Posted by Mark in Ohio on August 31, 2001 at 11:56:24:
In Reply to: marching band/mouthpiece posted by me on August 30, 2001 at 21:36:54:
Hey "me":
It could be a leaky third valve, or an alignment problem caused by worn/wrong size felts & corks. Also could be an obstruction in the third valve tubing.
I own a King sousa. My low C , while not as free-blowing as the BBb, is still plenty loud and clear. ALthough a little "stuffy" it ain't quieter.
Try playing your in-staff (second-space) C with 1+3. If you have the same problem, but it clears up when played with 1 only, then someting is amiss as described above.
Also see if notes played 2+3 (like low Db) are "bad". This would point to the 3rd valve as well.
FWIW, you won't get good results just blowing hard on that note, on that sousa. As one poster mentioned below, it is somewhat stuffy. Go for a resonant, focused sound first.
If at all possible, get a reputable player or repairman to check it out.
Good luck!
-- Mark "I once found some corn that actually sprouted in my H.S. Sousa" Mazak