Looking into buying a new 40K

[RichWilley]

I've been playing trumpet for 50 years, but have been playing tuba for 3+ years and was just starting to work a lot as a tubist before the gigs disappeared in March.

However, the end is in sight, and I have been experimenting with sousaphone the past three months. I have had two that were okay, an old King 2350 that was so different from my year-old Hagen tuba that I just couldn't seem to click with it. Then I got a Reynolds fiberglas tuba and it's an improvement, but the biggest benefit it has is that my playing on the Hagen has improved dramatically because I also have trouble playing this Reynolds well.

So I'm thinking about going for it and getting one of these new 40Ks that I see. The fourth valve is obviously an important feature for me, and I use a sousaphone chair/stand so I won't be holding it up (killing my back).

Just wondering if some of you might be willing to share your opinion of these horns with me. I don't see a wealth of locations that have many sousaphones to go try out, and a string of used instruments that I'll have to turn around and sell doesn't sound appealing to me. So if you could swing it, would you grab a new 40K?

[Sousaswag]

Probably not. If you *really* want a 40k, buy an old one because the new stuff is paper thin and will dent by barely pushing it into the case. Honestly if you're playing sousaphone and want the fourth valve, maybe just play the Hagen instead? The extra valve is nice but in my opinion not worth it when you're carrying around an already heavy instrument. If you're willing to go with 3 valves, look at an Olds/Reynolds. I like them better than the Conns or Kings. Just my opinion, fwiw.

[jbaylies]

My 1931 Conn 40K is for sale at Dillon Music https://www.dillonmusic.com/used-conn-4 ... sn-281120/

It has USQMC engraved on the bell, which means it was made for the United States Quartermaster Corps. The valves were replated at one point, and I had the alignment corrected. The stems were too short when I bought it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atrKiww87Jk

It was my main horn for five years and I loved everything about it except the weight. A single 10-hour parade was fine, and two gigs in a row was fine, but three gigs in a row would hurt my back quite a bit. Last year on the 4th of July I played two parades and a standing gig and my back hurt for months, so I bought a fiberglass Conn 22K, which is why the 40K's up for sale now. I admittedly don't do much exercise though, so you may fair better if you actually work out, unlike me.

[RichWilley]

Thanks Sousaswag and jbaylies . . . I really appreciate your input. I am rethinking this and will let you know what happens. You guys are great to jump in and help, and I thank you.

Oh, and I enjoyed the youtube video. You sound really good, jbaylies! Kudos!

[RichWilley]

So I got my hands on a 1954 Conn 20K Naked Lady in pretty good shape, and I can actually play it, which was my number one criterion.

Okay, so it only has three valves, but I'm already getting the hang of it and this will definitely work once things open up and I'm back playing those 30s swing/jazz gigs.

So I appreciate the help, and I did save a ton of money (compared to a new 40K) so all's well here in "paradise."

Thanks, everybody!

[mikebmiller]

Rich does Janet mind you having a naked lady in the house?

For those of you who don’t know Rich, he didn’t just “used to play trumpet.”

[RichWilley]

Yes, Mike, Janet approves of this particular "naked lady" . . . it is an amazingly good sousaphone and I'm thrilled that I can actually play it at a level close to my present level of inconsistency of the Miraphone Hagen 497.

And, yes, I'm still playing trumpet, although I'm still recovering from rotator cuff surgery and have a couple weeks left until I can really get back to holding up instruments for extended periods using my left hand. Thank God that I could use a stand to practice tuba so that my embouchure didn't atrophy along with my left arm during this convalescence.

Now, just for fun, I have recently begun learning to play the EVI, and that is far more of a challenge than I originally thought. While there is very little physical exertion involved, the amount of coordination and thought (concentration) that goes into playing this thing is huge, so I'm thinking it might be well over a year before I show up on a gig with my EVI in tow.

Suffice it to say, I am not one to waste time while the rest of the country is under house arrest. I'm working as hard as ever, just not up on the bandstand yet.

[tbonesullivan]

Nice! A lot of the old 3 valve horns have really good falset tones in the lower register that you can use. Also a good amount of slide pulling can help as well. Have fun with it!