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I have a Yamaha sousaphone body that needs all three valve sets, a lead pipe and bits. How would you go about buying these? straight from Yamaha? From a shop? (any recommendations?) Waiting for valves to show up on ebay doesn't seem to work...

How old is it? Yamaha does have parts, but most likely the cost of getting all the parts for the entire valve section would far exceed the cost of simply getting a used or new one.

I couldn't find a serial number guide for Yamaha, but I'm guessing it was manufactured in the 80's or 90's, serial number 3088XX.

most likely the cost of getting all the parts for the entire valve section would far exceed the cost of simply getting a used or new one

That's a very sad notion...

Well, is it the all metal sousaphone, or the part resin one? Do you know the model number? You can probably get the parts from Yamaha, but you'd need to go through a dealer.

How much of the horn is actually left? How did it end up in such a condition? Usually you see horns like that because they had their parts stripped to fix other Sousaphones.

Baltimore Brass LITERALLY has a sousaphone graveyard, because the cost to repair them would be almost the cost of a new sousaphone.

Well, is it the all metal sousaphone, or the part resin one?

It's all metal

Do you know the model number?

No. It looks like a YSH-411, but it might be an earlier model. I couldn't find a serial number guide or something to tell older models apart.

How much of the horn is actually left? How did it end up in such a condition? Usually you see horns like that because they had their parts stripped to fix other Sousaphones.

It's a sousaphone body and bell, missing a lead pipe, bits, and valves. It was owned by the army and I guess, like you said, it was stripped for parts.

Baltimore Brass LITERALLY has a sousaphone graveyard, because the cost to repair them would be almost the cost of a new sousaphone.

It's sad to think a musical instrument will end it's life like that.
I have my own sousaphone, a King, but I wanted to help bring this one back to life for others to play and enjoy.

Well, if you really want to look up the parts, you can find them here:

https://parts-search.yamaha.co.jp/html/ ... 2_010&sc=0" target="_blank

tbonesullivan wrote:Baltimore Brass LITERALLY has a sousaphone graveyard, because the cost to repair them would be almost the cost of a new sousaphone.

Oh, thank you for using "literally" correctly. (Well, if one assumes "graveyard" is metaphor for a parts stash and not, literally, a graveyard.) I lament the frequent use of "literally" when "virtually" is what is meant. You have, literally, sent me over the moon with your proper use.

And thank you for the info about BB. I have a Yamaha YSH-411S that, at least for now, does not need replacement parts. But one never knows about the future...

Not to steal or derail this thread, but does anyone know if Yamaha makes a 4 valve sousaphone?

saktoons wrote:Oh, thank you for using "literally" correctly. (Well, if one assumes "graveyard" is metaphor for a parts stash and not, literally, a graveyard.) I lament the frequent use of "literally" when "virtually" is what is meant. You have, literally, sent me over the moon with your proper use.

And thank you for the info about BB. I have a Yamaha YSH-411S that, at least for now, does not need replacement parts. But one never knows about the future...

Well, they definitely call it a graveyeard, but it's really just the top level of all the dividers and such. If you go in, and look up, You will see sousaphone bells peeking over the edge, everywhere. Like most, waiting for someone to have a sousaphone with a trashed bugle but a good valve block.

Back in high school, about 20 years ago for me, they had probably 8 sousaphones hanging on the wall in the band room. HOWEVER, only 1 or 2 were actually usable, and the rest had issues, and also often were missing parts, which were scavenged to keep the 2 usable ones in working condition. They were probably from the 60s or 70s, and there was no way to get any type of parts for them.

So at least with Yamaha, they still make the parts for the sousaphones they have made.

roweenie wrote:Not to steal or derail this thread, but does anyone know if Yamaha makes a 4 valve sousaphone?

Looking at their parts catalog, the only sousaphones they have made all had 3 valves.