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.
As for the inevitable "why are you selling it?", I'm ashamed to say that it's just a little too much horn for an avocational player like me. If I was playing on a more regular basis, there's no way I'd let it go. As it is, I need to find it a new home.
I have a good collection of photos showing it alongside some other horns:
The Mirafone Gallery
Price is $5K firm, and this includes a Pro-Tec gig bag. The horn is in Southern California.
UPDATE 2/14/05
I finally 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
Clip 02
Clip 03
Clip 04
Clip 05
Clip 06
Clip 07
Clip 08
Clip 09
Clip 10
Clip 11
