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Reviews (11)
Oct 13, 2019
Nice niche mouthpiece
The 40B is a really good mouthpiece for Bb Tenorhorn and some Bass Trumpets. It's probably also great for various types of Tenor Trombones, but I don't have one to test with. It works ok on Alto Trombone and really large bore Althorn, but it's actually kind of deep for that (at least to me) and intonation may vary. Not crazy about how it feels on British Baritone Horn, but someone might like it for that.
Rim is very wide and cushiony with a high inner rim and relatively sharp bite. This is good for applications where you want a small mouthpiece because it plays small. Cup is much deeper than the B suggests, but it's still a decent high player for larger Tenorhorns and sounds pretty bright on Baritone/Euphonium. Throat is sufficient for small-bore Bass Trumpet.
I really enjoy this rim shape. You can really play with some pressure and squeal, if that's your thing. No doubt, pretty comfortable for Marching Baritone. All-in-all, a really good, but niche mouthpiece in a world where most low brass players opt for a bucket.
Jan 07, 2019
Tenor Sousaphone: Not Junk
Whether or not you should consider buying one of these is an interesting matter. If you want a wall hanger or just feel the impulse to buy one, then now is a great time. Current price is low and the used instrument market is crazy. On the other hand, if you want a "player", then you need to realize that a Sousaphone in 9' Bb with a 22" bell is a really bad idea.
Physically, the instrument is very impressive. Fit and finish is early 1900s quality at best, but at the price, that's totally fine and the least of your worries. Plating seems to be straight chrome. That's not ideal, but it looks really good. Bore size is roughly .590", but I'm not able to measure it precisely. Suffice to say, it's a normal size for such an instrument. The mouthpiece won't be most people's cup of tea, but I actually like it. The cup diameter is very small (~Schilke 40?), normal depth, sharp flat medium width rim, large backbore, medium shank. Valves are heavy but perfectly functional with sufficient compression and fast enough for playing. They are raw brass and not vented through the piston, so annoying vacuum noises are aplenty. Slides are mediocre but functional. The main tuning slide is uselessly short by design, but you won't be needing it. The horn can be a little uncomfortable to hold as is it quite front heavy, but it only weighs 10lbs, so it's not a big deal.
Musically, this instrument struggles at everything you would want it to be good at. Intonation is a challenge thanks to massively compressed octaves. The massive bell cripples the low range starting at low concert G. The massive increase in bore out of the valve block (+~.400" in 6-9") causes the high range to go flat at middle concert G. Playing in the upper register as a Euphonium is also difficult as the horn just isn't very capable up there. You can achieve "acceptable" intonation with the use of lipping and alternate fingerings, but it's a battle. Expect fatigue to set in quickly if you intend to accept the challenge of playing real music on this horn.
It's not all bad as there are some really redeeming qualities. Tone quality is really good and the experience of playing such an instrument is great. You can hear notes reverberating and ringing through the tubing. The horn is easy to blow. Easiest 9' Bb instrument I've ever played to get from piano to forte. The pedal range of the horn is fantastic, albeit still susceptible to intonation issues. Pedal concert Eb is playable as a false tone on open giving you the full sequence of notes that normally require a 4th valve. My low brass embouchure is not strong enough to really explore the bass potential of this horn, but I can reach double pedal C or so. Tone quality of these false tones is really good, so it's a travesty that the concert F on 13 is such a mess. Otherwise, you would have a gem of a bass instrument.
Basically, I can't recommend this if you intend to use it in any form of ensemble. You will never be able to play in tune with other instruments consistently. On the other hand, if you just want to doodle around on it or look at it, it's a great experience and one heck of a conversation piece. I had no expectations for this horn being playable and I've had plenty of fun with it.
Jul 31, 2018
Hecks yeah
Absolutely amazing light output. My mower's headlight assembly aims up about 45 degrees, so I don't even get the benefit of the projectors, but I get the light output of a good work light. I couldn't say if the bulbs are really 1700 lumens each given the unfair situation, but they are impressive to say the least.
Not sure if I would actually recommend these as reverse lights unless you just feel like you need headlights on the back of your car.