BBb or Eb Sousaphone?

[mbell]

If you were a CC player and wanted a sousaphone would you want a 4 valve Eb or 3 valve BBb sousaphone? I'm thinking in terms of outdoor band concerts, TubaChristmas and maybe some New Orleans style stuff should the opportunity ever arise. No marching band.

Which would be most useful? Which would be the easiest transition from a CC horn?

I don't have a pressing need for one, but thought it might be nice if I could find a good deal on one.

thanks

mike

[sousaphone68]

Hello I have never played CC but I do play Bb and Eb and own a 26k Eb Sousaphone that I wish was a 28k.
IMO a 4 valve Eb tuba or Sousa has a much better chromatic range than a 3 valve Bb tuba or Sousa if you do decide Eb is the way to go don't settle for a 3 valve one.
Happy hunting

[pjv]

It can also depend on your head. I can easily switch back between F and either a CC or a BBb, but between BBb and CC messes me up.

By a CC sousaphone
Good luck, Pat

[tokuno]

My Eb's lighter, and the older I get, the more important that seems.

[Donn]

I'm thinking in terms of outdoor band concerts, TubaChristmas and maybe some New Orleans style stuff should the opportunity ever arise.

The first two are kind of open to interpretation - I mean, you wouldn't necessarily need a sousaphone, and any size or shape of tuba could fit in.

When you get down to New Orleans style stuff, I think you could be talking about a small but pretty loud band, with one tuba laying down the bass. Just in terms of what kind of sounds come out of a bass tuba vs. a contrabass tuba, I would bring the latter.

[imperialbari]

Do you want playing mostly in the low range of an instrument or rather in its upper range?

When it comes to orchestral transcriptions for band or to hymn/carol stuff, the low range playing mostly happens on the BBb bass as it acts as double bass and 16' stop.

The Eb bass rather acts as cello, bassoon, and 8' stop, which makes it move more in its mid and upper-mid ranges.

Klaus

[imperialbari]

I'm confused

We know.

[Donn]

I'm confused:

I always heard that the cello is "the baritone horn of the orchestra"...??

They get a lot of the higher stuff, too, because otherwise it's going to end up in the violas. Viola humor aside, the strings are all undersized for their low end, but viola particularly because it's usually played like a violin so can't be much larger. That leaves a lot of musical territory for the violoncello, and if it's bass tuba, tenor tuba, baritone horn and more, that's not surprising. This is my theory, anyway.

[Lew]

I have a Conn 40K (4 valve BBb) and a Conn 28K (4 valve Eb) and given a choice I always prefer playing the 40K due to its sound and playing feel. I usually play a Besson 983 in the community band that I am in, so I am used to playing Eb, but there is something about the sound on the BBb sousaphone that makes it more fun to play for me. I guess it really depends on the type of music you intend to play, although the high range on my 40K is actually pretty good and certainly better than the low range on the 28K. It is certainly going to be easier to find a 3 valve BBb and at a reasonable price than it will be to find a 4 valve Eb. That said, an Eb is probably an easier transition from CC, and the 28K is definitely easier on the shoulder.

[imperialbari]

I have a Conn 40K (4 valve BBb) and a Conn 28K (4 valve Eb) and given a choice I always prefer playing the 40K due to its sound and playing feel. I usually play a Besson 983 in the community band that I am in, so I am used to playing Eb, but there is something about the sound on the BBb sousaphone that makes it more fun to play for me. I guess it really depends on the type of music you intend to play, although the high range on my 40K is actually pretty good and certainly better than the low range on the 28K. It is certainly going to be easier to find a 3 valve BBb and at a reasonable price than it will be to find a 4 valve Eb. That said, an Eb is probably an easier transition from CC, and the 28K is definitely easier on the shoulder.

Well said!

262840K

[mbell]

' last chance to buy my 28K before it leaves the U.S...(really)
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=46227&p=399820

Are you no longer planning on listing it on eBay? Right now it is a bit more than I wanted to spend, and as this thread implies, I am not sure whether I want an Eb or BBb. Sounds like there are advantages to both.

Thanks to everyone for the comments.

The two particular horns I am considering at the moment are Bloke's 28K and a King 1250 BBb that is listed on eBay. I'm still not sure how much I actually need a sousaphone.

mike