POLL !!! - pebble finish sousaphone

[Three Valves]

I had an uncle that always worn shiny white shoes and a white leather belt back in the day…

Uncle Vinny from Cleveland?

[MiBrassFS]

I kid you not, “Luigi.”

[GC]

Nice, nice repaint. I would have gone with whatever is the easiest to clean marks off.

[bloke]

Nice, nice repaint. I would have gone with whatever is the easiest to clean marks off.

Rattle can paint has improved about 10,000% over the past half century. Not only does a lot of it feature a fan spray nozzle, but most of it seems to be formulated in a way that someone would nearly intentionally have to make it run, for it to run. It's also remarkably more durable and even remarkably more resistant to fading. The only thing that has messed it up are the environmental laws which cause it to clog in the nozzle if not all used up at once, and this is whether or not it's turned upside down and the nozzle is cleared. It just doesn't have stuff in it that it needs to have in it anymore to keep it from clogging if stored more than a few weeks after it is first used.

I've learned over time that it takes two cans to do a complete sousaphone, and that buying three is just a waste. This took one and a half, because I didn't spray the bell interior. I know that the rest of would have dried up and it wouldn't have sprayed out after a few weeks, so I just let it skin over, and I then used up the rest of it on the contact points - which include the upper inside of the circle, the bottom, and the outside of the first branch - which tends to connect with door jams.

With modern paints - and seeing fiberglass sousaphones back for repairs that I've sold in recent years, I'm really pleased with what I'm seeing as far as paint durability is concerned.

My very energetic elderly brother is a Rembrandt with rattle cans, and purchases really excellent condition used cars that may have distressed paint on a panel or two or three. He buys the premium perfect color match rattle cans from one of those places, puts on a few coats along with some buffing, and then hits it with a clear coat or two or three and then buffs it some more as he's doing that. Not only does it not look like it's been repainted, but it lasts.

[bloke]

OK...As far as Saturday is concerned, it's RFR (Ready For Reelfoot).

The missing bit (larger one) is in transit from a buddy up north. I watched it bounce around in-and-out of the original sorting center for a couple of days, and then I figured out why:

North Carolina, and the need to send it to an ALTERNATE next sorting center to avoid I-40 (duh )

...so it made its way 300 miles south of me (to a NOLA sorting center) and - my best guess - will head back up this-a-way on I-55...

It will probably arrive here when I'm already in Reelfoot...which is why you see the electrical tape:

I spent a few minutes faking a tuning bit out of a piece of a rotten tuba mouthpipe tube. It comes "close" to an air seal, but only about 98%...thus the tape.

The amount of sound (and decent intonation) coming out of this thing makes me giggle, just a little bit. The featherweight on my shoulder isn't exactly a turn-off, either.

I stuck the venerable Kellyberg "Glitter Gold" in it. It's good enough to make a joyful noise, and - well (tuning bits, etc.) I don't need one of my "main squeeze" mouthpieces hitting the pavement.





Who knows...??
Maybe someday I'll pick up one of those modern-era (paper-thin) King brass bells for cheap-or-free...
yeah...Jupiter sousaphone bells fit King, too... (no thanks )
Then - re: King thin-brass sousaphone bell, I can (optionally) get that (NOLA brass band) "tearing metal" sound of of this thing, if desired.

[bloke]

I think this is pretty good paint.

I let it skin over and harden for about four days. It then rode in the back of the car - next to a baritone saxophone case - for two hours. I pulled it out and played a stand-up gig with it for roughly two hours, between the two sets I rode with it in a golf cart, I put it in the back of the car again again with the baritone saxophone for about 1/4 of the trip back home - at which point the saxophone was handed off to a school administrator, and then it rode the rest of the way in the back of the car. I don't see any scuffs or any print-overs from other materials' dyes or surfaces due to the paint being weak or not hardened.

[bloke]

I'd love to ALSO own a LATER-vintage King brass bell (thin-walled/lightweight).
They do sound a bit different. I mentioned a couple of Conn-fitting *trades I would offer for one in the (so-called) "Retail & Repair Marketplace" forum.

