Conn Sousaphone type

[TubaAJ]

Dear esteemed colleagues and knowledgeable folk,

I'm looking at buying a conn sousaphone via private sale. However having trialled the instrument for a while, I now want to know exactly what type of instrument it is, as if I buy it I need to know what to get spares for etc!

I can't find a model number or matching type numbers on bell and body, only the main Conn logo on the bell with the serial on the valves of E48100. I know there are a lot of problems with Conn serial numbers and its not clear to me what the rules are for them, as the number without the E suggests it was made in 1898!?

Any ideas or insights much appreciated! Pics to follow when I get home as apparently can't upload them from the phone!

All the best,

Andy

[TubaAJ]

Great that's good to know, thanks! Does the serial give any indication what model it might be!?

[NCSUSousa]

No, the serial # is just a production stamp. It doesn't tell what model of instrument it is.

The best way I've found to identify the model is to compare it to the pics in the conn catalog (from the right time period).

Pages 125-129 are the sousaphone pages for the 1960 catalog. http://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/255 It has all of the technical details (bore size, bell size, etc.)

[TubaAJ]

Cheers bloke, I haven't done my profile yet but I'm in the UK so poses a HUGE shipping problem (quite literally!)

[TubaAJ]

No, the serial # is just a production stamp. It doesn't tell what model of instrument it is.

The best way I've found to identify the model is to compare it to the pics in the conn catalog (from the right time period).

Pages 125-129 are the sousaphone pages for the 1960 catalog. http://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/255 It has all of the technical details (bore size, bell size, etc.)

That's fantastic NCSUSousa, many thanks! I think that basically narrows it down to either the 10K or 20K sousas...however I'm struggling to tell the difference between them from the catalogue alone as they seem to be the same bore and bell size!? Any ideas what the main way to tell them apart is?

[boobentuben]

Just fwiw, I have a Conn "short-action" sousaphone for sale here...

blatant 4 sale ad - pm op - not post here - u'd think Postmaster General would know the rules

[Donn]

however I'm struggling to tell the difference between them from the catalogue alone as they seem to be the same bore and bell size!? Any ideas what the main way to tell them apart is?

In case you don't already know this, the "short action" valves mentioned once or twice here are a very recognizable feature. They're fat and heavy, and the valve stems are off center to keep the finger spread down. They're fat because the valve ports are flattened out to make them shorter without making them smaller. The 20K has short action valves, but alas I have no idea what a 10K is.

[Jose the tuba player]

.

[TubaAJ]

fwiw,

I've never seen a Conn sousaphone bell with a 6" collar and (yet) a 26" bell diameter.

I suspect (??) that the 60's-era 10K sousaphone (rare!) was a HEAVILY-BRACED version of the (lightly braced) model 14K, and very similar to the 32K sousaphone (1930's - early 1940's) which was BILLED AS a "lightweight" sousaphone, but ONLY (probably...??) because it was 5/4 size (and not 6/4 size).

...so (if my suppositions are not too confusing to others OR to myself ), I'm suspecting that a 1960's 10K (rare...I've never seen one) was a (5/4-size) 14K-ish BBb sousaphone that sported "20K-style" (i.e heavy/beefy) bracing.

I seem to recall that Curmudgeon has ACTUALLY held and played an actual 10K, and that he reported that it played VERY well (hinting that it possibly played better than the typical (same-body-size/same-bore-size) 14K.

I don't think it has short-action valves as when I took the valves out the ports weren't oval-shaped (the squashed version but same width right?) - they seemed like normal tuba valves. But I'll definitely check this when I next see it (left it at work). It's definitely 26" bell and seems to be more heavily braced with an extra shoulder guard thing as well. It feels heavy (in my limited experience) and blows quite big, so could well be 5/4 as you suggest (again, being on this Isle I have limited experience of these non-UK things!). Felt good to play and was pretty much in tune! It's got quite a lot of dings and there are places where the lacquer has come off but apart from that seems ok.

So all in all, you're probably right...although I understand the 14K was pretty much a "student" model right?