How to perform a leak test on a sousaphone?

[Dutchtown Sousa]

So a few months ago someone suggested I do an air leak test on our school sousaphones since they sound very stuffy. So I was able to get one home for the weekend and decided since it was a nice day I would do one of these air leak tests (don't worry i have talked with my band director about it and said it would be fine if I did that). So how do I catty out doing this? All I remember is to fill the sousaphone up with water and then put a blown up balloon down the bell. What else should I do?

[Dan Schultz]

(Can't wait to hear some of the answers to this one!)

[Bandmaster]

Just stand it up and fill it completely with water! The pressure of the weight of the water will cause any leak to trickle, run, or, in some cases, spray water like a geyser.

In the words of Bruce Lee... "Be like water my friend. If you fill a tuba with water it becomes the tuba..."

[Dutchtown Sousa]

' ever drink any sousa water?

Not really. I assume many of you guys drink sousa beer or tuba beer of some sort though. I here the valve oil gives the beer a very distinctive taste.

[Dutchtown Sousa]

My first post, btw (not the "sousa water" one), was not meant to be a joke.

Well I don't think there is anything stuck down in there (I'll have to check that) but it very well may be the bits or neckpipe. They are the correct bits but on one of the other sousas, air leaks from the bits, and on mine the air leaks from the neckpipe

[Bacchanalia]

Most sousaphones that sound "stuffy" have pom-pons, paper wads, beginner band books, sandwiches, and dead rats down inside of them

Bloke - Have you ever ACTUALLY found a dead rat in one of the horns you've worked on? I've found plenty of "crispy critters" in computers I've worked on over the years

[Elbee]

"If you think you have a leak in your bitts, lead pipe, spit valve, or furrrels, just carfully wrap them in scotch tape"

Black electrical tape will stretch and seal better...

[Dutchtown Sousa]

"If you think you have a leak in your bitts, lead pipe, spit valve, or furrrels, just carfully wrap them in scotch tape"

Black electrical tape will stretch and seal better...

Very true but trust me, electrical tape is no replacement for a joint or a good solder connection. This was common problem with our sousas, 2 of our players last year had to play with completely broken bits and had to use electrical tape to replace a joint (BD tried to get the parts resoldered but it ultimately didn't work and he couldn't get new pieces because yamaha didn't have them in stock). This gave those instruments a very thin, stuffy sound

[arpthark]

I like to pour whole milk down the leadpipe - you get cottage cheese later to snack on during rehearsal.

[Dan Schultz]

Most sousaphones that sound "stuffy" have pom-pons, paper wads, beginner band books, sandwiches, and dead rats down inside of them

Bloke - Have you ever ACTUALLY found a dead rat in one of the horns you've worked on? I've found plenty of "crispy critters" in computers I've worked on over the years

I'm not Bloke. But... I can tell you that I've found not only dead mice and rats in sousaphones, but also birds, half eaten sandwiches, assorted candy, popcorn, a condom (still packaged.. not used), wadded paper, and even a Tampax. (Don't know what the hell THAT was doing in there!)