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Double Bass NBD: Sousaphone!

bassfiddlesteve

bassfiddlesteve

Your first second choice™
Supporting Member
Dec 3, 2003
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#1
I had been toying with the idea for years since I play bass in a Dixieland band, but when the bandleader found a playable sousaphone at a flea market for $150 and offered to pass his good deal along to me, my fate was sealed. Now my bass instrument collection is complete:

View media item 7759
It's a 1953 York Eb sousaphone which will need a bit of work down the road (note the electrical tape where the joints need to be re-soldered). I've never played a brass instrument before, but so far I've learned to play a Eb major scale, so now I can play any song that uses only these notes...provided they are in ascending order. Oh, and I also managed to get the mouthpiece stuck in the bit.

What's that old saying again? Oh yeah...GET A TEACHER!

- Steve
 
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#5
That looks great for its age! You might be surprised as to the price of the work. Might be a couple hundred, if that. Just a guess, though.

I was never a fan of the Eb basses. That's from a time long past. But since you didn't start on a Bb, it shouldn't be difficult to get used to it.

Get on over to TubeNet (forums.chisham.com) and join the discussion! They can point you into some good directions.

As for a teacher--since you can already play jazz, don't bother looking for a dixie tuba player. Call Jay Hunsberger!
 
#6
You really need to get the loose joints resoldered. Tape is not going to make an airtight seal, and the horn will play so much better when you get the leaks out of it. Forget the cosmetics, like dents, but just get the leaks out of it so it will play correctly. Then you can learn to play it without the frustration of notes that don't respond well and intonation problems from the leaks. Also make sure the spit valves have functioning corks in them. I used to work with a guy who played tons of Dixieland gigs on an old Besson Eb sousa, and he made it sound great.
 
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#9
Wow!

I just came across Renniger's in Mt. Dora on my way to a gig in Leesburg a few months ago. I only checked out the "antiques" portion of it, and that alone took me three hours. And the rest of the place was about 3-4 times that size.

And Webster...talk about the middle of nowhere!
 
#11
Thanks for the info.

Speaking of Jay, Jay Hunsberger is absolutely the dude you want to call. He's the tuba professor at USF, and an incredible tuba player. He puts out a lot of great students every year. Combine his teaching with your bass playing construction knowledge, and you'll work a lot on tuba.
 
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#12
bopeuph said:
Jay Hunsberger is absolutely the dude you want to call. He's the tuba professor at USF, and an incredible tuba player. He puts out a lot of great students every year. Combine his teaching with your bass playing construction knowledge, and you'll work a lot on tuba.
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Thanks. I took lessons from Mark Neuenschwander who is the jazz bass teacher at USF, so he probably knows Jay.

Is TubeNet like TalkBass for tuba players? Do the polls include a "carrots" option? Do people ask "What's the best metal for bass?" ;)

- Steve
 
#13
bassfiddlesteve said:
Thanks. I took lessons from Mark Neuenschwander who is the jazz bass teacher at USF, so he probably knows Jay.
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Mark knows EVERYBODY. He's honestly one of the best names to know in Central Florida. My landlord and Mark are good friends, so he crashes at the house when he's gigging in Orlando. I live in the guest house so I get to see him when he's in town.

bassfiddlesteve said:
Is TubeNet like TalkBass for tuba players? Do the polls include a "carrots" option? Do people ask "What's the best metal for bass?" ;)
Click to expand...

Well, sometimes the off topic gets even more loopy. I actually lost interest in the forum because of that. There are some guys that will point you in the right direction, a few good repair guys on there, but steer clear of musical questions. I could not believe the amount of misinformation on a thread entitled "how to play jazz?".
 

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