Chicago FB: MW 25

[hrender]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130819 ... 4314001235

[arpthark]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130819 ... 4314001235

I saw this a few days ago. I have a suspicion this is actually a 20 and not a 25.

[hrender]

Agreed, but I don't like to second-guess a seller unless it's blatantly wrong.

[arpthark]

Yeah, and it is a little hard to tell with the angle anyway. I thought that era MW-25s were much larger, but, it seems in great shape and a fair price nonetheless.

[hrender]

Current 25 looks different (see below), but I don't know if/how the model might have changed over the years. Dimensions are similar, though.

[bloke]

fairly late-era mods:

- messed with the 4th circuit, so it could be pulled
- tilted the paddles so (some) people might find the angle more comfortable (same number of syllables as "ergonomic", but not as techy-sounding)

Really early ones do not feature the #3 circuit on the front.

[arpthark]

Really early ones do not feature the #3 circuit on the front.

Had a couple of 1960s/Rex Conner-era examples of these at Kentucky.

Impossible to tell how they played, because they had been abused for 40 years (loose kranz, leaky valves, etc.)

[bloke]

Eleven years ago, I slicked one out, tightened up the linkage/rotors, and re-lacquered the outside bows and bell for one that belonged to a North Carolina high school.

According to the tuba-phile band director, all of their other tubas were Miraphone model 191 (not my cup of tea, but whatev') tubas.

...This (pro'lly 1960's...??) M-W 25 played about the same (to me) as the newish ones as well as the JP knock-off...but what do I know...?? I'm just a tuba player...and a B-flat (aka: amateur) player, at that.




Off to the right is that big-@$$ tree that just fell over.

...and here's a CURRENT-style one that (apparently...??) I bought, slicked out, and flipped about eight years ago:



I've filled those cracks, stripped that stain, removed the sunburn from the logs, and re-stained them since.

[GC]

The 17.75" bell says Model 25. The 20 was closer to 16".

I owned a Model 25 from 1972-1977. It had great tone and could handle a lot of volume, but it was stuffy and inflexible; later examples I've played didn't have these problems. The valves were the best on any horn I've ever owned. The slides had the same as the op's pictures layout. The 4th valve slide was relocated to the front in the '80's or '90's.

[bloke]

I have another one ("DIV OF GET..." era) to fix up, but I'm having trouble getting to it.

maybe next year... ' good tubas.