Posted by Rob P-M on August 21, 2001 at 23:58:51:
There were recently some messages concerning the King "Giant" sousaphone listed as 1217 on Ebay. I have looked at the pictures closely and sent the following to the seller:
Looking at several King catalogs from the 1930's, I note that the catalog number of the King Giant is 1270 (3 valves) or 1271 (4 valves). 1217 is the catalog number for a 3 valve top action 'monster' (.687 bore) BBb fixed bell upright tuba.
Have you measured the bore of your horn at the 2nd valve? (which is where measurement should be done). I'd almost bet it's .687 there, not .750.
In fact, based on the catalog illustrations, a King Giant I've seen locally, and your photos, I don't think the horn you're selling is a 1270 King Giant.
Although the 28" bell and 30# weight is correct for the 1270, the wrap of the tubing is not the same as the Giant I've seen and the illustrations I've found in 3 different catalogs. The catalog Giants and the one I've seen, have a wrap that looks more like a Conn wrap than the traditional King Standard sousaphone wrap (which doesn't have the 'bump' in the first main branch after the valve cluster that Conns and Martins do).
What you have may actually be rarer: a 1250B Standard Sousaphone. My 1937 catalog lists this horn as having the same 7-1/8" bell receiver as the King Giant (and, incidentally, the Conn 38K sousaphone grand and the 20K) rather than the 6-1/4" of the King 1250A Standard Sousaphone. The 1250B has the same wrap and valve section as the 1250A standard, but the branches become larger sooner after the cluster. (The inner circle diameter on the 1250A is 21-1/2", the 1250B is 20", the 1270 is 20" -- outside circle diameter is 32" for the 1250A, and 33" for the both the 1250B and the 1270). Because your bell specifications match the 1270, I think you may have a 1270 bell on a 1250B body, a combination that would have been very easy to have ordered at the time.
The horn looks beautiful and I wish you luck getting your price.
Regards,