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Any thoughts on this old brute fellow tubadors? http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARTIN-INDIANA- ... 35eecd3218" target="_blank

Welllllll

Old brute it a hybrid of what appears to be a Handcraft coil (great) and a Martin "Indiana" bell -- which is less great as it was the student line. Huge deal? I defer to the more experienced fellas. But worth that price? I'd let the seller drop it another couple hundred - I paid about the same for a 4V Martin Handcraft sousaphone about 9 months ago, so $1600 feels like it's still a bit high.

Actually, Indiana and Martin Band instruments were made in the same factory by the same people. Older Martin designs were recycled and labeled Indiana but are 100% Martin. So if you have a Martin sousa with an Indiana bell you really have a Martin sousaphone in total. Plus the engraving on Indiana bells is really cool!

Is this horn sometimes referred to as a Martin 'medium'? ... somewhat smaller than the 'mammoth' but quite a bit larger than the 'regular' sousas. Seems to me my local Shrine Band once had a pair of them in BBb and Eb.

lost wrote:.... Dan, i believe this is a big mammoth.

Should be easy to determine. The 'mammoth' bell tenon is 7 7/8". I think the 'medium' is 6 1/2".

Seller got back to me. The socket is a full 8 inches across!. The bell diameter is 25 13/ 16" - just under 25 7/8 ". Info and research states 26 inch but you will have minute differences of course. Hope this helps. Not a terribly heavy sousa at 25 lbs!!! Nice valve action, nice blowing, big branches, efficient too. Has now been cleaned and sterilized, re-regulated and polished for sale. He put some new pictures on the listing too. I would buy it but I don't want the better half to murder me.