Has anyone tried the Miraphone 80 F? I can find some writing and listings from the older 180 F but not the new(maybe) 80 F. I could find the 80 maybe has a larger bell and a larger bore than the 180, but I can’t confirm old measurements. I think the 80 is a more locked in version of the 180. Like the Miraphone 283 is a improved version of the 183.
Looks nice, maybe a Alexander sized/sounding F tuba with Miraphone playability and intonation.
Thanks!
Miraphone 80 F?
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russiantuba
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Re: Miraphone 80 F?
Miraphone dropped the first number in many of their series on their website; the 188CC for example is the 88.
My first F was a Miraphone 180. It had a nice bark and cut to the sound. Roger Bobo used this model horn on the F tuba tracks on Boboissimo, Gene Pokorny and Tommy Johnson used this model as well, and I think Eugene Dowling recorded some of his CD “The British Tuba” on one of these.
The horn has a very unique sound. It isn’t deep with resonance but does project. The tuning isn’t amazing, but wasn’t beyond horrid. The low range was not amazing, but not bad either.
It seems like many people want large Fs for orchestral use. I use a larger F because I do a lot of solo/quintet work on F.
My first F was a Miraphone 180. It had a nice bark and cut to the sound. Roger Bobo used this model horn on the F tuba tracks on Boboissimo, Gene Pokorny and Tommy Johnson used this model as well, and I think Eugene Dowling recorded some of his CD “The British Tuba” on one of these.
The horn has a very unique sound. It isn’t deep with resonance but does project. The tuning isn’t amazing, but wasn’t beyond horrid. The low range was not amazing, but not bad either.
It seems like many people want large Fs for orchestral use. I use a larger F because I do a lot of solo/quintet work on F.
Dr. James M. Green
Lecturer in Music--Ohio Northern University
Adjunct Professor of Music--Ohio Christian University
Gronitz PF 125
Miraphone 1291CC
Miraphone Performing Artist
www.russiantuba.com
Lecturer in Music--Ohio Northern University
Adjunct Professor of Music--Ohio Christian University
Gronitz PF 125
Miraphone 1291CC
Miraphone Performing Artist
www.russiantuba.com
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arpthark
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Re: Miraphone 80 F?
I thought the 180 was just what we call the 80 in America, or what Miraphone called the German model numbers 80/84/85/86 when they started importing them into America in the 60s.
80 = 180
86 = 186
etc.
80 = 180
86 = 186
etc.
Blake
Bean Hill Brass
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bloke
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Re: Miraphone 80 F?
I would be interested in revisiting one of those models, particularly if they've done some of that retapering to find the best tuning compromises, which has been done to some other models and to brand new models.
I'm not in the market for a second F tuba. I've owned two in the past and it felt silly. I was making excuses to use the second one on jobs.
I'm not in the market for a second F tuba. I've owned two in the past and it felt silly. I was making excuses to use the second one on jobs.
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arpthark
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Re: Miraphone 80 F?
Wonder if that happened around the same time that they started making the bells on the 186 bigger.
You could actually probably email Miraphone and ask them. They are pretty nice when it comes to answering emails.
Blake
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bloke
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Re: Miraphone 80 F?
The larger bell pancakes seemed to appear roughly at the same time as the hydraulically-formed bows.
(wandering off-topic even more, here...)
Miraphone could make 186 tubas (and 188 tubas) the same way they made them in the past...and I'm not talking about all that time-consuming hand-made linkage, but the rest of the instrument.
They could do something like an American manufacturer has done and call the handmade ones something akin to "artisan" (etc.), but what they would risk is that they would be so swamped with orders for the ($18,000...??) "artisan" 186/188 tubas, that it could interfere with their regular production quotas...It's not like they're a huge company...
bloke "The 98 tubas are not hydraulically-formed, but (my guess...??) is that they've fabricated less than thirty of those...I have no idea regarding the 497 model, because I've never asked the Miraphone people, and I've never repaired a 497 - as it's apparent how a tuba was fabricated, when dents are being removed."
(wandering off-topic even more, here...)
Miraphone could make 186 tubas (and 188 tubas) the same way they made them in the past...and I'm not talking about all that time-consuming hand-made linkage, but the rest of the instrument.
They could do something like an American manufacturer has done and call the handmade ones something akin to "artisan" (etc.), but what they would risk is that they would be so swamped with orders for the ($18,000...??) "artisan" 186/188 tubas, that it could interfere with their regular production quotas...It's not like they're a huge company...
bloke "The 98 tubas are not hydraulically-formed, but (my guess...??) is that they've fabricated less than thirty of those...I have no idea regarding the 497 model, because I've never asked the Miraphone people, and I've never repaired a 497 - as it's apparent how a tuba was fabricated, when dents are being removed."
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arpthark
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bloke
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Re: Miraphone 80 F?
hammer marks printing through from the inside, in addition to thickness of material
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Rick Denney
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Re: Miraphone 80 F?
Yup. Certainly contributed to my mediocre results ironing the dents out of my B&S/Giardinelli 101. And also why the mediocre results don’t bother me much.bloke wrote:hammer marks printing through from the inside, in addition to thickness of material
I seem to recall that the old Miraphone 180 F is of the same vintage and philosophy as my 184 in Bb. The description from James works well, but I would say the intonation on mine is much better than “not horrible”. It’s a great contrabass for quintet, especially when blending with a tenor trombone.
Rick “but not likely to prefer it over the B&S F” Denney