anyone in the Ohio Univ. band playing sousa,

What do you think about the four valve Jupiter sousa that you play? Also, what is that thing near the valve area that is bent up? Do you slide that often?

I have a 5 to 6 year old Jupiter sousa with three valves, which I love dearly. I wouldn't mind though test driving the four valve one.

Hank74

I tried the Jupiter Quad at the NAMM show last summer. Compared to my King and York sousas it was free blowing, but with a bland miraphone-like sound. Notes tended to crack pretty easily at high volume and the horn was really heavy. Regardless of any possible utility from a 4th valve, on a sousa weight is more important. It was really fun to wear a shiny silver dent-free sousaphone for a change though.

-Eric