Dude with tuba sousaphone instrument DEFINITELY in the tuba family on Muni, no bigs
Update (7:22 a.m., next day): I love the internet. And I’m a total idiot. That ain’t no tuba. It’s a sousaphone, as pointed out by, oh, hella commenters. Thanks, guys!
Original post: As spotted and tweeted by @emiliecole. On his way to marching band practice, maybe?
Sousaphone to be exact.
That’s the oddest sousaphone I’ve ever seen, though — the bell is in line with the bore instead of facing forward, and doesn’t seem to flare like a sousaphone generally does. It looks like a mad scientist crossed a euphonium with a sousaphone, but forgot to finish.
I’ll at least humbly accept that it is NOT a tuba. This discussion is rather compelling, though.
My roommates and I see him around the Inner Richmond every now and then!
It’s a sousaphone!
Sousaphone.
you’re a sousaphone
Totally a sousie.
How can it be a debate? It’s a sousaphone.
What do you mean, “how can it be a debate?” There was a one entire dissenting vote on its sousa-ness!
That is a Helicon, which later developed into the Sousaphone. While the helicon is an older design, they are still used in Europe, and North America a bit (jazz bands, Balkan Brass and some Klezmer bands ) and they are still being made! Up until about 1925 most American horn companies made them.
Aw, dude, ANOTHER strikethrough in the headline? 😉
Yep! or Nope!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicon_(musical_instrument)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousaphone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuba
However, they all do play the same notes and sound about the same – it is just the way they are shaped to either fit around the player or not. They are really all in the tuba family…