sousaphone

The bulk of the musical talk
MikeMason
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 2102
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 1:03 am
Location: montgomery/gulf shores, Alabama
Contact:

sousaphone

Post by MikeMason »

Thinking of playing a little sousaphone.Any suggestions? any for sale near south alabama?
Pensacola Symphony
Troy University-adjunct tuba instructor
Yamaha yfb621 with 16’’ bell,with blokepiece symphony
Eastman 6/4 with blokepiece symphony/profundo
User avatar
windshieldbug
Once got the "hand" as a cue
Once got the "hand" as a cue
Posts: 11511
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2005 4:41 pm
Location: 8vb

Re: sousaphone

Post by windshieldbug »

MikeMason wrote:Thinking of playing a little sousaphone.

Image

How little? :P
Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, but only to be troubled and insecure?
User avatar
imperialbari
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 7461
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:47 am

Re: sousaphone

Post by imperialbari »

windshieldbug wrote:
MikeMason wrote:Thinking of playing a little sousaphone.

Image

How little? :P
Buggy minds are the funniest, but this little thing wouldn’t do for Im tiefen Keller.

K
User avatar
jamsav
3 valves
3 valves
Posts: 454
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 12:25 pm
Location: stamford, ct
Contact:

Re: sousaphone

Post by jamsav »

Buy old, buy brass- I just upgraded to a "new " horn. Swapping out my 75 yr old for a 30 yr. old...my new King plays great and it was under a grand !! It is the last sousy I will likely ever buy and this will have paid for itself before Memorial Day !!
Jazz, dixieland, funk , parading, its a bit heavy , but a ton of fun !! ( no pun intended) :tuba:
http://www.westchestersymphonicwinds.org" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank"
King 2341-MAW valves, GW Taku, Sellmansberger Symphony
Conn USN 20k, PT-44
MikeMason
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 2102
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 1:03 am
Location: montgomery/gulf shores, Alabama
Contact:

Re: sousaphone

Post by MikeMason »

Bug, u r sooo right! It will probably b very little :-)
Pensacola Symphony
Troy University-adjunct tuba instructor
Yamaha yfb621 with 16’’ bell,with blokepiece symphony
Eastman 6/4 with blokepiece symphony/profundo
User avatar
TUbajohn20J
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 943
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:44 pm
Location: Sugar Land, Texas

Re: sousaphone

Post by TUbajohn20J »

Conn 20K, 32K, 14K, 38K, 40K or even 22K. period
Conn 26J/27J
Conn 22K Hybrid
User avatar
imperialbari
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 7461
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:47 am

Re: sousaphone

Post by imperialbari »

TUbajohn20J wrote:Conn 20K, 32K, 14K, 38K, 40K or even 22K. period
These fine Conn’s as period instruments? I would have considered many of them a bit heavy for the ladies.

K
User avatar
Dan Schultz
TubaTinker
TubaTinker
Posts: 10423
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Newburgh, Indiana
Contact:

Re: sousaphone

Post by Dan Schultz »

In my current 'stable', I have:

- custom-built 4V Conn helicon.
- Conn 4V 'jumbo' sousaphone.
- short-action Holton sousaphone.
- Conn 36K 'commode-o-phone' painted red, white, & blue.

Guess which one I play most and is the most fun? Yup... the plastic Conn. I even use it in an educational program to introduce ten-year-olds to music. The kids love it! It's fine for stand-up Dixieland stuff... and I can just toss it in the car without having to lug around a case or worrying about it getting 'dinged up'.
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
User avatar
windshieldbug
Once got the "hand" as a cue
Once got the "hand" as a cue
Posts: 11511
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2005 4:41 pm
Location: 8vb

Re: sousaphone

Post by windshieldbug »

imperialbari wrote:Buggy minds are the funniest, but this little thing wouldn’t do for Im tiefen Keller.

