1950-51 King Sousaphone found and Needs tuning!

[ZerbTubs]

Hello all!

I recently acquired an old sousaphone from a highschool I work for that is in great playing condition and plays most notes really in tune. The only problem I seem to have run into is that the D in the staff is absurdly sharp. Like, plays a 20 cent flat E flat kind of flat. Is that just the natural tuning tendency of this horn? I’ve tried playing it 3 but it only brings it down a little. Never really played sousaphone so I don’t know a whole lot regarding the instrument design and tendencies.

[The Big Ben]

Do you have any experience playing the tuba? King sold zillions of those sousaphones so it probably isn't a design defect.

What happens when you play "D" 1-2? Can you get it in tune by pulling the #1 slide out? (any distance) Give that a try and come back and tell us what happens.

[WC8KCY]

Have you had the instrument serviced since acquiring it? A foreign object lodged in the sousaphone could account for a bizarre intonation quirk--and being a former high school horn, there could be anything in there.

[ZerbTubs]

Do you have any experience playing the tuba? King sold zillions of those sousaphones so it probably isn't a design defect.

What happens when you play "D" 1-2? Can you get it in tune by pulling the #1 slide out? (any distance) Give that a try and come back and tell us what happens.

Yeah I do! I was a primary sax player through highschool and I I switched tuba as my primary for drum corps so I’ve only ever marched contra or played a 186 CC. I’ve been playing heavily for about 4 years now. And I feel sure that would work, it’s just something I wanted to avoid having to do. 1-2 doesn’t bring it down enough on its own but pulling the slide is a little tricky with the lead pipe being as loose as it is.

[ZerbTubs]

Have you had the instrument serviced since acquiring it? A foreign object lodged in the sousaphone could account for a bizarre intonation quirk--and being a former high school horn, there could be anything in there.

I have not! I ran a snake through and cleaned it as much as I could on my own in my apartment but no luck unfortunately. I’m going to take it in Monday and see what happens!

[WC8KCY]

Have you had the instrument serviced since acquiring it? A foreign object lodged in the sousaphone could account for a bizarre intonation quirk--and being a former high school horn, there could be anything in there.

I have not! I ran a snake through and cleaned it as much as I could on my own in my apartment but no luck unfortunately. I’m going to take it in Monday and see what happens!

Sounds like a plan! I acquired a '60s King euphonium a few years back; snaking it out failed to detect, much less dislodge, the bottle of valve oil stuck in it--and yes, it seemed to play OK but the intonation had some strange quirks.