As it is, if I'm seeking to slightly alter the sound (and - yes - a brass bell only slightly alters the sound), I have this angled-up 24-inch Besson tuba bell (which fits King)...Along with the angle, it's a bit heavier than I would prefer. As far as the 24"/26" issue, whatever on that.

*I DO have a 24" worn-silver (6-inch tenon) CONN-fitting bell and an un-lacquered (absolutely dent-free) Buescher-engraved ALSO CONN-FITTING (6-inch tenon) bell that I would trade for a lightweight/thin King brass (ok...or silver...) sousaphone bell. ...I'd be willing to go over (dent removal) the 24" one, were that one to be a trade for a later-made/thin-walled brass King sousaphone bell.

Here is it with the English Besson recording bass bell installed:

[bloke]

As a contrast, here's a 1960's 22K that we restored (attic instrument...probably WOULD HAVE used the valveset for a transplant to a worn-valves 20K, BUT someone SPECIFICALLY was looking to buy a 22K).

The original pebble finish (again: 1960's) was QUITE worn, PLUS I felt obligated to remove several coats of old paint, prior to putting on this one.

...so the pebble finish is subdued...but the other difference is (well...along with all new lacquer on the valve set) the GLOSS white paint:

[tubatodd]

I'm not sure if I am contributing anything meaningful to this thread, however here is a story from when I was a band director from 2003-2007. My wife and I were starting a new band program at a small Christian school. My mom got 2 sousaphones donated from the school system she worked for. The instruments were in decent shape but needed some fiberglass work and a coat of paint. One band parent taught auto mechanics and auto body at a local trade school. He had his students patch the areas that needed repair and put a nice coat of automotive paint on them. The school colors were cardinal and gold. So this is the color schema the band parent and his students came up with. They turned out fantastic.

This memory feels like a lifetime ago.

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[Three Valves]

I'm not sure if I am contributing anything meaningful to this thread….

Don’t let that bother you.

I never have!

[bloke]

@tubatodd

nice effect !

Olds/Reynolds is a good compromise between the (Elkhart) Conn 36K size and the size of the King.

The only reason that I shy away from them (both for myself, as well as for selling) is that the brass-to-fiberglass attaching system was fragile from the start, became more fragile as they aged, and their particular plastic bell flares (certainly, now at ages 45 - 60...and - from the start - not as much flex) seem to be the most prone to cracking.

brass versions? great!

fiberglass versions? ALSO great, other than the above fragility issues outlined

[catgrowlB]

Tubatodd, is that a pearlescent paint with gold on the bell edge?
Looks like it. Nice!

Pearlescent and metallic paint look great on fiber sousas

[bloke]

The phone pics are surprisingly accurate, as far as the hue is concerned. For those of you who like the KING, it's not just regular satin white it's called "Blossom White" (satin).

I didn't want some ivory type of color, but I didn't want it to look screamin' brand new super-white, particular since I wasn't repainting the bell interior. I'm pleased with the color, which is what I (being a dude, who doesn't say the word "blossom" particularly often) would call "Almost White".

[tubatodd]

Tubatodd, is that a pearlescent paint with gold on the bell edge?
Looks like it. Nice!

Pearlescent and metallic paint look great on fiber sousas

Yes it is. It was a pearl cream color and gold.

[iiipopes]

I had an uncle that always worn shiny white shoes and a white leather belt back in the day…

Uncle Joe...??
Isn't he going to arguing with some young guy, tonight?

Didn't just about every guy's female family members in 1974-5 buy him these for clothing gifts? In my family, the white shoes purchased for everyone were Florsheim. Along with a Leisure Suit.

[Grumpikins]

All of the above souzies look great. Nice work! Gives me real hope that mine will look ok when I get around to finishing it.

Also, I'm astounded at how much replacement bits cost. Psycho!

Thinking about doing a dark grey color on mine with a gold interior on the bell to match with the scotch bright brass valve set. I like the contrast, and the grey will fit better in a concert band setting than bright white. Maybe....?