Posted by jeff miller on May 12, 2002 at 18:53:08:
Hi,
I'm trying to find out about whomever made my sousaphone. I have a very old (semi) silver plated 3 valve Eb sousaphone. Most of the visible silver is now duct tape.
I'm trying to find out about the maker - the bell is stamped "Salvation Army, Windsor Castle Works, Newhall St, Birmingham" - I reckon' they're refering to Birmingham England here, not Alabama :) It appears to have been made in high pitch, as all the valve slides have been extended. The bore is tiny - my bass trombone mouthpieces won't actually go in the receiver, and the supplied mouthpiece is actually smaller than most of them. At a guess, I'd say that it dates from around 1920, give or take 10 years.
Anyway, anybody ever heard of this maker? The instrument looks like crap and leaks like a sieve, but it sounds fantastic.
And it was free...
Thanks,
Jeff