Miraphone 181 intonation

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Tue May 15, 2007 7:30 am

I don't think the helleberg size is the problem, but I would suggest using a more bowl-shaped mouthpiece on a rotary F. I was a dyed-in-the-wool funnel-cup mouthpiece user for years, but my 188 really took off when I changed to a bowl-shaped cup mouthpiece. My old MW 45 did a lot better with a bowl-shaped mouthpiece, too.
If you're relatively new to playing F, you might just need to give yourself time to settle in to playing that pitch of instrument. You may have consciously adjusted to the horn, but it might take a little while for your body/brain/ear to get used to the tone, location of the partials, etc.
Good luck and don't give up too quick.

Mojo workin' · Post by **Mojo workin'** » Tue May 15, 2007 6:59 pm

Danke Schoen, everyone.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Tue May 15, 2007 7:15 pm

Also try a Wick 3L. Deep with a barrel backbore, yes, but it's made for smaller tubas, and if you want a "deeper" or "darker" tone, it's worth at least a try to get a broader perspective.

Mojo workin' · Post by **Mojo workin'** » Tue May 15, 2007 11:12 pm

Having recently test driven some newer models of contrabass and bass tubas with which I hadn't spent much time in the past, some tuba manufacturers are, finally, stumbling across some bugle designs that offer reasonably trouble-free intonation combined with the clarity of sound that many desire.

Which ones? I only get to try whatever Baltimore Brass Company has or attempt to hear myself over the cacophony in the Army Conference exhibit room.

rascaljim · Post by **rascaljim** » Thu May 17, 2007 10:55 pm

I admit I only skimed the rest, but ...

I know Al Baer designed modifications that can be done to try to correct the intonation. I never did them because I find that the intonation was managable with the Dillon PS S3 mouthpiece. The sound is kinda bright with that piece. All the helleburg style mouthpieces I've used with the 181 let you blow more air, but the sound is way too contrabassie. Right now I'm messing around with a PT-65 that seems to be working pretty well.

Past the mouthpiece thing. I found my tone to be a little on the spread side with the tuba. After discussing this with Lee Stofer he recommended putting rubber tubing around the bell rim. It tightened up the sound as well as made the notes slot a lot better. Might be worth a shot.

Jim Langenberg