1930s York Monster Sousaphone

[grammit]

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

Up for sale is my beloved 1930s York Grand Rapids Monster Sousaphone, overhauled by George Borodi in Cleveland in around 2015. I’ve had the horn for about 10 years, but I was a little too ambitious with how I wanted to use it. It’s been maintained, but I have not played it much at all over the last 6 years. Keep in mind this horn is a MONSTER and a very large and heavy instrument. Pre-WWII brass and I don’t think I’ve been able to put a new dent in it since owning it. It’s basically a tank.

The sound is deep, dark and pure. And it is buttery-smooth to play. It has such a wide range of resonance that, even with 3 valves, the intonation is fantastic. The valves themselves are in great condition and they also have the spring caps for emptying water. Slides are also in good condition.

It does have its quirks. The leadpipe has been modified to take a Conn gooseneck and modern mouthpiece. Because of the way it has been modified, I prefer to play it without any bits, but can also play it with 1 bit (2 bits would be a challenge and throw off the balance too much for me). Because of this, you have to compensate a bit with the main tuning slide to keep it in tune. Gooseneck screw has been broken but it seals and has been functional for me with the electrical tape.

Includes Coon gooseneck and 2 bits. I have a shoulder pad and cradle pad installed. The case has been modified to be able to fit this horn but it is far from optimal. Not a particularly useful case, but good for storage.

I’m located in the Charlotte, NC area if you’d like to try it out. I’m asking for $5000, shipping is possible but you'll have to cover it.

[kburke]

I just sold the same horn a couple of months ago through Baltimore Brass. Whoever did the receiver modification removed +/- 10 inches of “real estate” — either to replace a broken one or to accommodate normal mouthpieces. The original configuration required a York mouthpiece with an enormous shank size — probably not readily available. I’m amazed that there is enough “pull” available on the main tuning slide to get the thing in tune.

[grammit]

Yes, it did lose some length. Without any bits, the main tuning slide has to come out about 3 inches. Less with 1 bit, of course.

I remember asking about your horn a couple years ago when you had it up! I always wanted to restore this horn but didn't have the means. Someone posted on another forum about having a lower mouthpiece receiver and it would be amazing to see this thing restored. I might have a few pictures of the original setup somewhere but not sure where you could find a neck or mouthpiece.

Fwiw it still plays well, though.