Posted by Klaus on May 12, 2002 at 16:30:08:
In Reply to: Question to Klaus posted by Volker on May 12, 2002 at 15:39:13:
Thank you for your trust!
I own a gold plated 4 valve Conn 40K BBb and a silverplated 3 valve 26K Eb. But the real expert on the topic is Rob Perelli-Minetti (also posting as Rob P-M).
Was ich sagen könnte währe: (What I could say would be:)
Any matching numbers on the bell collars aside from the model number (28K for your instrument) are insignificant in determination of the instrument. My guess is, that these numbers have been used within each batch of production to match parts after plating and sandblasting.
My 40K is plated like yours, but the years of use can be seen (which is very OK with me).
My 26K most certainly has experienced the rigours of a US school instrument, whereas the 40K seems to have been handled by much more responsible owners. One owner through 25 years, the last before me, was a low brass teacher on a Kansas college.
The gold plating, the 24" bell (versus the standard 26"), and the state of preservation let me tend to believe, that this instrument was more or less a custom order for a professional musician. Most likely in the dance band area. Which did not call for 9 man abreast sousalines. So I think gold plated sousaphones are fairly rare. A wild guess would be that they constitute well below 5% of the total sousa population.
Part of the background for my thinking is the history about the renowned British hornmaking company, Paxman. They started out after WWI by converting surplus army helicons to sousaphones for the booming dance band market.
Klaus