Fiberglass vs. Brass

[VinnyFromBrooklyn]

Well Vinny, did you watch those videos ?
A great player well sound good on almost any horn.
You sir, may or may not have bin given a true 'matched pair" to compare.
Were both lead pipes round ? Was there an equal amount of receiver gap ? Was the inevitable air leakage equal ?
My favorite blanket statement is that "Fiberglass sucks". Some of it certainly does.
Some models of fiberglass sousies weigh almost as much as brass. The Selmer Signet is about 1/2.
Is fiberglass inferior ? Yes. How inferior ? My opinion is that were talking about a very small margin.
Ultimately only Brass will sound exactly like brass, but what brass are we comparing ?
There's York brass, gold brass, rose brass, case brass, just to name a few.
Then there's all the platings and coatings. Silver, gold, nichol, chrome, epoxy lacquer, synthetic laquer, organic lacquer and so forth.
I liked Kiltytuba's coment on my brass vs plastic video.
(Somthing to the effect of) "It's different but I wouldn't call it worse".
I'd post that link, but for some reason I couldn't switch between BBb and CC that day, and it was done in one take.

well i was just saying from my point of view that is how i always say it because the fiberglass horns seemed (at least in my case)to have a lot more problems in the valve section and the fiberglass as well.
in no way shape or form am i trying to say i am right but its just my 2 cents

[Dave Hayami]

IMHO,
A lot of these comparisons of Fiberglass vs Brass seem to involve older Fiberglass horns vs new or newer Brass horns.
If one were to take an equally older brass sousaphone that has survived in a school environment with a new Fiberglass sousaphone, I wonder what the player might comment on.Listening from the bleachers, at a HS football game, the difference in the sound (with the crowd) is more on the player than the horn. (Isn't it always?).
That said, I own several models of both , and as David R. says, it depends on what I want to carry for a particular gig.
The difference in sound to me at this point in my "Sousaphone" playing is not the most important factor, my back is.
Dave Hayami

[Lew]

How about a fiberglass horn with a brass bell? Would it make a difference?

[tofu]

IMHO,

The difference in sound to me at this point in my "Sousaphone" playing is not the most important factor, my back is.
Dave Hayami

Yeah you got that right. I've got a restored vintage '69 36K and the difference between that and a King 2350 I have access to on your body is no contest. And quite frankly nobody in the crowd can tell the difference in sound other than no after ring. The thing is so light you can wear it for hours. If only it didn't look like I made off with stolen porcelain plumbing...

[bearphonium]

I have played on two different borrowed King fiberglass sousaphones, and now own (through the generosity of Jim Newell) a 1962 brass King sousaphone. I am, at best, a mediocre tuba player. The fiberglass sousys are middle school horns, the brass has an unknown history.

I like the sound that I make with the brass sousy better than the sound I make with the fiberglass. At age 55, I would MUCH prefer marching with the fiberglass sousy, and am not willing (at least not yet) to make the swap back to a fiberglass horn.

I have asked the folks who sit in front of me if they notice a difference in the sound of my playing...they said no.

So, in the fiberglass vs. brass debate, you now have one woman's input. I'll bet there aren't very many 55 year old women in this particular gene pool.