York Monster Sousaphone

[Oceantuba]

Assuming this is a low pitch instrument, and if you don't get the measurements, consider using a hose in place of gooseneck to determine overall length of gooseneck et al. Just put the main slide ~ 3/4" out, and trim hose as needed til open pitch correct. The ID of the test hose will hopefully be close to ID of sousaphone bore.

edit: use the mouthpiece receiver with the hose.

I'm sure I'll be corrected it I'm wrong, but AFAIK, except for the conical adaptor bit (receiver) MP goes into, the gooseneck + bits that connect to the hard mounted pipe are NOT conical. Nice thing as a tube with a straight bore should cost less to "make". One would hope to start with a pipe close to or the same as original bore. IF not, a tube close to ID of orig. will have to be annealed, drawn, etc. then bent. Just to give you an idea of amount of work ($) involved. Hopefully you will find some used pieces.

[Rick Denney]

What would really be helpful is if you posted some photos of the instrument.

There are technicians who can fabricate a custom gooseneck for you, to your needed dimensions. You can figure out what those dimensions need to be by adding some vinyl tubing to the mouthpiece receiver on the gooseneck you have now that is too short, to determine what length you will need to bring it up to tune.

Any instrument in 1938 should be tuned to A-440--slightly higher than low pitch (which is usually within tuning range) and much lower than high pitch.

In the 1920's J.W. York catalog, this instrument was called the "Monster BBb Helicon Bass," Model No. 786 (with a 26" bell) or 790 (with a 28" bell). In that catalog image, which is an unhelpful drawing (not a photograph) that Klaus will probably post presently, the gooseneck looks pretty standard, but the tuning bits look quite unusual. I recall Bloke (one of those technicians) as having made a goosneck for a helicon that was shaped to require no tuning bits. It was quite long, as one might expect. Note that even though York called it a helicon in the 1920's catalog, the model numbers above are forward-bell sousaphones, and they all came in low pitch only. The 780 was a bell-up sousaphone of the raincatcher style. They also sold Model 77x helicons with a straight bell that we think of with a helicon.

Rick "pictures, please" Denney

[Taranis]

Did you get your monster up and running? If you need pictures, 2 silver york sousaphones (1 Bb, 1 Eb) just walked into my shop. Both have original neck & 1 bit. The bit on the Eb has 2 90 degree jogs in it and has had some solder work so I'm not sure if that's how they were made or if the jogs were added later. Let me know if you'd like pictures and/or measurements.

[Lee Stofer]

The York sousas did take a unique upper mouthpipe, and I had to make one for a York monster BBb sousa this past summer. I take measurements, bend a filled mouthpipe blank, fashion a receiver and tenon-and-ferrule assembly, solder it all together, and buff and lacquer it or have it plated. Following the appearance of a drawing in a 1930's York ad, I make the mouthpipe rather long, and fit the instrument with one bit, normally. with just one bit, you have adjustablity, but more of a tuba mouthpipe-style taper, so they play more like a standard tuba. These horns play very well when you get all of the dimensions right. Now, I have two more of the Yorks in the shop, one monster BBb and a standard-sized BBb, that need a neck fabricated - no good deed goes unpunished . . . . .

[Sean Greene]

Sorry I can't offer any help to the OP for finding a replacement neck for their horn.

I just wanted to chime in with an interesting (to me) anecdote about the York Monster Sousaphone referenced in the article and the photo from TubaNews.com. I played it- And it was amazing. It played just as good- if not better than - the York 'concert' tubas that Paul had in his collection. So much fun.

Also, I should add that I took this photo and in my opinion it doesn't really give an accurate idea of how truly MASSIVE this sousaphone is since Paul is a very, very large man. He has at least half a foot on me, probably more. I'm 6'1" and over 200lbs and this sousaphone totally enveloped me. I also recall how heavy that horn is. I couldn't imagine having to march in a parade with one of those things. But the sound you can make with it is glorious.

Thanks for the memories and bringing this post back to the surface. I hadn't seen it the first time around.

SG

[78milt]

Hi
I bought, about 8 years ago, one of those fantastic york sousaphone with a great 6/4 TUBA organ like tone.
What a beautiful sound, better than my CONN 20 J and MARTIN recording bass.
The real name is monster Bb sousaphone.
Few days later I found this sousaphone on Ebay i found also on Ebay an old catalog of brass instruments.
And you can find in this catalog what you're looking for : one photo of one of those monster Bb sousaphone.
I attach this photography to my message.
Maybe some faults!
My English is poor
Sorry

Marc (from France)
PS American Tubas and sousaphones are the best for ever

[Dean E]

Super horns. The two horns in recent pics appear to have different lengths of third valve loops.

[toobagrowl]

Pretty sure the bell collar for the 20k/38k is 7.25 but someone please correct me if I'm wrong since I'm relying on previous posts from these boards.

So I'm gonna still contend the York Monster 5/4 Sousaphone is larger than Conn 20k & 38k 5/4 size sousaphones in terms of bore size, bell collar size, overall height, and attitude (Shields myself from the tomatoes thrown by 20k owners).

There was a York Monster sousa sitting in the instrument storage room at the first college I attended. It was in bright silverplate and identical to the York sousa pics in this thread. Unfortunately, it was not in good playable condition because it was missing bits, and the gooseneck section was messed up and was leaky. I still tooted some notes on it and it still had a beautiful sound despite the issues. I can only imagine how good that sousa would play if it were properly fixed and had bits
That college also had a couple old satin-silver Conn 20K sousas, and at least 3 satin-silver King 4/4 sousas. We played the King sousas.

That said, I'd put the York Monster sousa in the same 5/4-ish size category as the Conn 20K, King Giant (I played a King Giant in H.S.), and Yamaha YSH-411.

[boredhorns]

Did you ever find someone who was able to make you a lead pipe? I just bought a York Monster Sousaphone with a 28 inch bell and would like to find a solution to not having the original lead pipe. Thanks