Posted by Lee Stofer on February 17, 2003 at 09:06:18:
In Reply to: New king sousa price? posted by Tim jackson on February 16, 2003 at 23:19:11:
Tim,
For some years now, there has only been one size King metal sousaphone. In fact, since 1986, the so-called Conn 14K has been identical to the King, except for the label. The only two US-made options for a metal sousaphone are the King, or the Conn 20K, both from UMI. I would suggest the 20K's as the best option to buy, because they are more sturdy, and do not have the tuning slide that pokes adult-sized players in the ribs. When I had to play a King in two of my military band assignments, I could have just cursed them as they caused me to maintain a bruise on my rib cage. In my other assignments, we had Conn 20K's which were more comfortable to wear and put out more sound. The difference in price is not a lot, either.
Lee Stofer