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http://www.ebay.com/itm/NICE-TUBA-W-CAS ... Sw6DtYTogS" target="_blank Seller unsure what he has. Anybody have any opinions? Would be a good price if it actually is. BBb? I think.

Yeah, I thought might have had a bell transplant.

Definitely looks like a Mira 186 BBb to me.

It is a Mirafone 186 with what looks the world to be a GENUINE MIRAFONE replacement bell. I suppose it could be a Cerveny or something, but it looks Mirafone to me. The lacquer looks like a match though, so I suppose it is possible that it is a horn they never engraved for some reason.

The marks on the kranz looks like Miraphone to me. Cerveny kranzes are plainer, I think. I have seen a few (one or two?) unengraved Miraphones.

Pointlessly popping up to add to the chorus of those who think that kranz looks Miraphone-ish.

Stryk wrote:If it has had a transplant, it's not worth what they are asking IMHO. I mean it should be OK, but the Mirafone magic is in the bell.

I must disagree, unless the player is an absolute devotee of the point-and-shoot 16 1/2 inch bell. Yes, the newer 17 3/4 inch bell is more "vanilla," but it still has the Miraphone core to it. I play in a community band that has a father-son team on tuba: one has the older bell; the other has the newer bell. Not much difference out front. Yes, a difference, but not that much.

A Miraphone for the current bid as I type this is a good deal, even if it needs work on the linkage.

Stryk wrote:.... I have watched some of the horns Dan has sold and it seems his redone 186s are somewhere around $2k - and you KNOW you have a great horn when he is done with it. js

Thanks for the accolades, Terry! I once replaced a vintage 16 1/2" bell with a new, genuine, un-engraved Miraphone 17 1/2" bell and guess what? .... it wouldn't fit back into the original case because of the larger diameter bell.

Well the bids went up while I was at work today.

I'm sure the seller is happy. Went for more than the buy it now price.