Conn 20K problem

[Dutch]

Gents,

When I got this nicely overhauled 20K I did notice the funny gooseneck and at some time fitted it with a standard neck. Rigged up like this, the mouthpiece pointed to my forehead.
I would happily use the old (funny) neck, but this thing is so long that tuning the sousaphone becomes a problem. The cause of this all must be the lower lead pipe ( not sure this word is correct, I mean the part between valve #1 and the gooseneck, with the receiver of the gooseneck fitted on it). It seems to have a very large loop compared to similar instruments.
Can it be that “old” and “new” types of leadpipe have been mixed up here? Did somebody create his own, unique lower leadpipe?
What is the way to go from here, can the existing pipe be cut and then reinstalled (almost an inch or so, next to the valve seems to be cylindrical)?
Must an original part be installed, are these available?

Ps this must be a vulnerable part of the sousaphone. I have an old 32K that sometime must have been whacked on that spot, see picture below.

Grateful for any suggestions

Dutch

pb_20K_1p2.jpg

pb_20K_2p2.jpg

pb_32K_1p2.jpg

[SousaSaver]

I have run into this a time or two myself.

The mouth pipe appears to be the correct one. Sometimes though, they can be installed at an angle that points towards your forehead.

You can have the lower mouth pipe moved to help with this. I wouldn't suggest "whacking it."

Have you tried all the various angles the neck and bits can be put into?

(That fiber Sousa that you use as an example with the red circle and arrow is one I fixed up! )

[Dan Schultz]

The lower mouthpipe for the 20K and the 32K are not the same. Looks like you need a REAL 20K lower mouthpipe to make a good fix.