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A "friend-of--a-friend" offered me an Eb sousaphone (I don't know what manufacturer) that his daughter had used in school... FREE ! (It's not fiberglass and it looks extremely well used)

This comment from another thread made me wonder if production fiberglass sousaphones or tubas have been made in Eb, CC, or F. Does anyone know? Or other plastic materials?

I'm aware of the transparent tuba and carbon fiber bells. I'm just asking about production instruments, not one-offs or experiments.

Definitely Eb.

Definitely "Eh". I can't really see that weight would be much of an issue with Eb or F, and the bell is a good idea, sort of a reverse of the Jupiter mixed souzy. And would any self-respecting CC player be caught dead with a fiberglass horn?

Weirder things have happened, though. Conn made a fiberglass 2XJ for a short time. Very short.

GC wrote:And would any self-respecting CC player be caught dead with a fiberglass horn?

It has nothing to do with self-respect. It has everything to do with weight. To get the low F, or even D or G in tune without moveable slides, unless you have a large bore souzy, the privilege tones will be grainy, and to add the 4th valve and long pullable slide to get 1+4 in tune defeats the purpose. Eb is small enough that the 4th valve doesn't add back as much weight.

Check out this link where TubaTinker, Dan Schultz, converted a 36K to CC. Notice he left it 3-valve:
http://thevillagetinker.com/Conn%2036K% ... ersion.htm" target="_blank

iiipopes wrote:

GC wrote:And would any self-respecting CC player be caught dead with a fiberglass horn?

It has nothing to do with self-respect. It has everything to do with weight. To get the low F, or even D or G in tune without moveable slides, unless you have a large bore souzy, the privilege tones will be grainy, and to add the 4th valve and long pullable slide to get 1+4 in tune defeats the purpose. Eb is small enough that the 4th valve doesn't add back as much weight.

Check out this link where TubaTinker, Dan Schultz, converted a 36K to CC. Notice he left it 3-valve:
http://thevillagetinker.com/Conn%2036K% ... ersion.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Self-respecting? That fiberglass CC sousa AND it's owner commands A LOT of respect!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erBJRzZK5Ms

Dan knows!! That sousaphone looks very familiar. If you want to hear it, come to Gatsby's in Austin this Friday night at 10:45pm.

TubaTinker wrote:Self-respecting? That fiberglass CC sousa AND it's owner commands A LOT of respect!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erBJRzZK5Ms

Not only this link, but La Grosse Tete has some other YouTube videos. Magnificent. If it weren't for the fact that most trad jazz tunes are in the flat keys, I know where there is a Selmer Fiberglass souzy I can get for cheap I might have to have converted to CC myself. As I posted above, with the .730-ish bore, it will do the privileged tones for low F and down, but you really don't play in that lowest register on a regular basis for trad jazz. You keep it in the "cash register" to keep everybody knitted together.

Yes, Dan did a superlative job on the conversion. If there are any intonation quirks, I didn't hear them, and on the minor keys of some of the other videos posted, you would hear them.

bloke wrote:.... That guy sounds good playing that instrument in that band. You did a fine job, Dan!

Actually... Bill's a superb musician! He could probably make a garden hose sound good!

TubaTinker wrote:Bill's a superb musician! He could probably make a garden hose sound good!

Yes, that may be. But with your conversion, he definitely doesn't have to!

It is fun playing the 36K CC Dan made for me, and I really appreciate that he offered to make it, but notice I don't sustain any notes on it. I wouldn't use it to play Bordogni etudes. Thanks for the kind words, guys ! I'm glad you enjoyed listening to LGT. That seems to be my main gig since I moved to Austin.