Plastic sousaphones?

[Brassdad]

I don't know about Tubas, but one of the local music stores here in NE Virginia has plastic Saxaphones, Trumpets, and (I think) a flute.
Not toys either based on the $300.00+ for the sax

[jlbreyer]

Do a search on GLASSL

That is the name of a German company that makes fiberglass tubas.

jlb

[Leland]

I once marched with an apparently all-plastic sousaphone at an alumni game.

Seriously, ALL plastic, or as much as possible. I think even the valve casings were plastic, although I couldn't unscrew the valves to find out for sure. I don't know how it sounded, but it sure was light.

[Leland]

I know of no sousaphones made of plastic, but I'm sure not the last word on that.

I didn't know of any either until I happened upon the one I mentioned. It wouldn't surprise me if the outer branches were fiberglass, but even the bell didn't have the same feel that fiberglass usually does.

I think the water keys, valve stems, buttons, and valvesprings might have been the only metal parts. I tried to take apart the valves to see inside, but they were stuck fast, and I had to get to practice anyway.

I haven't seen anything like it since, either (thank goodness).

*edit*

While I'm reminiscing, if anyone here has been at the University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, I'd like to hear if they've seen it buried in the depths of Westbrook. When I used it, they had pulled it from somewhere in the basement.

[Lew]

Somewhere among the cobwebs of my mind I seem to recall coming acrost a sousaphone made of PVC or ABS? Perhaps it was just te bell. It wasn't a shiny finished fiberglass but a thicker, rougher finish. Am I a little loopy or does a plastic, production model, sousa exist?

Your description of a rough pebbled finish sounds exactly like the fiberglass sousaphones I used in high school. I would expect a PVC or ABS sousaphone would have had a smooth finish.

[iiipopes]

You might want to check the UMI/cyborg website, because I believe they are advertising their sousaphones with a resin bugle & bell. If you MUST have something besides all brass, get a pre-UMI King from the early to mid 1970's: lighter than the first generation fiberglass, minimal upkeep, and the .687 bore has better projection and centering than the Conn .734 bore.

THIS COMMENT ONLY APPLIES TO FIBERGLASS HORNS -- NOT ALL BRASS HORNS OR ANY OF THE NEWER HYBRIDS