Deformed Signet sousaphone

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OldsRecording
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Deformed Signet sousaphone

Post by OldsRecording »

My local high school owns this Signet sousaphone. It looks like it was repaired sometime in the last several decades, and whoever repaired it seems to have soldered the lead pipe receiver at the wrong angle. Does anybody have any idea if there is a different lead pipe that would be compatible with the badly angled receiver? Also it needs a valve button, if somebody might have one. Thank you.
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Donn
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Re: Deformed Signet sousaphone

Post by Donn »

It won't surprise me if someone comes along shortly who actually knows why this would make sense with this instrument, and you'll have a real answer, but for me, this is an incomplete question. The simple answer might be "loosen up the clamp bolt, swivel the leadpipe around to suit you, tighten the bolt." If that isn't it, a more detailed photo of the problem might help a lot.
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Dan Schultz
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Re: Deformed Signet sousaphone

Post by Dan Schultz »

If your leadpipe has a pinch-bolt... get rid of the King bit (I think that's what it is) and purchase a set of Allied S151 (Selmer) bits.
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Lee Stofer
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Re: Deformed Signet sousaphone

Post by Lee Stofer »

Take it to the nearest reputable shop, and let them fix it right.

1) The orange tape on the upper mouthpipe tells me that there is serious trouble in River City already. The upper mouthpipe must be resoldered.
2) With that upper mouthpipe, but not the correct Selmer pair of tuning bits, the angle cannot be correct. The correct bits for this sousaphone are part number S-151 for the pair, in the Allied Supply catalog. When the upper mouthpipe (neck) and bits are right, if the angle is still off, then the receiver and lower mouthpipe may need to be heated and moved to correct the angle.
3) The correct replacement finger buttons for this sousaphone are part number A-327 in the Allied Supply catalog.

When one of these sousaphones has all problems corrected, I find that they play really well, as well as if not better than the Elkhart Conn 36K fiberglass sousaphone. They are quite similar in most respects.
Lee A. Stofer, Jr.
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