New member, new tuba....help?

[Tom Mason]

If the horn is not as big as a 186, (the normal size older model horn), then you might have a 185 or 184.

Tom Mason

[scottw]

16.5" bell, 40" high makes it a 186 from 1964

[Dan Schultz]

My wife just surprized me with a old Mirafone tuba for my birthday....

WOW! Lucky dog!... nice lady! Wecome to the Tubenet.

[Steve Inman]

You are the lucky winner of a Miraphone model 186 CC tuba. I just traded a 4V version of this horn plus some extra funds for a Conn 56J, thanks to Andy Smith and Lee Stofer at Lee Stofer Music (Tubameister.com). My 186 (no longer "mine") was one of the 16.5" models as well. Very nice sound for solos, quintets, brass choirs, etc. Big enough for pit orchestra. In a 45+ pc community band, it's nice to have another section mate to help out, as the older 186 doesn't have as "broad" of a sound to provide the "foundation" for the larger ensembles, unless you're Roger Bobo . . . .

Does anyone know what year the model 186 had the bell diameter increase from 16.5 inches to 17.75 inches?

The 185 USED to be the 15" bell (in CC), the 184 USED to have a ~14" bell. TODAY, the new 184 has the same bore as the old 184, but sports a larger, 15" bell. (I believe my memory is correct here.)

[begin "too much information" section]

The 5th valve is most likely (most certainly) tuned to be equal to three semi-tones worth of "pitch drop" IN THE KEY OF G. So, whenever you are using your 4th valve (which effectively converts your tuba temporarily into a tuba in the key of G) the 5th valve will lower the selected note by a perfectly in-tune 3 half-steps. When the 4th valve is not in use, you can alternately think of the 5th valve as a "flat step-an-a-half", also often called a "2+3 5th valve" because tubing long enough to lower your pitch by 3 semitones in the key of G is about the same as lowering your pitch by 4 semitones in the key of C.

Use this 5th valve in place of the 3rd valve in the low register whenever the 4th valve is also used. Others will have to post their suggested list of fingerings for the 2+3 5th valve. I suspect the following:

low G = 4
low Gb = 2,4
Low F = 1,4 (pull 1st valve slide) or 1,2,4 or 2,3,5 ??? (just a guess)
(count the number of half steps each valve contributes by itself and add everything up. experiment to figure out what works best for you).
[end of "TMI" section]

Good luck,

[Randy Beschorner]

As the others have said, welcome to TubeNet. Having noted your location in Wisconsin, I find I have to ask the question:

Where's Waldo?