Tenor sousaphone

[Roger Fjeldet]

Recently it was sould an odd instrument on ebay - a Baritone shaped as a sousaphone
The brand - Harry B. Jay Columbia - was probably made in the late twenties.
Do anyone know where or who used such instruments?
Children?
Roger

[imperialbari]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Miniature-S ... 500wt_1154

[iiipopes]

I believe the HB Jay company was a stencil company. There is an Eb in the basement of my undergrad that sleeps peacefully, because, well, just because. Neatness factor: A+. Practicality factor: F.

[Shockwave]

I have a sousaphone that size, except in BBb and stenciled "Chris Kratt". Apparently they were made for children, but I can't imagine any child being able to play a .560 bore BBb sousaphone. You don't know what 'stuffy' means until you try this thing.

-Eric

[David Richoux]

I played an Italian version at a San Jose Tubafest Xmas one year - it belonged to a friend. Horrible intonation, stuffy, awkward, but it looked cool!

However, a proper, well made historical Helicon Bb would be of interest - I have seen & heard a few over the years and they sounded OK. An Eb Alto Helicon would be a good horn to have as well.

[Gongadin]

I've seen vintage postcards of 'midget' bands, with sousaphones scaled to little person size.
Roger, too bad that eBay seller didn't allow bids outside of the US - you could've bought his mini-sousaphone and kept it inside the bell of your Conn Jumbo, bringing it out during your demonstration!

[Ace]

My pit orchestra was rehearsing in the bandroom of a middle school in nearby Piedmont CA. High up on a shelf there was a little Bb sousaphone covered with dust. Apparently it hadn't been used in years, probably for good reason. LOL

[Lew]

Looks pretty much the same as this one that I sold recently:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MESOX:IT" target="_blank

It actually played pretty well. It is basically a baritone/euphonium in sousaphone shape. When I bought it I was told that it was used in a "midget band," but could find no documentation to support that. I imagine it might have been someones idea of how to make it easier to march with a baritone. I had heard of several others of these made by Buescher and was even sent a photo of one at one time, but I suspect that not very many were made or sold. I used it for a couple of Tuba Christmases and it was certainly a conversation starter.

[imperialbari]

http://www.google.com/patents?id=TXdWAAAAEBAJ&pg

http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT856642

[Dan Schultz]

I believe the HB Jay company was a stencil company......

I've seen several Harry B Jay instruments and current have a euphonium in my 'stable'. Information about the company is pretty 'sketchy' but I've pretty much come to my own conclusion that this was a legitimate manufacturer rather than a music store who bought complete horns and had their name engraved onto them.

There are several pieces of information on The Web about Harry B Jay... including the story about how Louis Armstrong's early cornet was a HB Jay.

Someone needs to put together some research about the company.