FS: 1950s King BBb Sousaphone w/ case, mpc and shoulder pad
- MagnumH
- Posts: 209
- Joined: Mar 06, 2020
1950s King BBb Sousaphone, decent working condition, serial 354###, with Protec gig case, Neotech shoulder pad, Faxx 18 mouthpiece, blue juice valve oil, 4 tuning bits.
Asking $2200 plus Greyhound shipping (approx. $200) OBO.
It's a big brute of a tuba, straight out of the 1950s (according to serial #), with all the markings and bumps to show it. It definitely doesn't look brands new, but despite the bruises and dents, it still plays beautifully and sounds massive. It would definitely benefit from a tune-up by your local tech, but it gets the job done well as is.
In the spirit of honesty, here are the flaws:
Valves move well enough, but are a bit clanky. Two are missing valve caps, which is purely aesthetic.
Tuning slides are all stiff. They do move with some encouragement, and I've been using slide grease on them frequently, but they still stick in place.
No screws to hold the bell to the body - I bought it without them and it hasn't ever needed them, it stays in place well on its own.
The neck doesn't tighten in place fully, so you have to hold the mouthpiece in place to stop it swiveling away. Standard sousa procedure.
Bumps, bruises, dents all round it, as shown in the pictures.
Underneath the red duct tape on the neck it was especially warped. I couldn't see any actual cracking, and it's never affected the sound, but I added the duct tape to ensure a solid seal just there.
Used professionally on many New Orleans style gigs since I bought it a few years ago. Sorry to see it go, but I no longer use it frequently enough to justify keeping it, and it's a beautiful big horn that deserves to go to somebody who loves it.
Asking $2200 plus Greyhound shipping (approx. $200) OBO.
It's a big brute of a tuba, straight out of the 1950s (according to serial #), with all the markings and bumps to show it. It definitely doesn't look brands new, but despite the bruises and dents, it still plays beautifully and sounds massive. It would definitely benefit from a tune-up by your local tech, but it gets the job done well as is.
In the spirit of honesty, here are the flaws:
Valves move well enough, but are a bit clanky. Two are missing valve caps, which is purely aesthetic.
Tuning slides are all stiff. They do move with some encouragement, and I've been using slide grease on them frequently, but they still stick in place.
No screws to hold the bell to the body - I bought it without them and it hasn't ever needed them, it stays in place well on its own.
The neck doesn't tighten in place fully, so you have to hold the mouthpiece in place to stop it swiveling away. Standard sousa procedure.
Bumps, bruises, dents all round it, as shown in the pictures.
Underneath the red duct tape on the neck it was especially warped. I couldn't see any actual cracking, and it's never affected the sound, but I added the duct tape to ensure a solid seal just there.
Used professionally on many New Orleans style gigs since I bought it a few years ago. Sorry to see it go, but I no longer use it frequently enough to justify keeping it, and it's a beautiful big horn that deserves to go to somebody who loves it.