eBay: Mirafone 184 CC

[arpthark]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325548681779?h ... R-K3-LnRYQ

[bloke]

Based on the hyperinflation and wild money printing we've experienced, this is quite a bargain, considering what money buys now.

[arpthark]

This looks like the "newer" style 184 with the 90 degree bend going into the main tuning slide.

I owned one from ca. 1960 with the dogleg "B-flat" style bend before the main tuning slide. It was a great sound but featured flat third and fifth partials.

I wonder if the "newer" (~50 instead of ~60 years old) style retains those same characteristics.

[bloke]

This looks like the "newer" style 184 with the 90 degree bend going into the main tuning slide.

I owned one from ca. 1960 with the dogleg "B-flat" style bend before the main tuning slide. It was a great sound but featured flat third and fifth partials.

I wonder if the "newer" (~50 instead of ~60 years old) style retains those same characteristics.

Don't fret. The same pitches are just as problematic. It's just that the later style is sharp-natured, rather than flat-natured.
These were beloved because they were a workaround and an avoidance of an F tuba purchase (as American players didn't want to have to learn how to play F tubas (not to mention that most F tubas - at that time, just as now - were wretched...though now, there are many more wretched models from which to choose), and not beloved because these 184 tubas played themselves.

[b.williams]

[Mary Ann]

Wow. I paid a lot less than that, including shipping, for the one I recently bought, which included the original hard case, a mute, and a very nice blue Miraphone gig bag. Same vintage.

I will add that if they think they are going to ship that for $150, they are dreaming unless they know of some way that I've never heard of.

[bort2.0]

Wow. I paid a lot less than that, including shipping, for the one I recently bought, which included the original hard case, a mute, and a very nice blue Miraphone gig bag. Same vintage.

I will add that if they think they are going to ship that for $150, they are dreaming unless they know of some way that I've never heard of.

Well, that doesn't mean they are only paying $150 for shipping, it means they are only charging you $150. Maybe they think the high costs scares people off so they set a flat rate and take the hit for the rest. $5500 was a heck of a price for that... Yikes...!

[Mary Ann]

Heck of a price, do you mean high or low? To me it is quite high.

If you think it is low, I'm in luck if I find another NStar and can sell mine. I still have the boxes and peanuts!!

[bort2.0]

Heck of a price, do you mean high or low? To me it is quite high.

If you think it is low, I'm in luck if I find another NStar and can sell mine. I still have the boxes and peanuts!!

I think it's quite high

[Mary Ann]

Interesting. Bloke thought it was "quite a bargain." But I bet he wouldn't pay that for it

[bort2.0]

Interesting. Bloke thought it was "quite a bargain." But I bet he wouldn't pay that for it

Well, I think it's that tricky case of "a really nice example of something not many people want."

At that price, it would have either sat there for a while or found the right buyer. And, we know what happened there.

[bloke]

Interesting. Bloke thought it was "quite a bargain." But I bet he wouldn't pay that for it

Am I mistaken, or didn't it sell?

It's a bargain in the retail world.
For the flipping world (mine), it's a bit rich...
Again: Someone - reportedly - bought it.

Ten years ago, people were eatin' 'em up for c. $4500...
...at least, when I was tossing 'em out there.

IC184.png (12.98 KiB) Viewed 609 times

[Mary Ann]

If that was on ebay I'm not sure you'll find out what it actually sold FOR. What it listed for, yes, but not what it sold for.

[bloke]

Well admittedly one thing is true.
Even though USD's are only worth 2/3 to half of what they were in 2020 (depending on what someone is buying, and way more inflation has occurred then that BS inflation calculator claims) I haven't heard about people's salaries going up - other than entry level jobs... but - with money being worth only half - those entry level jobs are still basically paying what they were paying before... I don't think too many people with entry level jobs are shopping for 5,500 buck used tubas. (I hear they're really going to clamp down on wait staff at restaurants, with a new "let's tax the poor" initiative.)

That tuba looks to be in pretty nice condition, though.

[tofu]

.

[cjk]

IMHO, not a bargain, but an "OK" price. Lots of odd laquer wear and a patch on the leadpipe.
It wasn't nearly as nice as one slicked up by Bloke.

[cjk]

This looks like the "newer" style 184 with the 90 degree bend going into the main tuning slide.

I owned one from ca. 1960 with the dogleg "B-flat" style bend before the main tuning slide. It was a great sound but featured flat third and fifth partials.

I wonder if the "newer" (~50 instead of ~60 years old) style retains those same characteristics.

I would swear to you that the one I formerly owned (90 degree no-dogleg main tuning slide, white socket linkage) had the flat fifth, but not the flat third. On mine, all of the first valve notes lined up, including the D in the staff. I could easily push up the Eb in the staff played 2nd valve, but more often than not still played the E 1+2.

[bloke]

' didn't see the patch.

Patches are usually non-starters for me.
I don't trust anyone to re-lacquer a tuba, other than myself (and I'm not asking anyone else to trust me).
Simply, I don't buff the $h!t out of the bell and bows - after repairing them.
Also, (since sanding and buffing is horrible work, and I'm LAZY) I have made sure that my dent-removal skills are good enough so-as to not have to fake over mediocre dent removal (via removing too much material).

Patches - I prefer to braze cracks and tears.

If I can EVER find the time, I'm planning on re-lacquering my 40-year-old F tuba (which I bought new). The scratches will remain, unless any of them disappear upon the first pass of the buffing wheel.

[jtm]

... I could easily push up the Eb in the staff played 2nd valve, but more often than not still played the E 1+2.

I'm not a bit surprised. I usually play E 1+2 on my 188, even though the 188 has the reputation of not needing it.