That green stuff near the thumb ring is a little off-putting to me. Still a cool looking horn though.

The concert "C" in the mid range can be a very squirrely note on a bass sax. It is sometimes necessary to use the side vent key (obviously, the "real" sax players refer to this note as "D.") At any rate, as you get the horn in great shape, don't assume you missed anything if that note is uncertain ...

Its a nice-looking sousaphone, and a wonderful inheritance. I wouldn't sell it either!

Having owned large bell horns and small bell horns, including a very fine Sander with a storied history and a bell smaller than 15 inches, I have come to prefer the smaller bells for a more focused sound. And having been on the lookout for one of these particular Holtons for about 40 years, I am not ...

As an extra incentive, imagine playing the trio of National Emblem March on that thing! All those A flats in a row...

This looks like the same finish, including the nickel or silver slides, same type of valve caps and valve buttons and other particulars, as my Besson BBb sousaphone--also a great playing horn.

I traveled by air with a horn only once, and got away with no damage--something I still think of as a minor miracle. In my case, it was a used Meinl Weston tenor tuba (similar to a rotary valve euphonium) that I purchased while on a business trip in Arizona. I put a cardboard cone in the bell ...

Frequent pauses to let the muscles rest during a practice session can be very helpful. Continuous playing without a break wears the muscles all the way out, and then only a substantial rest period will help.

His passing marks the loss of a lot of scholarship and accumulated knowledge of our instrument.

I had a pit tuba for a while and liked it. I also had a three-valve rotary king BBb (bell front) and it was one of the best-playing tubas I ever had. It was very heavy to hold, and I eventually sold it. Now (of course) I wish I had kept it. Good luck with your search!

I didn't get the movie reference, but wow, what a helicon!

Until recently, there were always a bunch of cheap used Eb's available. These were primarily Conns, Yorks, and other American brands with three valves, and some played pretty well. Eb sousaphones were also plentiful and cheap. I don't see so many listed recently. The best Eb I ever had was a small J ...