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Author Topic: Sousaphone  (Read 249 times)

Hero

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Sousaphone
« on: April 05, 2019, 08:22:54 pm »
A local restaurant closed, so I went in and unscrewed this baby from the wall, where it had been for about 23 years. When I got it down, I found that none of the slides was stuck, and the worst damage was holes where some idiot had drilled through it to attach it to the wall. Fortunately, he hadn't drilled through any slides or the valve block.

I'm now in the process of patching holes, cleaning, polishing, etc., and I've found that underneath 23 years of smoke and kitchen grease the horn is silver-plated! It'll look great when it's cleaned up.

And yes, I can play it. It sounds good, too.

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Bob

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Re: Sousaphone
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2019, 08:34:50 pm »
How does this differ from a Tuba ?  About like how a Cello differs from a Bass ?

I see three piston valves, does it also have some kind of octave register or is that just done with your embouchure.
"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
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Hero

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Re: Sousaphone
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2019, 08:51:44 pm »
It actually is a tuba, with the same length of tubing to preserve the pitch (this one is pitched in Eb, but many are pitched in Bb), but its distinctive shape was developed about 100 years ago to be carried in a marching band. Heavy brute, though!

No "octave key." It's not like a woodwind. Brass instruments require you to develop your embouchure. Range of this beauty can be close to three octaves, depending on the player, but two is easily possible for most.

Bob

jkbixby

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Re: Sousaphone
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2019, 09:41:13 pm »
Well done on obtaining it - sad to see special antiques hanging on walls for decorations or even outside on a fence like one place in my neighborhood.
Regards,
Larry

Nick

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Re: Sousaphone
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2019, 10:31:01 pm »
Nice save Bob!

Well done on obtaining it - sad to see special antiques hanging on walls for decorations or even outside on a fence like one place in my neighborhood.

Or when antiques are butchered to please a certain fad of the time  :-\
Nick

Hero

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Re: Sousaphone
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2019, 08:05:20 am »
Wanna see butchered? Try this!

Bob

jerseysteam

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Re: Sousaphone
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2019, 09:11:14 am »
Nice find!

I'm also a low brass musician, playing trombone, euphonium and tuba/sousaphone (EEb and BBb) over the years.
Dave

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Re: Sousaphone
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2019, 09:48:57 am »
Why ever would anyone do that!?!?   8c(
"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.

Hero

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Re: Sousaphone
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2019, 05:20:09 pm »
Nice find!

I'm also a low brass musician, playing trombone, euphonium and tuba/sousaphone (EEb and BBb) over the years.

I'm not a low brass guy; I'm a trumpet player, but I do have the sousaphone, a baritone horn, and a classic Getzen Super Deluxe valve trombone.

I'll play anything....
Bob