Should Glass Fibre Sousaphones be Banned

[The Jackson]

I suspect that you had the misfortune to play on an exceptionally poor instrument (4 wutevr reezin)

[Matt G]

When I played at Disney as a student musician, they had a Yamaha fiberglass sousaphone that had been tricked out a bit by the on staff repair person. It played pretty well, IMO. I like it better than the brass Yamaha examples we had (borrowed from my university). You couldn't hear yourself all that well, but it sounded fine out front with exception of the extreme low register (below the open fundamental). Conversely, false tones seemed to be more present, IIRC.

However much of a troll the OP is, there are a lot of kids who think the same thing. I was one of them at one point in time in high school.

[The Jackson]

However much of a troll the OP is, there are a lot of kids who think the same thing.

I hate the fact that this is 100% true.

Gotta love that YouTube, though! ( )

[imperialbari]

Well, to get serious for a moment....NO, they have their place.

For example, they're about the only tuba an old guy like me can carry in a parade without paying a couple hunnert bucks to the chiropractor a couple days later.

Plus, they're very nice to take to a tupperware party....

And, you can usually pick one up for about $400 on ebay....

And, if you get a dent or hole, you can fix it with "Bond-O"

So, my vote is, they should not be banned.

Yup, and some elderly ladies with wrecked tastes even may find them delicious, when stuffed:



K

[Todd S. Malicoate]

When I played at Disney as a student musician, they had a Yamaha fiberglass sousaphone that had been tricked out a bit by the on staff repair person. It played pretty well, IMO. I like it better than the brass Yamaha examples we had (borrowed from my university). You couldn't hear yourself all that well, but it sounded fine out front with exception of the extreme low register (below the open fundamental). Conversely, false tones seemed to be more present, IIRC.

When were you there, Matt? I wondered what that smell was in my horn back in 1988.

[TubaRay]

the only downside seems to be the very strong bell ring (that lasts a few seconds after the note) when playing a pedal Bb.

Try this solution. Don't play pedal Bb.

[David Richoux]

I used brass sousaphones in Jr. High and High School bands (the school system never bought an upright tuba of any kind!) and I also play a 1929ish Conn 4 valve BBb for gigs with New Orleans Brass Bands and such. However, I bought an Olds 3 valve (late 70s vintage) plastic Sousaphone in 1985 for fun parades, college alumni band, Burning Man, and I use it with the California Repercussions all the time. It is great for traveling and I have no issues with the sound of the horn.

It may be that the layers of stickers have helped ;-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbfisher/1466294287/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Matt G]

When I played at Disney as a student musician, they had a Yamaha fiberglass sousaphone that had been tricked out a bit by the on staff repair person. It played pretty well, IMO. I like it better than the brass Yamaha examples we had (borrowed from my university). You couldn't hear yourself all that well, but it sounded fine out front with exception of the extreme low register (below the open fundamental). Conversely, false tones seemed to be more present, IIRC.

When were you there, Matt? I wondered what that smell was in my horn back in 1988.

I was there in the mid-90s. I wondered what that smell was!

[tubaguy9]

Should Glass Fibre or Plastic (or whatever is used to make them) Sousaphones be banned olton many years ago and I had to work very hard to make the instrument 'speak'. Give me my new 982 any time

YES

Along with all other sousaphones. Contras are much better.
And what you can't use a contra for, use a concert tuba.

[The Jackson]

The last thing I want to be in my tuba-playing life is march one of those Philip Fiberglass things.

It's like cooking bacon with your shirt off.

[imperialbari]

Man Dale, you sure have some collection of funny hats!

Isn’t that what huntsmen use to avoid accidental shots? Apparently also doubles for fly fishing.

K

[tubaguy9]

I think I have a funnier hat in that picture than Dale in his...

[tubaguy9]

Okay...I'll forfeit...
But I still think sousas should be wiped off the face of the earth.
And if you really want a sousaphone, why not use a helicon?

[iiipopes]

Sousaphones are the greatest gift to marching bands since the original Wieprecht-Moritz tuba replaced ophicliedes.

Helicons were a great intermediate step to help redistribute the weight of carrying around low brass, but because of the bell pointing left, the sound went left, and moreover it could be even more physically unstable from all the weight of the bell being to the side.

The original Sousa/J. W. Pepper configuration, what we now call "raincatcher," was the next step because Sousa wanted sound up like orchestral tuba.

Then others wanted sound forward for street and field marching, so Conn made the bell front, the "standard" configuration today.

Contras are nice and showy, but for real, foundational, truly supporting the rest of the band outdoors, there is nothing like a real sousaphone, and I mean one made pre-cyborg, pre-UMI, pre-MacMillian, when real metal was used, when they had real intonation, real tone instead of blatty fart noises you couldn't tame even with a deep Helleberg, and they didn't bend just by picking them up.

Those who prefer contras have either been brainwashed by corps style marching or have not had the opportunity to really put a real souzy through the paces.

[TubaRay]

Those who prefer contras have either been brainwashed by corps style marching or have not had the opportunity to really put a real souzy through the paces.

[tubaguy9]

Those who prefer contras have either been brainwashed by corps style marching or have not had the opportunity to really put a real souzy through the paces.

Or maybe both... Only sousa's I've tried are a few fiberglass sousas and a Jupiter sousa...

But, I've marched a King marching tuba, and a GG Dynasty Contra...

The contras were better.

[TUbajohn20J]

No, fiberglass sousas shouldn't be banned. I LOVE the Conn 22K and 36K large bore short action sousas!! best fiberglass horns ever

[iiipopes]

Those who prefer contras have either been brainwashed by corps style marching or have not had the opportunity to really put a real souzy through the paces.

Or maybe both... Only sousa's I've tried are a few fiberglass sousas and a Jupiter sousa...

But, I've marched a King marching tuba, and a GG Dynasty Contra...

The contras were better.

My point exactly. A good contra is probably better than a bad souzy, but a good sousaphone is better for outdoors than just about any other foundational brass.

[Steve Inman]

No.

Because:

1. They're lighter
2. You don't have to polish them
3. They are easy to decorate
4. They don't sound like total crap
5. They sound enough like crap that you really appreciate your "concert horn" at the end of high school marching season ....

Cheers,

[iiipopes]

The 38K I play is as worthy a concert instrument as any tuba out there, and I use it both indoors and out depending on the requirements of the gig. Again, I reiterate that very few people have ever played a really good souzy.

Find some CD reissues of some of the New York Phil and other orchestras from the acoustic 78rpm era, and you will come to an understanding just how fine the instruments were and how fine they could sound with players as John "Chief" Kuhn and others of his era.