Pepper and C.G. Conn companies took credit for building the first sousaphone; while C.G. Conn claimed to have invented the instrument in 1898, Sousa recalled going to J.W. Pepper to create the first prototype in 1893.

Is a sousaphone lower than a tuba?

Sousaphone is a type of tuba. The key difference between tuba and sousaphone is their shape and appearance. Sousaphone has a broad bell that faces above the player's head and projects forward whereas the bell in tuba is smaller and doesn't extend as far as the player's head.

Where was the sousaphone made?

Pepper built the instrument in 1895 at his factory in Philadelphia. He dubbed it "The Sousaphone" to honor Sousa. It was a concert instrument - not a marching horn. Its huge, detachable bell pointed straight up.