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Very much a shot in the dark...BUT...

Here is what I have to offer:
-A 1927 Buescher jumbo 3v sousaphone silver/gold wash, original neck & bits, and og mouthpiece; purchased from Dillon
Music. The valves were recently rebuilt by Dan Oberloh (as of august 2024) and they work great. Pictures below!

What I'm looking for (ambitiously):
-Conn/King Jumbo (ideally same kind of finish; heavy tarnish is not an issue as long as the material underneath is good) and however unlikely with 4
valves; although not a necessarily a requirement.

Explanation: From what I'm told (because I've never played any jumbo other than this one) is that the Bueschers play better than the others(mostly because it's smaller than the conns or kings), but I figure if I'm gunna have a sousa this big I might as well aim for a conn or king. In idea I would be trading a horn with good valves for one that looks similarly good but with 4 more worn valves.

Other things I might trade for; One of those king pit tubas, or however unlikely one of those jumbo conn raincatchers
send PMs thanks!



I'm located in Louisiana but willing to drive a long ways

bump

You’re unlikely to find a 4v King Jumbo, most - if not all - were built as a 3v and only for a few years until HN White superseded it with the King Giant.

I think only two of the 4v Jumbos were made - we don’t have actual records, only some visual and word of mouth records. One is owned by Purdue University, while the other is owned by a Purdue grad.

Then there’s the custom 4v I had built for me that took a 3v section and a guy custom fabricated an original looking 4th valve for it. Not sure where that one ended up after I sold it a while back.

As for the Conn version (which I still view as being smaller, since I’ve owned and played both in several configurations), they’re more prevalent as they were produced over a longer period - both as the bell front that most people call a sousaphone and the actual Sousaphone (the raincatcher). The 3v model is still easier to find than the 4v. Haven’t seen any jumbos for sale in a while.

Mithosphere wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:03 pm You’re unlikely to find a 4v King Jumbo, most - if not all - were built as a 3v and only for a few years until HN White superseded it with the King Giant.

I think only two of the 4v Jumbos were made - we don’t have actual records, only some visual and word of mouth records. One is owned by Purdue University, while the other is owned by a Purdue grad.

Then there’s the custom 4v I had built for me that took a 3v section and a guy custom fabricated an original looking 4th valve for it. Not sure where that one ended up after I sold it a while back.

As for the Conn version (which I still view as being smaller, since I’ve owned and played both in several configurations), they’re more prevalent as they were produced over a longer period - both as the bell front that most people call a sousaphone and the actual Sousaphone (the raincatcher). The 3v model is still easier to find than the 4v. Haven’t seen any jumbos for sale in a while.

Here is a 4v King jumbo I recently played in a private collection -- reckon it's your old one? Sorry, no better pics.

arpthark wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:36 pm

Mithosphere wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:03 pm You’re unlikely to find a 4v King Jumbo, most - if not all - were built as a 3v and only for a few years until HN White superseded it with the King Giant.

I think only two of the 4v Jumbos were made - we don’t have actual records, only some visual and word of mouth records. One is owned by Purdue University, while the other is owned by a Purdue grad.

Then there’s the custom 4v I had built for me that took a 3v section and a guy custom fabricated an original looking 4th valve for it. Not sure where that one ended up after I sold it a while back.

As for the Conn version (which I still view as being smaller, since I’ve owned and played both in several configurations), they’re more prevalent as they were produced over a longer period - both as the bell front that most people call a sousaphone and the actual Sousaphone (the raincatcher). The 3v model is still easier to find than the 4v. Haven’t seen any jumbos for sale in a while.

Here is a 4v King jumbo I recently played in a private collection -- reckon it's your old one? Sorry, no better pics.

Quite a few years ago I bought a silver plated one of those that was a barn find and thick ugly black. I cleaned off the black with oven cleaner, went back over it with silver polish, and then sold it to someone who lived in Hawaii who played in a "hotel style" (10-12 pc.) "early" jazz band in Hawaii. He had to pay several hundred dollar shipping to get it over there. It also had four valves. I'm personally not a fan of the jumbo sousaphones. For playing (crazy heavy), they need to be on one of those old school butterfly stands, but they just are too big to offer (at least not with the best I can do) a particularly characteristic sound. For those of you who are fans, I hope you have one or more of them, and that you're really happy with them.
... I do remember Tony sounding pretty good on one playing the Grinch solo with Indianapolis, but I just have to believe that he is blowing the f'ing sh!t out of it.

arpthark wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:36 pm

Mithosphere wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:03 pm You’re unlikely to find a 4v King Jumbo, most - if not all - were built as a 3v and only for a few years until HN White superseded it with the King Giant.

I think only two of the 4v Jumbos were made - we don’t have actual records, only some visual and word of mouth records. One is owned by Purdue University, while the other is owned by a Purdue grad.

Then there’s the custom 4v I had built for me that took a 3v section and a guy custom fabricated an original looking 4th valve for it. Not sure where that one ended up after I sold it a while back.

As for the Conn version (which I still view as being smaller, since I’ve owned and played both in several configurations), they’re more prevalent as they were produced over a longer period - both as the bell front that most people call a sousaphone and the actual Sousaphone (the raincatcher). The 3v model is still easier to find than the 4v. Haven’t seen any jumbos for sale in a while.

Here is a 4v King jumbo I recently played in a private collection -- reckon it's your old one? Sorry, no better pics.

Yea that’s my old one - one of very few that had the 30” bell option. I had two of these at one point and preferred the sound of the 30” bell over the 32” bell.

Coincidentally, the 32” model I had was also soot-black and silver underneath.

@arpthark, you’re a lucky stiff for getting to visit that collection…

Im not necessarily looking for a 4 valve, just an conn or a king. I've long admired those and have always wanted one. Soot black is perfectly fine with me. I like my buescher, but dont use it often, which is why id only trade not sell.

bumP

I might even consider my horn + cash for a 4 valve jumbo depending on what it is.(mabey the supposed perdu grad is on here lol)

Wondering what the provenance on that Buescher sousaphone is. I played an identical one in the mid 1990s with the Escanaba (Michigan) City Band, and it was a glorious instrument.

Prior to my arrival, it had been a while since anyone in the Band could handle such a monster sousaphone, and I haven't seen pictures of anyone playing it since I left the ensemble in 1997.

If it were mine, the only way I'd let it go is at my upcoming estate sale