Posted by Brian Petters on September 22, 2003 at 21:41:19:
In Reply to: Sousaphone Rotary Valves posted by SHS Tubamaster on September 22, 2003 at 10:05:31:
Not sure I see the point either. I marched 5 years at LSU with a Conn 20K, and I wish could afford one of my own. But I don't march anymore, so it would be pretty pointless.
I think I played a 24J in HS, which prepared me well for college--same offset pistons, with a 4th added, and a front facing recording bell. If you want that basic sound in a horn you don't march with, it seems to me an old 24J would do better than a new 20K. (The sousas we played were 30 years old: when a new 20K was bought it was such an inferior horn that no-one wanted to play it.)
Obviously, every horn is matched to a different purpose, but I've always preferred to only use a sousa for marching.
Brian (Man, I love those offset pistons) Petters
"Statman", LSU Tubas, 95-89