Allora Brass

Gravid · Post by **Gravid** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:44 am

Is there a website (I've searched, but to no avail)? Are these really just made by VMI (can't find any mention on the VMI website)? Anyone have any personal experience w/these horns?

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:49 am

Gravid wrote:Is there a website (I've searched, but to no avail)? Are these really just made by VMI (can't find any mention on the VMI website)? Anyone have any personal experience w/these horns?

Allora appears to be a house marque of The Brasswind (and Music123). The 3+1 euphonium looks to be made by VMI, but the tuba looks decidedly Chinese. So it depends what you're talking about.

CJ Krause · Post by **CJ Krause** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 2:30 am

Roger Lewis · Post by **Roger Lewis** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 8:29 am

The trombones and euphoniums are made in Germany by, I believe, VMI and they are quite good. The trombone is now available with the Thayer valve and has very good sound, tuning and flexibility. The tubas are manufactured in China by a factory that has been trained by American technicians. The Allora 186 is a copy of the Miraphone 186 and is actually a pretty good horn. Side-by-side comparisons show that they have matched the design very well except in two spot that don't affect the playing qualities: the bell is slightly larger and there is a 90 degree bend in the 4th valve tubing that the Miraphone makes, where these horns have an elbow joined in instead. Tuning is identical between the two instruments, same tendencies and same notes you need to favor. The sound on the Allora is a tad brighter, I think, perhaps due to the higher zinc content in the metal. I have heard customers play them against each other and the Allora can compete pretty well. Some customers actually sounded better on the Allora. It's not a bad horn for the price.

Roger

Gravid · Post by **Gravid** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 11:27 am

Thanks for the info. What about the Allora 191 vs. the Mirafone 191?

elimia · Post by **elimia** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 8:23 pm

You should search through old threads on this board re: Allora, as I had asked about this brand last year. Well I just couldn't contain the enthusiasm of getting a 3 + 1 euphonium for that price. I ordered one and played it for about 5 days before I sent it back.

The good part. Man, it is one pretty horn. Very nice case too. The cleaning cloth inside was from VMI - this is indeed a German made horn by VMI. Still getting better, huh? It has a very nice sound, a little bright. Overall very rich.

Here comes the bad part - it was horribly out of tune no matter what adjustments I made. I consider myself a competent and knowledgable player, playing the euph for 10 years and know how to play in tune. The horn just couldn't play in tune. Some notes were flat, others sharp, and I recall low D being almost a whole step flat. Intonation was ok (octaves were pretty similar). I wouldn't recommend this horn, it needs to be taken back to the table to fix tuning problems.

I ended up buying a Weril 980 from Baltimore Brass Company. The Weril doesn't have the perfect finish of the Allora, but it plays great. It plays in tune, intonation is good, is also a 4 valve horn, has a very rich, dark sound, and was about $500 cheaper than the Allora. Also consider a used Yamaha YEP321 (Weril euph's are an improved version of this horn). My advice is to keep looking. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Besides, a good horn will give you a lot of satisfaction and is a worthwhile financial investment.

Ryan
Pittsburgh, PA

numbnutstubist · Post by **numbnutstubist** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 3:53 am

I will completely second that motion on the 186. It is a fine horn. Tone is wonderful all through the cash register, and the action on the valves and slides is really good. When I heard that my best friend's girlfriend had bought one for him, I thought that she had made a horrible investment decision. Then I played it, and can honestly say that I made an bad assumption about the horn.

Roger Lewis wrote:The trombones and euphoniums are made in Germany by, I believe, VMI and they are quite good. The trombone is now available with the Thayer valve and has very good sound, tuning and flexibility. The tubas are manufactured in China by a factory that has been trained by American technicians. The Allora 186 is a copy of the Miraphone 186 and is actually a pretty good horn. Side-by-side comparisons show that they have matched the design very well except in two spot that don't affect the playing qualities: the bell is slightly larger and there is a 90 degree bend in the 4th valve tubing that the Miraphone makes, where these horns have an elbow joined in instead. Tuning is identical between the two instruments, same tendencies and same notes you need to favor. The sound on the Allora is a tad brighter, I think, perhaps due to the higher zinc content in the metal. I have heard customers play them against each other and the Allora can compete pretty well. Some customers actually sounded better on the Allora. It's not a bad horn for the price.

Roger

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