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Hello,

I've just gotten myself my first Sousaphone and I'm curious if anyone has any info about it or about the company that made it. I bought it in the Netherlands, it's an Eb Sousaphone. It has Continental made in U.S.A carved into the bell. Where the body and the bell meets there is the number 53 carved. On the second valve there is the number 116657. The diameter of the bell is approximately 610mm or 24 inches. The attachment is a picture of the engraving.

Does anyone have a guess how old it is? It seems quite old.

Here's a link of the whole instrument. You can see that she has quite a few dents. But that's just how i like her. http://aijaa.com/RC0sS4" target="_blank

Best,

Pulla-Pekka

So you're saying it's a Conn made sousaphone?

Here's a better picture of the engraving. The attachment looks a bit strange. http://aijaa.com/wlgVth" target="_blank" target="_blank

-Pulla-Pekka

Great, thanks for your input. Are you able to say more or less how old it is? Also, even if it doesn't matter anymore I would like to know if I bought it at a good price. I paid 550 euros (720 dollars) for it. It has quite alot of dents but all the parts that should be moving are moving freely. It seems to have a nice tone, even though I'm only starting so it's hard to say. The fact that it's a Eb suits me well. Here's a picture of the whole instrument if it makes it easier to estimate the worth. http://aijaa.com/0ZQVZ0" target="_blank

For me this was a good buy because used sousaphones are rare in Finland so I'm really exited to have found this one.

-Pulla-Pekka

Did it come with a case and did you buy it in Finland?

I bought when I was visiting a friend in Holland and i didn't get a case, but I bought an old case in Holland for 50 euros. Then I flew it back to Finland with me. I got a mouthpiece with the sousaphone. Don't know if it's good but it was nice to be able to start playing immediately.

The sousaphone was probably at the top of its price range for its condition in my opinion but a case good enough to fly with for 50 euro that was a steal.
If it were my sousaphone I would probably spend another two hundred euro getting the bell rolled and the large branches de dented.
Did it come with a gooseneck and two bits?
have fun with it I enjoy my Eb Sousaphone every time I play or parade with it.
There is a thread some where here where the FALSE tone fingerings are listed to allow a chromatic scale from A below the staff down

Yes... concurring with what others have already said.... this horn was made by Conn. The number should equate with the published Conn serial number list making the manufacture date around 1924.

Did it come with a gooseneck and two bits?

I'm not actually sure what you mean with the gooseneck and two bits, so I put up a picture with what came with the sousa. http://aijaa.com/EvSrZQ" target="_blank" target="_blank

an 'L' bent piece that goes into the sousa, and a mouthpiece that goes into the bent piece. is there supposed to be any other parts?

Do you see if I have all the parts for playing it, or do I need to start hunting some missing pieces?

http://images.miretail.com/products/opt ... g_bits.jpg" target="_blank" target="_blank
This what I mean by bits they are neede for tuning and comfort they go into the L Shaped gooseneck and your mouthpiece is then fitted to the bits.

ok, so if I don't get these pieces I'm going to play out of tune? If I know the size if the 'L' shaped piece, can I get those missing pieces over the internet?

Hi KiltieTuba. Do you need a better picture than the one I posted earlier? http://aijaa.com/EvSrZQ" target="_blank" target="_blank

Continental Colonial Sousaphones are Pan American stencils. Continental Music Company was a distributor subsidiary of Conn Ltd, much like Pan American was amanufacturing subsidiary for lower priced and stencil band instruments. So to correctly date this sousaphone the Pan American brass listing should used. The Conn dating system would be incorrect.
For those with Continental Clarion sousaphones, they are Cavalier stencils if below 86000 or so. It seems that after that serial number even the Cavalier sousaphones essentially became direct modelss of Pan American. Prior to that the Cavalier sousaphone was it's own separate line.
For those wondering how I know the above, I am doing a serial number study of Cavalier and Pan American band instruments. I currently have forum topics on the trumpetmaster, horn-u-copia and saxontheweb sites. There is also one on the tromboneforum but there has been no response.
As a result of my study, I have come into contact many of the Pan American and Cavalier stencils. Pan American and Cavalier are not stencils, but manufacturing lines of Conn ltd. Pan American having its own manufactuing facility. They stenciled for other resellers. The current dating models for Pan American brass on the Conn Loyalist and hoen-u-copia sites came from this study. I am still working on the Cavalier model and the Pan American woodwind/reed model.