Eb Sousaphone availability?

[Tim_Loehr]

I'd like to find a good Eb without going to Finland --
who makes this horn anyway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsLDe5fYDrs" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Dan Schultz]

It's probably an Amati Eb sousa.

[Tim_Loehr]

Thanks Dan,
That sure looks like it.

All best,
T.

[SousaWarrior9]

It looks like a Besson to me
http://www.horn-u-copia.net/picture.php ... sa-Eb-.jpg" target="_blank

[imperialbari]

It is a Boosey & Hawkes sousaphone, likely with the model name of Regent, or a Besson 796 depending on the vintage.

This wrap was unique for the British made sousaphones and it allowed the usage of the same valve block as on the top valved non-compensating Eb tuba, only that the knuckles don't bend downwards when exiting the piston casings.

The samples I have tried may have been bad ones, as the one in the video sounds OK. I found the British Eb sousaphones inferior to the Conn's 26K and 28K that I own.

My gallery has 1977 and 1985 Besson catalogues telling the specs. As I read the the 2007 and 2008 catalogues also found in the gallery, Besson doesn't make sousaphones any longer

Klaus

[Lee Stofer]

I must wonder if there was a collaboration between Besson and an instrument manufacturer here in the former Colonies, as I recently worked on the BBb version of this horn, and, except for the valveset, there was a striking resemblance to Conn parts and workmanship throughout the instrument, including the fact that all threaded portions of the instrument aside from the valveset were American sizes,the same that Conn used in Elkhart. Since the serial number of the BBb sousaphone I worked on was from shortly after WWII, when the British may have had troubles with manufacturing, I suspect that C.G. Conn may have had a hand in the making of these sousaphones.

[imperialbari]

The small home market for the Besson sousaphones speaks for Lee's idea.

As I read the 1957 catalogue from the US Besson importer there were as many as two differently wrapped BBb sousaphones.

The moulds for the pneumatic expansion of the large bows would be costly compared to the low output.

But then the Besson Eb sousaphones were different from the 26K & 28K main frames:

no doughnut loop under the main tuning slide

the shoulder support not being fake tubing, but a folded back portion of the main bugle

Klaus

[imperialbari]

Said catalogue was from 1958, not 1957:

[Lew]

Most sousaphones made today are assumed to be used by schools and therefore there isn't really the variety available or quality put into them as there was 50 or more years ago. The market for sousaphones in keys other than BBb is also relatively small, so relatively fewer of those are made today. That said, there seem to be plenty of old Eb sousaphones available on the secondary market (ebay always seems to have a few) and due to the lower demand prices are relatively low. If you want a Conn 28K, arguably one of the best Eb sousaphones ever made, you will pay more and have a hard time finding one, but if you are willing to go for 3 valves you should have plenty of choices.

[opus37]

Wow! What a find. I'd love to have this, but I'd have to give up my helicon. That won't happen.

[Z-Tuba Dude]

Yes, that though crossed my mind, as well.

It could just be fate that it got put into deep storage, though.

[bort]

If it were a BBb tuba, I would be more suspect about it.

An Eb Sousaphone isn't exactly the most widely used/required instrument. Frankly, if I owned that horn, I don't think it'd leave my house either.

[LJLovegren]

I'm amazed to learn that "new old stock" includes musical instruments stuck to shelves for decades. I'd like to see other examples of this.

I recall marching an E-flat Sousaphone for one football season in college. I could probably still play one but it requires a lot more thinking than good old B-flat fingerings.

[opus37]

An Eb Sousaphone isn't exactly the most widely used/required instrument. Frankly, if I owned that horn, I don't think it'd leave my house either.

I bet you'd be playing it so much that you wouldn't have time to leave the house.

The neck and bits are not showing in the picture, are they available too?

[tokuno]

Mine is the 4-valve version and it came in that exact same green-lined, outrageously heavy, vault of a sousaphone shipping case.
My horn dates from WW2 (the bell has "U.S." engraved on it), and was (terribly) low-pitch. Required a lot of cutting to make it playable alongside modern-pitch instruments, but it's a fun player and has a great, not-so-woofy timbre that blends well with smaller groups.
Thanks for posting the picture. I was thrilled (and a tad wistful) to see how drop-dead gorgeous my horn used to be.

Re neck/bits. Mine uses the same size neck/bits as for the BBb version, and I'm assuming it'd be the same for this example.

It's a small horn, btw. I'm skinny, and it's cozy. I reversed the main tuning slide because the spit valve lever is a real rib-sticker.

If that horn were within driving distance, I'd be mighty tempted . . .

[imperialbari]

The King full circle Eb sousaphones have to be of a narrow diameter for reasons of mere geometry.

Owning the 26, 28, and 40 K's from Conn I was surprised, when measuring the longest axis of the inner aperture, the diameter. The Eb Conn's are more spacy than the BBb one. Apparently Conn went for a uniform outer diameter of all of their sousaphones. Also the height of the bell lying flat on the bell flare looks like being uniform.

Bloke has told of the 14K sharing bell collars, sometimes even the full bells, with the Eb's.

Others have told about the Eb's and the BBb-long stroke valve blocks for Conn sousaphones being the same aside from the diameters of the air passages.

Several other makers use modular designs through their various models to keep the number of varying parts, hence of the need for tooling diversity, down.

The above tells how Conn planned to have only one sousaphone case, fewer collars, and only one long stroke sousaphone size of valve casing/piston.

Klaus