They play like King, because that's what they copy (or "reference", as some people - who sell copies of other stuff prefer the word "reference"mcp111 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 10:12 am The durability issue is less of a concern for me, for all the reasons you brought up and because I'm lucky to have kids that are actually thoughtful and careful. I just want to make sure in terms of playing there's no downside vs. buying new Conn's or King's. If they play just as well then it seems like an easy choice.
)The differences are
- again: the thickness of the sheet metal used to make the large "branches" of the instrument being thicker with JP
- The upper mouthpipe is shaped like a Conn 20K mouthpipe (instead of like a King). The tuning bits are interchangeable YET different - one accommodates standard shank mouthpieces, and the other better accommodates slightly larger "euro" shank mouthpieces.
- The pistons are very well-made (not typical good-enough Chinese) stainless steel pistons, and and the pistons/casings (again) rival European quality (including tolerances).
- The inside/outside slide tubing is nickel silver, which (if nothing else) is more difficult to dent.
- The bell collars (male/female) are also nickel silver which (again) is more difficult to bend.
- The instrument - just past the valve section - small lower bow was slightly shortened - so that the main slide could be lengthened - so that it sticks out past the #1 slide - defining the main slide as much easier to grasp and pull.
- The water keys are also nickel silver. (One of the "major brand" 's water keys are actually made of chrome-plated pot metal. When pot metal breaks, there's no really viable way to repair it, and - thus - those pot metal water keys must be discarded and replaced.)
- If the silver plated version of the JP sousaphone is chosen, they add antimony to the silver, which makes the plating more durable.
They play fine, but (again) can be abused and badly damaged (just as with all other makes).
You're very lucky to have great students currently in your section.
We (back in the early 1970's) had the economy version (36K) Elkhart-Conn fiberglass sousaphones, but not even the bottoms were scuffed (certainly no dents nor scratches), as we rested them on our shoe or on our cardboard folder of "march-size" music, and stored them on the old collapsible "butterfly"-style stands (similar to the German-made K&M currently-made stands).
It's difficult, though, to predict what type of students might appear in any particular program in the future.
If the subsequent students (at my alma mater) had carried on with our attitudes/behaviors, those economy-model Conn fiberglass instruments would still be in superb condition to this day. That having been said, I have to feel certain that (surely) all of them have been junked and discarded.
