Experiences and thoughts on Holton Sousaphones

[EMC]

These dont seem to be very common or much heralded as anything special but I cant imagine they arent much worse than King or Conn sousaphones, heck maybe in some ways they are better? Id like to know if anyone has anything to say about these from personal experience or maybe just hearing someone else play one. Specifically in comparison to a king 2350 which i really like. Thanks in advance

[panderdoti]

I've got the Holton collegiate model Sousa phone and I actually have grown to really enjoy playing on it. I play in the Columbus based Nacho street band and it holds up quite well. Mine is a 1960 model, 24inch bell and a .680 bore and it's... deceptive In how it plays.

With a Bach 18 it's a very nimble horn with a decently large and at times punchy sound due to the bore and bell size. And yet between me and the other guy that plays a late 80s Conn 20k I'm the guy that pushes out the pedals notes.

Intonation on my horn is decent enough. It has the usual old American Sousaphone issue of F under the staff being flat when played open. In addition C in the staff is best played 1+3 as it's pitchy when just played first valve. This being said my horn when I got it, someone had added an inch and a half of pipe onto the lower receiver so the bits had to be angled really weird. This of course put the horn way out of tune. I've since gotten it fixed and all told purchase and repair I've only spent 300 dollars on the thing.

In terms of how it compares. Id say it's comparable to a decent modern style king.

[EMC]

I've got the Holton collegiate model Sousa phone and I actually have grown to really enjoy playing on it. I play in the Columbus based Nacho street band and it holds up quite well. Mine is a 1960 model, 24inch bell and .680 and it's... Deceptive In how it plays.

With a Bach 18 it's a very nimble horn with a decently large and at times punchy sound due to the bore and bell size. And yet between me and the other guy that plays a late 80s Conn 20k I'm the guy that pushes out the pedals notes.

Intonation on my horn is decent enough. It has the usual old American Sousaphone issue of F under the staff being flat when played open. In addition C in the staff is best played 1+3 as it's pitchy when just played first valve. This being said my horn when I got it, someone had added an inch and a half of pipe onto the lower receiver so the bits had to be angled really weird. This of course put the horn way out of tune. I've since gotten it fixed and all told purchase and repair I've only spent 300 dollars on the thing.

In terms of how it compares. Id say it's comparable to a decent modern style king.

Interesting, thanks for your experience on it. I used to own a Conn 38k and i have to say i didnt care for the smaller bell, i felt like it really just made playing lower more difficult but then you say you are the one who plays the pedals so maybe there is some differences in the bugle that accommodate that. Ive been looking at the one ebay thats going for like 1800 but Id like to at least try one first before i get one. If not I might just try and find an HN White king model

[panderdoti]

Interesting, thanks for your experience on it. I used to own a Conn 38k and i have to say i didnt care for the smaller bell, i felt like it really just made playing lower more difficult but then you say you are the one who plays the pedals so maybe there is some differences in the bugle that accommodate that. Ive been looking at the one ebay thats going for like 1800 but Id like to at least try one first before i get one. If not I might just try and find an HN White king model

The closest Conn I think this compares to is the 14K. Similar size but slightly different wrap. the first valve loop basically pulls a 180 right of the casing and goes much further down toward the bottom bow. There may be some subtle other differences but this is main difference I see, other than the leadpipe setup. Holton didn't use the normal tapered bits like King and Conn did. The tuning bit walls are essentially parallel the whole down through the neck and receiver to the valve block. You have to use the set screws to keep them from flopping around. One upside of the Holton leadpipe design is probably the beefiest bracing I've seen on any make.

I've only ever played one other Holton and it was a dog of a horn. however this thing was a fiberglass horn used by my high school alumni band. It had been converted to use a Conn neck and bits and played really stuffy.

Mine works for what I use it for which is a New Orleans/Rock street band which plays charts that call for a punchy dirty brass tuba sound.