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I'm curious about the Miraphone Elektra F Tuba. Are there any owners out there? How do you like it? How is intonation and response?

I had only one hour face time with an Elektra, but liked it much. Great response and intonation, good sound quality, and 6 valves too. Unfortunately, I play Eb, so I let this one pass ..

Dave Porter picked one up at the Army workshop in February. Might be good to solicit his opinion since he's had a few months to form one.

I spent about 3 hours on one at tmea over the course of 4 days and in my 100% honest opinion, it isn't any much different or better than the Bel canto or firebird. Not to say it isn't a good horn, but it just sorta felt like another miraphone F tuba, very easy to get around in the mid and high register, very vanilla tone color, I actually felt the low register on the firebird I owned awhile back was much better than on this particular elektra. It was very easy for me to hit the high G but the sound thinned out alot after that, everything under that down to F2 and slotted as you would expect, I won't say much on intonation simply because it was tmea but I ran the major and minor scales up and down two octaves and it sounded "right" to my ears. I don't think it's a bad instrument at all but I also don't think it's any better than the Bel canto like I said and where it really fell below my expectations was the low register , yes I know it's an F tuba but miraphone has done very well with the firebirds low register and the elektra I played there didn't impress me down below the bottom staff F. I may be a nobody, but that's my honest opinion on it, if you're in the market for a solo, or maybe quintet F and you like the miraphone sound and feel , you'll probably be happy with it and I implore you try one for yourself if you can. But as an orchestral F or do it all F I think you would be happier with the firebird, Kodiak, or maybe one of the Gronitz F tubas that are for sale on here. Just my take on it.

EMC wrote:I spent about 3 hours on one at tmea over the course of 4 days and in my 100% honest opinion, it isn't any much different or better than the Bel canto or firebird. Not to say it isn't a good horn, but it just sorta felt like another miraphone F tuba, very easy to get around in the mid and high register, very vanilla tone color, I actually felt the low register on the firebird I owned awhile back was much better than on this particular elektra. It was very easy for me to hit the high G but the sound thinned out alot after that, everything under that down to F2 and slotted as you would expect, I won't say much on intonation simply because it was tmea but I ran the major and minor scales up and down two octaves and it sounded "right" to my ears. I don't think it's a bad instrument at all but I also don't think it's any better than the Bel canto like I said and where it really fell below my expectations was the low register , yes I know it's an F tuba but miraphone has done very well with the firebirds low register and the elektra I played there didn't impress me down below the bottom staff F. I may be a nobody, but that's my honest opinion on it, if you're in the market for a solo, or maybe quintet F and you like the miraphone sound and feel , you'll probably be happy with it and I implore you try one for yourself if you can. But as an orchestral F or do it all F I think you would be happier with the firebird, Kodiak, or maybe one of the Gronitz F tubas that are for sale on here. Just my take on it.

This was my experience as well. I liked it a lot. I don't know that I liked it that much more than a Firebird or Bel Canto.

tubacorbin wrote:

EMC wrote:I spent about 3 hours on one at tmea over the course of 4 days and in my 100% honest opinion, it isn't any much different or better than the Bel canto or firebird. Not to say it isn't a good horn, but it just sorta felt like another miraphone F tuba, very easy to get around in the mid and high register, very vanilla tone color, I actually felt the low register on the firebird I owned awhile back was much better than on this particular elektra. It was very easy for me to hit the high G but the sound thinned out alot after that, everything under that down to F2 and slotted as you would expect, I won't say much on intonation simply because it was tmea but I ran the major and minor scales up and down two octaves and it sounded "right" to my ears. I don't think it's a bad instrument at all but I also don't think it's any better than the Bel canto like I said and where it really fell below my expectations was the low register , yes I know it's an F tuba but miraphone has done very well with the firebirds low register and the elektra I played there didn't impress me down below the bottom staff F. I may be a nobody, but that's my honest opinion on it, if you're in the market for a solo, or maybe quintet F and you like the miraphone sound and feel , you'll probably be happy with it and I implore you try one for yourself if you can. But as an orchestral F or do it all F I think you would be happier with the firebird, Kodiak, or maybe one of the Gronitz F tubas that are for sale on here. Just my take on it.

This was my experience as well. I liked it a lot. I don't know that I liked it that much more than a Firebird or Bel Canto.

Same for me as well. It was a good horn and I'd play one if one showed up at work. It just didn't reach out and shake my hand. it just seemed like the middle child of their rotor F tubas. I would like to try the fifth valve at the bottom valve setup on a bel canto or a firebird.

Middle child? Like major "OW"!

pjv wrote:Middle child? Like major "OW"!

No kidding