Here's a rare bird - the Death Star in Mirafone's lineup, circa the late 70s/early 80s. The original owner was Tommy Johnson, and I purchased it from him a couple years ago. For many years, it was his primary axe whenever he needed a big horn. E.T., Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Last Starfighter, the Leinsdorf Wagner recordings with the L.A. Phil, etc.
This horn produces a huge, omnidirectional sound. It can be overpowering if you want it to be, yet it still retains a nice core to the sound even when played softly.
Although this picture doesn't show it, I've had a main tuning slide trigger put on by Robb Stewart. Overall response on the horn is great. E and F just below the staff are a bit high, and E locks right in with 3rd valve. C in the staff runs sharp, hence the main tuning slide trigger. In the staff, Db (12), D (1), Eb (2) and E (open) are right on the money.
I have a good collection of photos showing it alongside some other horns:
The Mirafone Gallery
I tracked down my E.T. CD and pulled some sample MP3s. I did my best to keep the juicy tuba stuff, and truncate the rest. They're 320kbps files, and as such, are a little on the large side. If you listen with a good pair of headphones, you can really get an idea of what this horn's capable of.
For the record: these clips are from the 1996 re-issue of the original movie score (the actual cues used in the movie). The very first release in 1982 was Norm Pearson on (I believe) a Mirafone 188. That particular album was recorded specifically for the original 1982 soundtrack release.
You can either "right click" these links and save/download the MP3s directly to your computer, or just click the link at it will play in a new browser window...
Clip 01
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Clip 11
Price is $5K firm, and this includes a Pro-Tec gig bag. The horn is in Southern California. I'm planning on attending the Southwest Tuba and Euphonium Festival in Las Vegas June 9-12, and will have the horn there for anyone who's interested in trying it out.
