What about tubas v Sousaphones? Diffs?

[hgrail]

I'm thinking crazy thoughts - like having a Sousaphone would be cool.

Used to play baritone horn in marching band - so I don't think picking up brass again would be real hard.

What are the real differences between tubas and Sousaphones other than the shape of the tubing? Does one have a better sound than the other?:?

I'm leaning toward the Sousaphone just assuming it would be easier to hold. This would be a fun horn for messing around and possibly Dixiland - but I guess either would work.

What should I expect to pay for a decent used tuba and which makes & periods are preferred? Conns? or is something else better?

Thanks!
John

[saxymanzach]

For a marching band and Dixieland stuff, Sousaphone! I don't play either it just seems to me as a "no brainer" situation.

[hgrail]

TTT

Anyone who has played both?
Thanks

[BariSkaJazz]

According to my band director, the reason we use marching tubas and not sousaphones is because of the horrible intonation the sousaphone has.

[baribassdan]

Good sousaphones are generally cheaper than good tubas. 3-valve sousaphones have the same questionable intonation as 3-valve tubas. Most tubas have 4 valves to help correct intonation, most sousaphones do not. Plenty of people, especially in a dixieland context, make it work with 3 valves. It's kind of like playing a vintage vs. modern saxophone.

[A Greene]

I played both marching tuba and sousaphone through High School and College. I didn't want to take my Mark VI tenor outside so I learned Tuba. The sousaphone is much more comfortable to march with but is limited to marching band or dixieland/New Orleans type performing. Tubas can sometimes convert into marching tubas or concert tubas. Sousaphone can also be fiberglass but most colleges go for the all METAL type which weigh nearly 20 pounds.

Now the real interesting tubas are the bell front HUGH Recording Tubas. You see these in old band photos and are sometimes still used.

[Brian The Hornman]

I've played both and there are some differences. First like baribassdan said, sousas generally only have 3 valves, where most tubas have either 4 of 5, therefore a tuba by default will have better intonation. Also in general sousas have a brighter sound, mainly due to the shape of the instrument. This makes sense because sousas are generally only used in marching and brass bands, while tubas are more for concert bands and orchestras. As far as holding the instrument, sousas can get kinda heavy if you march/play them for a long period of time, but with a tuba unless you get a harness-type thing for it you are limited to sitting down while you play it. I would say it mainly depends on the tyme of playing you would do, but for dixie playing I would get a sousa. They are also cheaper generally.

One aside here: I've never played a marching tuba, only sousa. What are they like?

[A Greene]

Marching Tuba - Is similiar to a Drum Corp Contra. The tuba sits on you shoulder and the mouthpiece lead pipe converts to the other side. You sort of point the bell at the audience. It's hard to explain. It's not the strape it to you body type. One can actually do horn moves- up -down whatever. Sousaphone just sits there.

[Dog Pants]

Bootman has a good mate that does walk around gigs with the Sousa. Intonation doesn't seem to be a huge problem for him.
The biggest problem, was trying to fit three large blokes, a Sousa, and tenor sax, into an ALFA GTV6. One more speed bump and I was a goner.

[jaysne]

I have found baritone to be easy, and Sousaphone--impossible. The problem for me is that the S.phone mouthpiece is so darn big--I literally could not get a single note out of it. I couldn't get my lips to flap the way they needed to.

So moral being that just because you can play baritone doesn't mean you can play Sousaphone.

[Brian The Hornman]

Actually good point. I can play tuba/sousa fairly well and get an ok sound, but my euph playing sounds pretty bad (plus I have like no range, but hey, my pedal tones sound pretty good :D ).

[Brendan Muse]

So, ideally, this tuba would have perfect intonation? :D

http://cartoonsforkids.com/CoolTubas/imagescool/manyvalves400.jpg

[Brian The Hornman]

I guess either someone got really bored or they learned to use Photo Shop today...

[Brendan Muse]

No. Someone showed that to me awhile ago. We found it during Jazz band, when we were supposed to be researching for our pathetic excuse for a project.

[motomom]

If you think sousaphones are out of tune with their 3 valves, you need to check out the Jupiter 590. Our local high school just bought 10 of these, and the directors and players just love them. The tuning is much improved with the addition of the 4th valve. And very reasonable for a sousa.

http://www.jupitermusic.com/jbi_instrumentDetails.aspx?cId=&lId=&sId=&pId=183

[bobsax]

I heard that Eb tubas are nice for smaller groups , also the 3/4 Bb tubas arn't as good .

[paulwl]

There's definitely a trend away from sousaphones in organized and competing bands. Aside from the tuning issues, the sousie sound tends to spread or "splat" with a lot of overtones - fwoomp, fwoomp, fwoomp, rather than oomp, oomp, oomp. This worked great in old-fashioned, all-purpose marching bands loaded with high register clarinets, or in a football band which is dominated by trumpets. But it doesn't work with the rounder, blended, brass-choir tone that has caught on in drum & bugle corps and is making its influence felt in progressive marching bands.

I play dixieland here in New York, and sousies are rare on the ground even in dixie groups. More common are upright or rotary tubas in CC and Eb. The bass sax is heard occasionally, but the tuba is much preferred. You do not get a bass sax gig unless you are a known tuba player first, which limits it to about 3 guys in the whole metro NY area.

The only sousaphone I've heard in a jazz context in NY in several years belonged to Wycliffe Gordon, the trombonist! He marched out Victor Goines' band as the finale of a church concert.

[Brendan Muse]

When Wynton Marsalis was here with the Lincoln Center orchestra, one of the trombone players pulled out a sousaphone for one song.

[paulwl]

That would be Wycliffe. He and Goines both work with Wynton.

[Jeru_Bigard]

during this past year I played in Marching band 1st semester. When i got bored of the crappy bari sax the director was lending me, as well as with the whole class, I decided to just play as many instruments as I could. I'm a low instrument fan, so I tried out the sousaphone. It most likely has very bad intonation, but I only used three valves on tuba as well, for I already knew trumpet fingerings. I disagree with Jentone about the maneuverability of the sousaphone. When you're marching and playing dixieland, I think the sound is going to much more important than the intonation for the bass instruments.