Intonation fix - Mirafone 186 BBb

[jeopardymaster]

I have a 186 BBb with a serial number in the mid 12000's. Although the response is outstanding and intonation through the staff and above is pretty much dead-on, the B natural in the 3rd space below the staff and the E natural below that are quite sharp. 4th slide is not in a location to be pulled - squished in right behind 3, and there isn't much pipe to pull anyway.

I plan to put a throw on the 2d valve slide, which should fix the E, but it isn't enough to fix the B. Has anyone out there relocated the 4th valve piping so as to facilitate a better and longer pull? I figure it's kind of like changing the wrap on a trombone 'f' attachment, but twice as much tube.

[cjk]

Is your 186 not plumbed like these CCs where the 4th valve slide is on the back?



You could pull the 4th valve slide out so your Cs and Fs are just a tad low (which you'll subconsciously lip up in a playing situation) or have it lengthened or a pull ring added to it.

You might consider adding a valve if you have a 4 valve 186.

I used to have a Rudolf Meinl 4/4 CC which had a second valve trigger. I could play 2+4 in tune using the trigger.

If you find that the trigger is not enough to fix the B, I think you may also find that the C is a bit sharp.

[tbn.al]

I have the same problem on my 184. The best I can do since 3 is pulled permanently to nail the 23 is to use 123 and pull 1 a lot. I can actually get closer with 123 than I can with 24 if I pull 1 all the way. 4 is hard to reach down on the back and 3 nearly is impossible.

On your Bb tuba, they didn't bother to build it that way, because there is no problem playing low F.

Can you swap out the 4th valve slide from a C and fix it?

[tbn.al]

I don't even think about lipping it up a little anymore

Us trombone players generally have an aversion to lipping anything. It's just not something we've grown up with. That has been the biggest adjustment I had to make going to tuba. I'm so used to blowing straight down the pipe looking for the fatest sound I can find and adjusting with the slide. Valves are like another language. It's downright crippling at times.

[jeopardymaster]

Some interesting feedback already. Comparing my 184 CC to the 186 BBb, I think I can see how it can be done. Some joints get turned a few degrees, some piping gets bent, extend the 4th valve slide 2 inches, add a couple braces. I've already alerted Dan Schultz to my issue; I hope to work with him on a solution in a month or so. Meanwhile, I am going to rig a temporary kicker on 2 and keep lipping B natural down.

Situation is this - I'm playing Rachmaninoff 2 next week with a local orchestra. I can use my Sam Gnagey "YorKing" CC, but the Rach lies lots better on a BBb. The 186 plays it like a dream -- except for all those freaking B naturals -- total nightmare.

If anyone from Miraphone is monitoring Tubenet, please look into this matter. If you haven't already fixed the design shortcoming, you should.

[Stefan Kac]

Are we inhabiting the same plane of existence? I used to have a 186 in BBb. I used to pull the fourth slide all the time. I even had the valve vented so I could just keep my left hand on the slide and pull it as needed during partcularly troublesome passages. It wasn't exactly leisurely, but it worked out ok most of the time.

I still have the serial # written down; it's in the 16000's. Perhaps they have indeed fixed it since your horn was made?

[jeopardymaster]

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u168 ... 184002.jpg

The file references 184, but this is the 186.

[iiipopes]

And by pulling 4 for 2-4 and leaving it there, you won't have to pull 1 so far for 1-4.