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This one might be a little "out there," but I was wondering if such comparisons could be made:

Assuming that a standard Fender Jazz Bass is equivalant to a Miraphone 186, what other comparisons might be made in terms of timbre and functionality?

I'm particularly interested in hearing what tuba might match up with an Ernie Ball Music Man, for example.

Hmm... This could prove to be a very interesting discussion...


Are you sure about the Fender J Bass to a 186? I think a J would be more like a Yamaha YBB-641.

I believe this could be compared to the legendary glass tuba. (In terms of initial awesomeness)

Well..........the lowest note on most basses...... E

Therefore........F tuba or Eb tuba...definitely a bass tuba.

Then again, doesn't it depend on how you have the tone dials turned on the bass??? You can make it pretty fat.

I would think......a bass to a tuba.........hm...

Well, if you have a 5-string e. bass (with the most common tuning setup), I hope you have your pedal B nice and... pedal-y.

The Jackson wrote:Well, if you have a 5-string e. bass (with the most common tuning setup), I hope you have your pedal B nice and... pedal-y.

but then if you had a pedal.......like a flange....you'd have to have a pedal-y pedal........or be Oystein Baadsvik

I would be more likely to equate a P-bass to a 186 rather than a J-bass.

Yep...186 = P Bass

J Bass, more like a B&S large bore F, with changeable leadpipe and 5th valve. Lots of different sounds possible.

Ernie Ball Music Man...

well, my guess would be a Hirsbrunner HB-2 (or2P), except for a few notes (depending on the horn).

The tone quality and response of these two "axes" are comparable, but one is an electric bass guitar, and the other is a tuba, so...

2cents 4 free!

bloke wrote:

In summary, The Jackson wrote:Hmm...I think a Fender J Bass would be more like a Yamaha YBB-641.

As a vintage J bass owner, I take particular offense.

Even a run-of-the-mill J bass plays quite well in tune with very little effort, and has very reliable extreme ranges.

At one time, before the frets wore out, the pickups died, and it was at a time when there was nobody where I live who could fix it properly, although I know where it is and can borrow it anytime I need it, I used to own a 1975-6 light ash jazz bass with a rosewood board -- the exact bass that is all the "reissue" rage. If my current luthier had been around then, I would probably still have the bass. But my Rickenbacker 4002 and my custom fanned fret P style bass do very well, thank you.

I also take absolute offense at such a fine instrument being compared to a Yamaha tuba. A good jazz bass would be, in my view, something like a Rudy 17 inch bell: great tone, great response, great character of tone, flexible, in tune, etc.

BTW: I am surprised that nobody has commented on the fact that the conventional bottom note for a 3-valve BBb tuba and a standard 4-string bass (not counting false pedal tones on the one and items such as a Hipshot extender for the other) are the same 41 Hz low E nat.

I like the P-bass/J-Bass comparison to a 186. both horns you can use as a pro, but are (sort of) afordable for the serious amateur/student.

Though with E-basses, the rest of the set up makes a difference also (amps, speakers, etc).

I'd liken a Hofner Beatle Bass to an Alexander. . . neither plays easily in tune, but, man, that SOUND.

--T. J.

eupher61 wrote:Yep...186 = P Bass

J Bass, more like a B&S large bore F, with changeable leadpipe and 5th valve. Lots of different sounds possible.

In that case, U.S.-made my P-bass-plus (which has Precision and Jazz pickups on a P-bass body) must be a like that well-known tuba, the B&Miraphone&S PT-186 Double Tuba.

Rick "who can't play either one" Denney

bloke wrote:I take particular offense.

iiipopes wrote:I also take absolute offense at such a fine instrument being compared to a Yamaha tuba.

Wow, I am very sorry that the both of you (as well as anyone else offended by my statement) feel that way. I hope you did not take my comment as one of hostility (and certainly not one of trolling) because that is not at all what I intended.

T. J. Ricer wrote:I'd liken a Hofner Beatle Bass to an Alexander. . . neither plays easily in tune, but, man, that SOUND.

--T. J.

OK, like was said above, and I've played vintage Hofners at, among other places, Gruhn's store in Nashville: you must pair a Hofner with a relatively low powered tube amp with paper cone speakers so that you can ride them on the edge of breakup and natural compression of the amp. Otherwise, to quote another Guitar Player magazine from decades ago, a Hofner will sound no better than dropping a pebble on wet cardboard.

If I was to learn electric bass, I'd be thrilled to get one as reliable and easy to play and results-oriented as my Yamaha tuba. I can take Old Faithful on a gig any time and have no worries.

As for this thread... well, I'll play the tuba version of whatever Bootsy Collins plays.

Thank you, Bloke, for the photo of your tuba mike-holding rig. It looks substantial. Is it padded to prevent damage to the bell?
What do you do to prevent the dolphin-like "huffing" sound coming through the p.a. when you blow "condensation" out through the water keys?