Is it a Conn 22K?

[mm55]

I'm a trumpet player, and a sousaphone owner. I've lurked here, but I have just joined to ask a question about my sousaphone.

I have what appears to be a Conn 22K. It's brass and fiberglass, with a 26-inch ABS bell. The valves are the short-stroke offset valves characteristic of the 20K and 22K. The serial number is 500XXX, which the Conn Loyalist and other sources date to 1955. Per the Conn Loyalist, the 20K (all brass) was from 1937-1971, and the 22K (brass/fiber/ABS) from 1963-1978. So my 1955 22K is from eight years before the model was made.

Is it maybe a frankensousa? I can't currently post photos, but it looks like later 22K's in photos online.

Are there any known serial number anomolies?

-- mm55

[iiipopes]

Most probably a Frankensousa. There are no 'glass 22K's before 1963. In addition to the 26-inch bell and the offset short-stroke valve block, please post a picture of the bell tenon with a small ruler to show its diameter. 20/22 K horns have larger throats/bell tenons than the 14/36 K's and related horns. And the 'glass 36K's are no earlier than 1960. I say this from experience when a band I am in used to have a 22K that was donated. I played it for a short time. The band wanted the $$$ instead of the horn, so I drove it to Dallas to sell it many years ago.

Now, that is not to say anything about this particular horn. If it plays well, GREAT! Play on! The same band I am in has a Pan Am souzy; the bugle & block have a 5-digit serial number that makes it @ 100 years old, but the bell is a Cavalier from the mid-30's. I had the regular use of it until I got my 36K. Still plays great, and we keep it in reserve.

[bloke]

Once or twice, I've seen a 22k valve section pasted onto a 36k (not as fat bore) conn fiberglass body, rather than a 22k fiberglass body.

... No pictures, so all we have is rhetorical guessing.
I left my email in my signature if you want to email me pictures if you don't know how to host them here.

[mm55]

Thank you for the replies.

Yeah, about the pictures, the sousaphone is in the shop for a cleaning and minor strucural repair, so I can't post any now, but I will take pictures when it's back in a few weeks (the shop is busy with back-to-school-band season).

There's an inventory card that lists it as "22K20" which I initially though might mean a hybrid of a 22K with a valve block from a 1955 20K. But I notice that Conn calls it a "22K-20" in one of their catalogs, and other instruments in the catalog also have the "-20" suffix. Another thing that seems odd to me is the serial number on the third valve casing, rather than the second. I haven't been able to find any model number indication on the instrument. There's a simple Conn decal on the bell.

So, photos when I get it back from the shop, and after having some fun with it a few times, I will be downsizing it out of my life. I have a few interested people for its next home.

[Charlie C Chowder]

You will regret selling your sousy!!!

CCC

[mm55]

You will regret selling your sousy!!!

CCC

That is absolutley correct! But the time has come in my life to own fewer things, and to use less space to store them. I hope to find it a home locally, with someone who might lend it to me once in a while.

I'm keeping the Reynolds tuba for now. That rests on my lap instead of on my deflicted shouder supported by my previously damaged spine.

[mm55]

Partial followup: I don't have photos to post yet. I won't be continuing with the thread. I did not expect such a long delay before my posts appear, and I don't want to deal with it. Everything about my sousaphone says it's a later-model 22K except the serial number. So long and so low.

[bloke]

[AggieDan]

Partial followup: I don't have photos to post yet. I won't be continuing with the thread. I did not expect such a long delay before my posts appear, and I don't want to deal with it. Everything about my sousaphone says it's a later-model 22K except the serial number. So long and so low.

Your posts are delayed on appearing due to you being a new member. After you have made 10 posts, this will go away. This has been a very effective way of screening all new posts by every new member, we ban a lot of scammers and spam posts before they are just trown out there for everyone to see.