Besson Sousaphone, look at that wrap

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:14 pm

Look at the valve tubing on this sousaphone:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Besson-Brass-Sousap ... dZViewItem

I guess they were trying to keep as much of the tubing "north" of the valves as possible, but it sure looks pretty convoluted to me.

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:09 pm

Do my eyes deceive me? Is thing compensated? If it is I bet it's heavy.

Chuck"who's interest is piqued"Jackson

Tubaing · Post by **Tubaing** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:29 pm

Chuck Jackson wrote:Do my eyes deceive me?

Yes

Chuck Jackson wrote:Is thing compensated?

No.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:46 pm

The first time that I saw one, it was only a very cast-off valve set, and I thought with all those short bends, perhaps that is was compensating.

Now that I've seen a complete horn, the answer is no.

What they HAVE done is made the inner circle as big as possible for "stout" players. This pushed the valves out to the edge pretty far, and in order to keep the horn from mashing the slides when you set it down (or it rolls over), they had to turn the valve slides in, then out again. What do you want for a country that uses Lucas refrigerators!?

imperialbari · Post by **imperialbari** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:59 am

windshieldbug wrote:The first time that I saw one, it was only a very cast-off valve set, and I thought with all those short bends, perhaps that is was compensating.

Now that I've seen a complete horn, the answer is no.

What they HAVE done is made the inner circle as big as possible for "stout" players. This pushed the valves out to the edge pretty far, and in order to keep the horn from mashing the slides when you set it down (or it rolls over), they had to turn the valve slides in, then out again. What do you want for a country that uses Lucas refrigerators!?

The description is right, the reasoning maybe not.

The newer American sousaphones use a valve block with a very efficient airpath. That block also has been transferred to the American front action tubas.

Until the 995 Besson did not use that type of valve block at all.

On their sousaphones Besson use(-d) the same valve blocks as on their top action non-compensating tubas. Only they had to rewrap the tubing in a cumbersome way, as the air exits and re-enters the valves from the same side. On American sousaphones this only happens with the second valve.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

Mwtuba32 · Post by **Mwtuba32** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:23 am

believe it or not these sousas play very well in tune and are very free blowing..its looks are decieving.