Mirafone 190 "Intonation"

[MartyNeilan]

You could try a different leadpipe. I had a 190 BBb for many years and always thought the mouthpipe was a little too small (as in narrow taper). Lee Stofer has it now, and he may put an Alex leadpipe on it when he overhauls it and puts it up fdor sale (or keeps it).
FWIW, I never had any serious intonation problems on mine, I just thought it was a little stuffy at times and would edge out sooner than I would like.
A more open mouthpipe could perhaps address both issues.

[poomshanka]

Wow - interesting to hear about another 190 CC on the continent! Yours is the third I know of, the other two being the prototype up in Canada, and mine (Tommy Johnson's old horn).

Intonation is pretty good on my horn with the stock leadpipe. Db (12), D (1), Eb (2) and E (2) in the staff are right on (usually a little low on most Mirafones, I've found). Unfortunately, those four notes pulling north just a bit dragged open C along with it. Yep, it's a little high.

I had a jigger put on the main tuning slide that pushes it out. I also had the ferrules on that slide extended 3/4". The F just below the staff on mine *is* high, as is the E just below it. I can either pull out my first valve slide, or kick out the main slide, whichever's most convenient. E locks right in using 3rd valve. I push out the main slide for C in the staff. Db below the staff is 125, with the first slide pushed in. In the basement, it's F# (125), F (235), E (45), Eb (145, first slide in), D (345), Db (2345, main slide out).

I think there are more BBb 190s floating around than the CCs. I've played a BBb here in town, and it's *nothing* like my CC. My own sense is that Mirafone didn't make too many CC 190s. As such, I'd expect variations ala any other "hand-made", low production number horn. I haven't found my 190 to be unmanageably out-of-tune. A couple of quirks, yeah, but nothing insurmountable.

Of course, I'm looking to sell mine! I play one night a week in a community band, and that's about it. I don't have the time to put in on this horn, and I get frustrated at how revealing it is. A horn like this is a great "amplifier". If you're on your game, you'll sound great. If not (like me), it can be a handful.

Centering's more of a problem for me, not intonation. Back in the day, I'd have never considered parting with this horn. Today, unfortunately, I'm embarrased to say that I'm just not man enough for this axe!!

...Dave

[Gorilla Tuba]

Not a miraphone specific answer... but I used to own an Steyr Kaiser Tuba that was about the same size as a 190. It had an extremely flat mid-upper range (C in the staff on up). On advice from a teacher in Berlin, I swapped my Conn Helleburg mouthpiece for a shallow cup Bruno Tilz mouthpiece that had a tighter bore venturi... very similar to a Mirafone C4. It really helped. Admittedly, the sound was less "organ-like" to my ears, but pitch sure was less of a fight.