K
Niemand überhaupt gesagt dem Verstand von diesem Keller war tief
Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, but only to be troubled and insecure?
User avatar
iiipopes
Utility Infielder
Utility Infielder
Posts: 8556
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am

Re: sousaphone

Post by iiipopes »

Indeed. Pre-Abilene Conn or Pre-Cyborg King. Occasionally you'll find a good Reynolds Contempora or similar Olds, but they are few and far between.
Jupiter JTU1110, RT-82.
"Real" Conn 36K.
User avatar
iiipopes
Utility Infielder
Utility Infielder
Posts: 8556
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am

Re: sousaphone

Post by iiipopes »

What bloke said about the Olds fiberblaster. There is one in the band closet where I play, and I took it out a few years ago to see if I wanted to get it up and running. After dealing with exactly what bloke talks about, the flimsy attachment brackets and the weak joint between the brass and the fiberglass, I cleaned it, made sure it would work if a guy showed up needing a horn to play, and quietly returned it to its shelf to go back to sleep.

OTOH, I marched with a King fiberblaster in high school in the late '70's. Granted, I didn't know much about that sort of thing then, but it sounded good for what it was: good intonation, reasonable tone, durable to stand up to high school field & street marching.

If you get a Conn, and if you don't use a standard 120S Helleberg with it, then use either the shallower funnel, like the 7B for a rounder tone, or a Bach 18 variant, like the Kelly 18, for a brighter tone and projection. If you get the King, use a deeper mouthpiece, like its original King 26. A Schilke HII also sounds great on the smaller bore.
Jupiter JTU1110, RT-82.
"Real" Conn 36K.
bigbob
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 589
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:09 pm
Location: shermansDale Pa

Re: sousaphone

Post by bigbob »

iiipopes wrote:Indeed. Pre-Abilene Conn or Pre-Cyborg King. Occasionally you'll find a good Reynolds Contempora or similar Olds, but they are few and far between.
GoodMorning ,IIIPopes.. is there any four or five valve Sousaphones in CC? if so which ones are they??and do the large sousy's produce as much sound as the 6/4's?? bigbob
User avatar
iiipopes
Utility Infielder
Utility Infielder
Posts: 8556
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am

Re: sousaphone

Post by iiipopes »

bigbob wrote:
iiipopes wrote:Indeed. Pre-Abilene Conn or Pre-Cyborg King. Occasionally you'll find a good Reynolds Contempora or similar Olds, but they are few and far between.
GoodMorning ,IIIPopes.. is there any four or five valve Sousaphones in CC? if so which ones are they??and do the large sousy's produce as much sound as the 6/4's?? bigbob
In a word, no. Generally, sousaphones are BBb and 3-valve. There are a few 4-valve models out there, like a particular Yammy or Jupiter model, or a couple of pre-WWII models. Historically, Eb souzys had 3 or 4 valves as well. The USA makers basically stopped making 4-valve BBb souzys around WWII.

There may be a few one-off C helicons in Europe, but because the market for souzys is concert band, as far as I am aware, nobody has ever manufactured a line of CC souzys.

Now as far as sound, the Conn 38K is quite seismic. Yes, I would put it, and its 4-valve brother the 40K, in the 6/4 class.
Jupiter JTU1110, RT-82.
"Real" Conn 36K.
User avatar
TUbajohn20J
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 943
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:44 pm
Location: Sugar Land, Texas

Re: sousaphone

Post by TUbajohn20J »

Conn 40K 4 Valve BBb

Image
Conn 26J/27J
Conn 22K Hybrid
MikeMason
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 2102
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 1:03 am
Location: montgomery/gulf shores, Alabama
Contact:

Re: sousaphone

Post by MikeMason »

I think I've found just what the dr ordered.a 40ish year old king fiberglass I can borrow indefinitely or buy for cheap.a neck and a missing water key and I'm ready to play.now,somebody teach me to play new Orleans style jazz/funk ;-) thanks to all ...
Pensacola Symphony
Troy University-adjunct tuba instructor
Yamaha yfb621 with 16’’ bell,with blokepiece symphony
Eastman 6/4 with blokepiece symphony/profundo
User avatar
MrBasseyPants
bugler
bugler
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri May 04, 2007 7:09 am
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: sousaphone

Post by MrBasseyPants »

iiipopes wrote: Now as far as sound, the Conn 38K is quite seismic. Yes, I would put it, and its 4-valve brother the 40K, in the 6/4 class.
I've had my 40K for just under two months....it rocks...and does seem much larger than the Holton Collegiate I have had as a "wall decoration" for years....but it's hugeness seems to pale in comparison to the King Grand Symphony who-sa-ma-whatsit I used in College....I think it was a 1251. Gi-normous bell and body....but not a Giant...

