Re: Re: 4 Valve Sousaphones


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Posted by Rob Perelli-Minetti on March 25, 2001 at 13:17:18:

In Reply to: Re: 4 Valve Sousaphones posted by Joe S. on March 25, 2001 at 00:06:37:

Conn also made some short action valve sousaphones with 4 valves -- my high school had one back in the early 1960s, I have surmised it would be numberd 24K, consistent with the numbering of the 20J/24J tubas. Conn sousaphones could be ordered with upright bells at least through the mid-1950s as well. And yes, it was heavy as sin. We used it in concert band, because it was a superb sounding tuba, and used our one three valve 20K and 4 three valve King 1250s marching. No one was willing to carry the 4 valve Conn more than once!

I wonder if the valve set Matt got from UMI was an old sousaphone set or a set off of a front action 4 valve (26/27J) or custom made. Matt did tell me around 1996 that Conn had only one elderly, arthritic, craftsman who knew how to make the knuckles for the 20K (and by extension any 4 valve versions) valveset, which meant there was a severe backlog for 20K orders, and he feared they would be complerely unavailable within a few years. Perhaps Matt can update us?

If you look at the King, Conn, York etc. Catalog from the 20's and 30's, you can see that all sousaphones (in the professional lines like Conn and King, but not in the student lines like Pan American, Cleveland, American Standard, etc.) could be had with four valves for an additional $25-35, maybe 10% of the price of a horn in those days.


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