Conn 20J

[sousaphone68]

Here is a 20j gig cam video I found on YouTube music starts at 2 minutes gets better further in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaTOJ4QY ... ata_player" target="_blank

[Lee Stofer]

Kiltie Lad,
The 20J's of Jacksonville State can do more rumbling than you'd ever imagine - more than just sound, in person there is a physical impact involved.

[we3kings]

There are probably a few old 20Js sitting around thousands of band rooms across the country. At one point it seemed that every school at every level had one or a whole section of them. The varieties with 3 top action valves and a recording bell are very common, in working condition typically selling from $1000 - $2500 depending on condition. More rare are the upright bell versions, whether with 3 valves (21J) or 4 valves (25J). Here is the one I used to own:

My high school band room is one of the one to still have an an old 20j still sitting around in it. I ashamed that my teacher wants to sell it for scrapes because I know that it is still playable.

[Closetgeek]

Kiltie Lad,
The 20J's of Jacksonville State can do more rumbling than you'd ever imagine - more than just sound, in person there is a physical impact involved.

Is this them? Good band! Lots of clips of them on YT that are worth a listen.

That is them.
But the recording quality does not begin to do them justice.

Each fall they invite invite high school students from the region to practice with them for a day and pay along side them at the evening' s football game. Last year they sported around 1600 people on the field for that occasion!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvrC1TEo3Cg" target="_blank" target="_blank about 6 min in...close to the 9 min mark you can get a faint idea what the low brass is about. Again, the recording does not do it justice.
The school isn't all that big, but it's one of the premier music programs, so the band is probably better and bigger than average.

I will probably be back there this fall...the joys of being the chauffeur, gofer, money pooping donkey and probably chaperone...

[The Big Ben]

If I jump up and down on the stands in our stadium, I can make them shake. However, the cop on duty threatened to turf me out into the street if I didn't stop. So I stopped.

[Heavy_Metal]

Here is a 20j gig cam video I found on YouTube music starts at 2 minutes gets better further in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaTOJ4QY ... ata_player" target="_blank" target="_blank

I'm surprised that poor little mike didn't expire from sheer exhaustion

Thanks for sharing this!

Frank (who had his 20J at rehearsal last night, and found our director had placed both "Big Joe, the Tuba" AND "Them Basses" in the folders- sweeeeeet!

[ASmith]

I'm from JSU (Go Gamecock and Blow Southerners!). The 20j is a unique experience, some love it and others hate it, and on the field they sound very different from anything else. A lot of the high schools around us also have them, and march them. We also have a 25j that circulates the bands during concert season, and it's a blast to play.

[JALLEN]

With all the love for these magnificent instruments, there must be somebody out there who would love to give a good home to my good as new 20J.

It's a 1963 I played for some years in the '90's, then sent off to Dan Schultz with instructions, and a lot of money, to make it factory new. I also got a straight bell from Kanstul and had it finished at the same time. Dan sent it back, 3 cases and all, indistinguishable from a brand new tuba. I used for a few years before having to switch to a smaller horn due to the ravages of old age and decrepitude. I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis a few years back and can barely play my King 2341 now.

Last summer a pro tuba player who was here playing in the Summer Pops San Diego Symphony played it and seemed very well pleased. I can't imagine there is a newer 20J in better condition anywhere.

Pictures at viewtopic.php?f=4&t=48393&p=424708&hili ... 0J#p424708