I just played the King last October for alumni marching band....and I wish I had it next to me to compare the size....I guess I'll have to wait until 2011! ...Although it was reassuring that the 40K is huge....I had to "adjust" my Hercules stand to accommodate it's bell throat! :)

I love the pic of the Brass 40K above my post....my 40K is Satin Silver. Were most Sousas in this era Silver or Brass? Which is generally more coveted?

jc
MrBasseyPants - jc
My three Kings: 2007 King 2341 | 1935 King Giant 1271 | 1925 King 1265 Jumbo (now with four valves)
...and a 1920s Columbia Tenor Sousaphone

WARNING: This tuba player has been known to get his groove on via bass guitar as well!
User avatar
TUbajohn20J
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 943
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:44 pm
Location: Sugar Land, Texas

Re: sousaphone

Post by TUbajohn20J »

MrBasseyPants wrote: I love the pic of the Brass 40K above my post....my 40K is Satin Silver. Were most Sousas in this era Silver or Brass? Which is generally more coveted?
I couldn't say for sure, but as far as Conn sousas from the 20's and 30's, I have seen more silver ones than lacquer. (satin with bright silver trim or gold trim)..I RARELY ever see a shiny silver horn from this era. The same goes for the horns from the 50's.(?) It just seems like I see more old satin silver 20K's floating around than lacquer ones (or shiny silver ones for that matter). The old satin ones, either with silver or gold trim, generally are worth more, hold a higher value, and seem to be more of a collectors item.
Conn 26J/27J
Conn 22K Hybrid
User avatar
MrBasseyPants
bugler
bugler
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri May 04, 2007 7:09 am
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: sousaphone

Post by MrBasseyPants »

KiltieTuba wrote: You're referring to the 1265 jumbo, right, the one called "Big Bertha"? Cause the Giant 1270 model isn't quite as large (body similar to a 20K and bell 28" compared to the jumbo body of the 1265 and 32" bell), but does have a larger bore .750" vs .687-9".
I think you are right. Big Bertha is just ridiculous...but awesome. The 4-valve I played seems just a bit larger than the 40K I have now, but I have never seen them side by side. The King was big but seemed just as manageable as most of the other mish-mash of Kings made from the '30s to the 60;s that Purdue has. I would LOVE to have a Silver King 4-valver (which may actually be a giant as you say)....but they are so hard to come by.

...again as I have said before...I think the 40K plays better than the Kings did though.

jc
MrBasseyPants - jc
My three Kings: 2007 King 2341 | 1935 King Giant 1271 | 1925 King 1265 Jumbo (now with four valves)
...and a 1920s Columbia Tenor Sousaphone

WARNING: This tuba player has been known to get his groove on via bass guitar as well!
bigbob
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 589
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:09 pm
Location: shermansDale Pa

Re: sousaphone

Post by bigbob »

Does anyone have any comparison pictures of all these big sousaphones?? Thanks..BB
bigbob
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 589
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:09 pm
Location: shermansDale Pa

Re: sousaphone

Post by bigbob »

MrBasseyPants wrote:
KiltieTuba wrote: You're referring to the 1265 jumbo, right, the one called "Big Bertha"? Cause the Giant 1270 model isn't quite as large (body similar to a 20K and bell 28" compared to the jumbo body of the 1265 and 32" bell), but does have a larger bore .750" vs .687-9".
Why is the bore size so important?? does it make the horn play louder or more in tune?? and does the larger bell help it to project fuller my BBb has a 26" bell will a 30" make it sound fuller?? Please excuse the poor spelling and not knowing the correct terms.....but inquiring minds gots to know <S>.......................................bigbob
Post Reply