TubeNet

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GREAT-KING-SILV ... 51c1c920d9" target="_blank

I'm pretty sure that's a BBb King 'Giant' sousa. A 4-valve one, at that. Very rare.
I played a 3-valve King 'Giant' sousa back in H.S.--- it was very nice.
If I had the money...

schlepporello wrote:The good horns always come up for sale when I don't have any extra cash.

same here

I believe it to be a Bb Instrument, according to my local profesional, however I would also have you know that it is possible to make the horn sound like the Eb with little effort.

Clearly, I've been playing the tuba wrong all these years.

The 2nd valve length is the same as my earlier, full-wrap 4 valve King Eb sousaphone, or at least it seems to be and ends at the same place on the outer bugle...

KiltieTuba wrote:

windshieldbug wrote:The 2nd valve length is the same as my earlier, full-wrap 4 valve King Eb sousaphone, or at least it seems to be and ends at the same place on the outer bugle...

It's in double-B-flat, I had the three valve 1270 model of it (this is a 1271)

I'll have to get that sucker fired up, then. I thought it was an eefer when I bought it. Gotta neck around here somewhere...

KiltieTuba wrote: Does yours have a loop in the third valve tubing? That and the extra looped branch after the valves is how you can tell if it's in Eb or BBb (sometimes CC)

No. I just assumed that since there was no 3rd loop that it was Eb, but it sure seems odd that the 2nd valve tubing would be the same length if it wasn't BBb. My horn was made in 1941, and after looking at Horn-u-copia, mine is a 1261

I had my finger on the trigger, but the bidding got a bit too rich for my budget.

bobcatpilot wrote:I had my finger on the trigger, but the bidding got a bit too rich for my budget.

I liked it much better when it was -$1300. I am hoping it plays as good as it looks. I've been wanting a 1271 for a while... I think the 40K is going to have to find a new home now.

jc

Nice! You bought it? I've been drooling over it for a week. Let us know how it plays.

bobcatpilot wrote:Nice! You bought it? I've been drooling over it for a week. Let us know how it plays.

I hope it plays well....I used to play one when I was at Purdue....which is why I bought a 40K....which is probably a better horn....but I like the 1271 better. If it plays as good as my 1265 Jumbo....it will be a great keeper. Although I have set my max sousaphone limit to two playable horns

jc

MrBasseyPants wrote:
I hope it plays well....I used to play one when I was at Purdue....which is why I bought a 40K....which is probably a better horn....but I like the 1271 better. If it plays as good as my 1265 Jumbo....it will be a great keeper. Although I have set my max sousaphone limit to two playable horns

jc

So you bought it? I thought Kilte would have jumped all over this.
Anyway, I've played the 3-valve version, which was a fine sousa. I wonder how the 4-valve model plays compared to the 3-valve model.

To anyone wanting to know about the King 'Giant'; it is basically a "5/4" sousa in the same size class as the Conn 20K, Yamaha 411, York 'Monster', etc sousas.

lost wrote:Let us know how it plays!

Short version... it totally rocks.

I played the King and the Conn today. Two totally different sounds. Truthfully the 40K has the better tuba sound. However, the King IS the quintessential sousaphone sound to me. The Conn is nice whereas the King is in your face.

With that being said, the King has a much nicer low register ...and is more free blowing than the Conn.

The 28in bell rings (I knew this beforehand) although much less than the Jumbo 32in bell.

All-in-all both horns are fantastic....and the King with its more aggressive tone and general badassery in the looks dept make this one the winner for me.

Kiltie asked me to take a photo with the Jumbo....so I will move that to another thread.

jc