3/4 with big sound.

[chipster55]

Ben, I'm also curious about a 4-valve rotary 3/4. I've seen the Mirafone 282 in the WWBW catalog & website. Has anyone played this horn? It's expensive, but the specs would indicate it would be a pretty robust horn.

[tbn.al]

3. I'm making a run on the Olds 4v on DaBay. It needs some repairs- bell is bent, 4th valve has something wrong with it. The price is getting close to being too much considering the need for repairs but, we'll see.

Take a good close look at the picture of the valves. That might explain the 4th problem. One of the techs might chime in about the condition of the valves. They look awful to me, but I don't from nutin'.

[The Big Ben]

3. I'm making a run on the Olds 4v on DaBay. It needs some repairs- bell is bent, 4th valve has something wrong with it. The price is getting close to being too much considering the need for repairs but, we'll see.

Take a good close look at the picture of the valves. That might explain the 4th problem. One of the techs might chime in about the condition of the valves. They look awful to me, but I don't from nutin'.

Yes, that one looks really worn. The others look OK but that one is down to the brass. Startin' to make me a little leery.... It goes in a few hours... Might be better to let it be someone else's problem, not mine.... The price really is gettin' high all things considered.

Edit: The Olds got well over $700, I was leery of the valves, especially since it might cost $5-600 to get it into presentable playing shape.(It had a big bell wang, too.) I hadn't considered the horn until it came up here so... It finally went for $810. Good luck to someone...

[JohnMCooper]

Don't overlook the Miraphone 184, although decent BBb's are hard to find. Mine projects wonderfully and sounds a lot bigger in the hall than it does to my ear.

I'd second that! I holds it own quite well for a small horn!

[eupher61]

I'm gonna sound like a broke (not a Bloke) record....

Piggy. Piggy. Piggy.

If you want the smaller physical size but need enough to be present in any group, but nimble and light enough for a small group, nothing like it.

They're actually a fairly big horn, just wound up real tight.

I used mine as the only tuba in 2 different college bands, several college, community, and pro orchestras, and chamber and solo applications. I did add a trumpet-like saddle to the first valve so I could reach through rather than over the top bow. Really didn't use it that much, but it was needed for just a couple pitch corrections.

But, make sure you're getting a good one. As said before, a bad one is miserable, a good one is not quite paradise, but at least a long stride out of purgatory.

[Dr. Dave]

Ben, I'm also curious about a 4-valve rotary 3/4. I've seen the Mirafone 282 in the WWBW catalog & website. Has anyone played this horn? It's expensive, but the specs would indicate it would be a pretty robust horn.

Hi Chip --

I bought a Miraphone 282 a few months ago, I needed to downsize from a Miraphone 1291 due to arthritis...... I'm very pleased with the 282, it's about the same size as a Miraphone Firebird F tuba, has great presence, response and sound production, a very strong low register due to the graduated/larger 4th valve bore, and it can easily play as big or bigger than a 186. You're correct that it is a robust horn and I'm finding it well suited for a lot of different settings. I thought I would miss my 1291, but I don't...... I think the 282 is a great horn and at about $5,200, a very good value. I would recommend this fine horn to anyone looking for a versitile BBb tuba that does not have some of the limitations others have expressed about 3/4 horns (because many are calling this a 7/8 horn) but has the advantages of playing/sounding like a 4/4 contrabass tuba.

Thanks,
Dave
___________
Dr. David Rolf