4 valve sousys ?

[PaulTkachenko]

Pat's right - I've got a helicon and a sousaphone and they are just different instruments.

The helicon doesn't really suit trad jazz or New Orleans stuff (not to mention how knackering it is to play a big helicon in that style) and the sousaphone sucks for playing Balkan music (even though it's an easier blow).

They could certainly do a better job of designing helicons for people who have necks.

[Donn]

P.S. The Eb would be nice, too!

The Eb presents the best (or worst?) example of the complaints above about wrist ergonomics, because it's a tighter fit. The F is an open loop, so different deal. (Disclaimer, I haven't seen a recent Cerveny label Eb, and haven't heard from anyone who has, but I have a somewhat older Eb from same place.) It works OK for me, but isn't ideal. The neck vs. leadpipe problem is no different, but might be mitigated a little by the lighter weight.

It would be a shame to entirely write off the helicon for New Orleans or traditional jazz. I don't know if it's this way so much today, but I think a few years back that was the main use for helicons in the US. Meanwhile, the Balkan influenced bands I've seen in the US use sousaphones.

[PaulTkachenko]

I'm totally up for helicons in trad jazz and New Orleans and sousas in Balkan music - and it can totally work (and I do it myself sometimes for no other reason than I just feel like it). I guess I just prefer the obvious choices soundwise.

They are really different beasts though.

[David Richoux]

P.S. The Eb would be nice, too!

It would be a shame to entirely write off the helicon for New Orleans or traditional jazz. I don't know if it's this way so much today, but I think a few years back that was the main use for helicons in the US. Meanwhile, the Balkan influenced bands I've seen in the US use sousaphones.

Old American helicons (piston) work very well for New Orleans or traditional jazz. Allan Jaffe played almost nothing else, but his son Ben can be seen operating a Sousaphone (or even Double-Bass on occasion) with the current Preservation Hall band. There are also many helicon driven bands at Sacramento Jazz Fest (now called Sacramento Music Festival, BTW.)

[PaulTkachenko]

Agreed on this - those helicons would work much better than the Czech instruments.