Sousa Collar Diameter?

Peach · Post by **Peach** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 6:26 am

A seller of a used sousa body here in the UK has measured the Bell collar at 150mm.

Are these readily available?

Thanks for any help!

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:02 am

What brand and model sousa is the horn in question? A run-of-the-mill Conn 14K/36K is about 2.5mm bigger. You ARE talking about the INSIDE of the bell collar, aren't you?

Peach · Post by **Peach** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:33 pm

Sorry Dan, I have no idea about the maker.
The seller has two bodies - one Eb and one Bb both have the same collar measurements (inside I presume).

The guy has a bell which he thinks could be "padded out" to fit. Hmm... ie. it's too big.

However the setup is ridiculously cheap and I'd just want it for showing schoolkids or drunken Whit Friday Marches. so if it could be botched together I'd cope alright...

Thanks for the help!

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 4:21 pm

About 16 1/2, I'd guess. But then, I'm not a Sousa scholar...

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 4:32 pm

With Sousa, you can never go wrong with the "stars & stripes" collar

imperialbari · Post by **imperialbari** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:13 pm

I just hauled out the bell of my Conn 26K Eb sousaphone. The smart guys say, that it has the same bell collar size as the 14K and probably more Conn models and models from other makers.

My calliper isnâ€™t long enough for that diameter. However my folding ruler confirms, that the outer diameter of that male collar is very close to 152.5mm. With a little calculation one finds that a 6" collar would have a 152.4mm diameter.

I never have measured a British made sousaphone, but I know, that they were designed before the UK started using the metric system. I very much doubt, that their designs have been changed.

My guess is, that the seller is not trained in taking exact measurements, and that the female collar of the said sousaphone body actually is 6" = 152.4mm in diameter

With a little bit of diplomacy you may obtain a more exact measurement.

I donâ€™t follow the market very closely any more, as 80 brasses plus several other instruments just about fill up my home.

However, when I followed the on-line markets, orphaned sousaphone bells were quite often offered for sale.

If you could make a photo of the said sousa body available, quite a few members of this forum potentially could identify it for you.

After that, you can look at the online markets. But then there are other sources also:

the scrap heaps/basements of several repairmen

the dusty storages of many US schools at whichever level.

My said 26K comes from a source of the latter sort. The pistons look disastrous, but they are tight, and the instrument has been lent out for pro theatre playing a few times.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 6:59 pm

Peach wrote:Sorry Dan, I have no idea about the maker.
The seller has two bodies - one Eb and one Bb both have the same collar measurements (inside I presume).

The guy has a bell which he thinks could be "padded out" to fit. Hmm... ie. it's too big.

'Padding out' the bell won't help if the bell is already too big. The bell fits INSIDE the collar.

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:30 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:About 16 1/2, I'd guess. But then, I'm not a Sousa scholar...

I was wondering why anyone would want to know the shirt size for a man who has been dead for 74 years!