Saving the Sousaphone

COEUR d'ALENE — A piece of Coeur d'Alene history lies in disrepair in the music room at Lake City High School.

For the past five years, a 1942 Conn "Naked Lady" Sousaphone has been condemned to the shelf, and LCHS music instructor Tim Sandford said he would like to see it repaired so it can be used for another 70 years. The name of the instrument stems from the risque logo of a naked lady etched onto the bell of the Sousaphone.

A Sousaphone is a tuba designed for marching and wraps around the musician, making it easier to carry. The Sousaphone at LCHS is made of brass with silver plating, dented and worn from many years of use. The leadpipe, a gooseneck-shaped mouthpiece, is so badly crushed that it can no longer be used.

Sandford hopes to gain sponsorship from the community so the instrument can be played and heard once again.

"I know that this came from the Elks Band," he said. "There is a picture of the Elks Band with three silver Sousaphones in Hudson's Burgers and this is one of those. I think it is part of the cultural heritage of Coeur d'Alene."

Because the Sousaphone is 74 years old, the leadpipe for this particular model is no longer manufactured and needs to be custom made. The cost to repair the instrument is about $7,000. It would be worth more than $15,000 when fixed.

Sandford said he checked with a company named Tuba Exchange to ask whether it would be worth the repair and was told it is, because it is the "tuba of choice." Some of the newer Sousaphones are made of fiberglass and were popular for a while because they were lightweight. The brass and silver Sousaphone weighs more than 30 pounds, but Sandford said there is no comparison when it comes to the sound.

"The metal horn sounds so much better," he said. "The fiberglass ones just sound stuffy; in fact, almost nobody is using them anymore."

He said the school purchased two other Sousaphones on a grant a few years ago, but those are designed for student use and cost about $6,000 each. The "Naked Lady" horn is a professional-level instrument — one reason why it is worth much more than the other horns. Unfortunately, Sandford said, with the way the schools are funded, the district can not afford the $7,000 for repairs.

He said the cost would include a complete makeover for the Sousaphone. A company in Seattle would take the Sousaphone apart and re-silver it and clean it up with a custom leadpipe.

"It would be just like working on a car," Sandford said. "They would go in and pound out the dents and make it all smooth and beautiful. It would come back basically brand-new — with a new case."

The school provides the larger instruments like the Sousaphone for the students because the cost is prohibitive, Sandford said. Once repaired, the Sousaphone will remain at the school for use by the students for events such as the Christmas and Homecoming parades. It will also be available to the Perfection Nots in the annual Fourth of July parade held downtown. The Perfection Nots is a group of more than 100 members who dress in costume and play instruments in the parade each year.

"So not only would it be a school thing, but the community would have access to it for that event as well," Sandford said.

Donations can be made out to Lake City High School and sent to 6101 Ramsey Road, Coeur d'Alene, ID, 83815. Note on check: "Sousaphone Project."