I think he's referring to the bell sitting too low relative to the person's head. (blocking their view)

I think this is how Conn Sousaphones were back then. A lot of people have had the bow with the bell tenon, adjusted to rotate the bell upward a bit.
(The biggest issue I think I have found is ...

If you're talking live performance, a dynamic would probably better suited.
SM57, Audix D4, or my preferred Shure Beta 98 H/C (Which is a condenser)

For studio, I've used Large Diaphram AKG C414 XLII but it simply does not capture the deep low end.
So I usually record using a blend of both that ...