Posted by Volker on August 15, 2002 at 12:01:42:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Conn vs. King sousaphones posted by Rob P-M on August 15, 2002 at 08:56:48:
Bob,
Dr.Margaret Downie Banks (Shrine to Music Museum Vermillion) mentioned in one of her reports, that there was also a WHITE "Jumbo" sousa (5' 40" length, 40 pounds, 32" bell) in the 20s, but according to former H.N.White employees Clem Frak and Charles Gorby only a few were made. I wonder if this model is also listed in one of your cats, and I am surprised, that this model obviously was never mentioned on this board so far. "Only a couple are known to survive, one at Gorby's Music Shop at Charleston, West Virginia, and another, aptly. nicknamed "Big Bertha", still in use by the Purdue University Marching Band" (to be read in "A King Comes To Vermillion" by Dr.Banks).
As you know, I recently got a burnished gold-plated King Giant, a wonderful player and technical design of art. It's a pity, that those great vintage sousas are not appreciated by many U.S. tubists. Sousaphones in general seem to be much more valued by us Europeans as a "wealthy" addition to the tuba landscape - not as a replacement, whereas the BBS archives lead to the impression, they are the underdogs in their native country.
Cheers, Volker