https://the-brass-shop.com/sousaphone-sousaphons-sousafoons/

Some of my personal favorites include:

-1938 York 4/4
-Late 30s Reynolds (featuring the older "king-style" wrap)
-20s HN White King (with the old-school wrap)
-Martin Indiana Mammoth (Bundy neck and bits)
-Rudy Meinl rotary sousa ...

back to tubas:
Claiming that "un-lacquered" (new) makes a tuba sound better...(and charging extra for it)...That seems like a great con.


So many claims about this finish vs. that finish or this alloy vs. that alloy are largely based on marketing exaggerations and the placebo effect IMO.

Does ...

Fender totally gets it, and they get people to buy second and third versions of the same old models of their bass guitars simply by issuing them in wild new colors.


They even charge extra for dinging them up at the factory. Half an hour with some sandpaper, a blowtorch, and a ball peen hammer ...

By request, Imgur-hosted images (will get some additional photos added next time I have access to the horn):

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I actually can't find any source that he passed away besides this TubaForum post. Methinks it's AI gone haywire. Can anybody find any sources? He's on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frederick.young.73

Some of you all are friends with him there, apparently, and might see if he's posted ...

Nice work!
Would you be willing to share the cad design? I would like to try it by 3D printing


I don't have the file myself (it's on the computer at my friend's place who I have to give credit for all the measuring and CAD work. It's was incredible to watch his process. The whole thing came ...

Slight update and a few more discoveries:

Still on the hunt for a Reynolds version, but I managed to get a second mouthpiece from Wessex to use exclusively for measurements while I continue to use the other one on gigs.

In measuring the Wessex, I found that there actually is a slight taper to ...

Does anyone have photos/documentation of any BBb Couturiers? I've seen a few of the Eb horns but I'm curious what the wrap and taper of a BBb would look like in that design.

Happy Fall bump!

Open to offers especially if bundled together.

A well done tribute. I'd also not heard about this back in 2021, and having recently become familiar with his mouthpiece design, I was hoping to get in touch with him to get more insight on it, and I'm sad I won't get that chance.

I know his mouthpiece design didn't click with most players, but I ...

Don't forget that some early Pan Am's also had the .687 bore, in a Conn wrap. I have played one. Great horn for being 100 years old. Unfortunately, it is not mine to trade. Here is what it sounds like, with a Conn Helleberg mouthpiece:
https://soundcloud.com/blackax/honey-pie
PS - I practiced at ...

Any bass doublers out there?

I have a few different WTB treads active on here, and rather than clutter things up by adding a trade option to each, I figured I'd post everything consolidated to here:

What I'm looking to trade:
-1960s Gretsch 6071 Bass (good condition, non original case,)
-1960s ...

They are all pretty similar. I own a Conn 36K. Kings have a little better intonation than the Conn which features a pretty flat 5th partial C (1st valve). I had to make my 1st slide adjustable on top so I could fiddle with it as needed. Make sure the piston plating is good on whatever you choose ...

I'm not a CC tuba kind of guy, but if I were, this horn (or a very similar-in-concept Getzen/Stofer G50) would be the exact kind of thing I'd go for.

Also, regarding the prototype process of this horn, I've heard from a few sources that Martin Wilk was actually quite involved with the design in ...

This is one seriously cool horn! I'm located in the north side of Chicago and would love to try it even though I'm not in the market.

With my Martin mammoth I simply can't justify having two 6/4 BBb horns around, but as long as it would feel with your time, feel free to send me a PM and and we ...

You may want to reach out to Sam Gnagey. He's built several fankentubas using Martin mammoths as a base and has sold some unused parts on a few occasions. He may still have some in storage.

Absolutely amazing. Only drawback is there's no original bits. Other than that it's just about the best example of a mammoth anyone could ask for.

Oh how I wish I could afford it.

QualityBandRepair wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2026 5:54 pm

bloke wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2026 4:09 pm The King sousaphone with lacquered brass trim:
You'd better not lose the #1piston, because those are rare.
The #1 pistons they made for a long long time since are different from the one on that instrument.

Is that Derp Face you mean? The 3rd one?

#1, the 1280

[/quote] It's currently on co-signment. I'm not particularly attached to it and I would like to have cash ready for more ferrees tools.
[/quote]

Where is it currently being consigned?